e, which she knew not whether to impute to
the card affair, or to the last faux pas she had committed, she now came
to consult the conjurer, and signified her errand, by asking whether
the cause of her present disquiet was of the town or the country.
Cadwallader at once perceiving her allusion, answered her question
in these terms: "This honest world will forgive a young gamester for
indiscretion at play, but a favour granted to a babbling coxcomb is
an unpardonable offence." This response she received with equal
astonishment and chagrin; and, fully convinced of the necromancer's
omniscience, implored his advice, touching the retrieval of her
reputation: upon which he counselled her to wed with the first
opportunity. She seemed so well pleased with his admonition, that she
gratified him with a double fee, and, dropping a low curtsey, retired.

Our undertakers now thought it high time to silence the oracle for the
day, and Hadgi was accordingly ordered to exclude all comers, while
Peregrine and his friend renewed the deliberations which had been
interrupted, and settled a plan of operations for the next occasion.
Meanwhile it was resolved that Hadgi should not only exercise his
own talents, but also employ inferior agents, in procuring general
intelligence for the support of their scheme; that the expense of this
ministry should be defrayed from the profits of their professions; and
the remainder be distributed to poor families in distress.

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

Peregrine and his friend Cadwallader proceed in the Exercise of the
Mystery of Fortune-telling, in the course of which they achieve various
Adventures.

These preliminaries being adjusted, our hero forthwith repaired to a
card assembly, which was frequented by some of the most notable gossips
in town, and, having artfully turned the conversation upon the subject
of the fortune-teller, whose talents he pretended to ridicule, incensed
their itch of knowing secrets to such a degree of impatience, that their
curiosity became flagrant, and he took it for granted, that all or some
of them would visit Albumazar on his very first visiting-day. While
Peregrine was thus engaged, his associate made his appearance in another
convocation of fashionable people, where he soon had the pleasure of
hearing the conjurer brought upon the carpet by an elderly gentlewoman,
remarkable for her inquisitive disposition, who, addressing herself
to Cadwallader, asked, by the help