gail, after some recollection, gave
her to understand that she had an admirer, who, on that very hour and
day mentioned by the cunning man, had addressed himself to her in
a serious proposal of marriage. This explanation, however, was more
ingenious than candid, for the admirer was no other than the identical
Mr. Pickle himself, who was a mere dragon among the chambermaids, and,
in his previous information communicated to his associate, had given
an account of this assignation, with which he had been favoured by the
damsel in question.

Our hero seeing his company very much affected with the circumstance
of the wizard's art, which had almost frightened both mistress and
maid into hysteric fits, pretended to laugh them out of their fears, by
observing, that there was nothing extraordinary in this instance of
his knowledge, which might have been acquired by some of those secret
emissaries whom such impostors are obliged to employ for intelligence,
or imparted by the lover himself, who had, perhaps, come to consult
him about the success of his amour. Encouraged by this observation, or
rather prompted by an insatiable curiosity, which was proof against all
sorts of apprehension, the disguised lady returned to the magician's own
apartment, and, assuming the air of a pert chambermaid, "Mr. Conjurer,"
said she, "now you have satisfied my mistress, will you be as good as
to tell me if ever I shall be married?" The sage, without the least
hesitation, favoured her with an answer, in the following words: "You
cannot be married before you are a widow; and whether or not that will
ever be the case, is a question which my art cannot resolve, because my
foreknowledge exceeds not the term of thirty years."

This reply, which at once cut her off from her pleasing prospect of
seeing herself independent in the enjoyment of youth and fortune, in
a moment clouded her aspect; all her good-humour was overcast, and she
went away, without further inquiry, muttering in the rancour of her
chagrin, that he was a silly impertinent fellow, and a mere quack in
his profession. Notwithstanding the prejudice of this resentment, her
conviction soon recurred; and when the report of his answers was made
to those confederates by whom she had been deputed to make trial of
his skill, they were universally persuaded that his art was altogether
supernatural, though each affected to treat it with contempt, resolving
in her own breast to have recourse to him in