nce;
and the clever fortune-teller, who may be mindful of her reputation,
will take care to regulate her promises or predictions according to that
proposition.

Many educated ladies give their attention to the cards, and some have
acquired great proficiency in the art. On board a steamer sailing for
New York, on one occasion a French lady among the saloon-passengers
undertook to amuse the party by telling their fortunes. A Scotch young
gentleman, who was going out to try and get a commission in the Federal
army, had his fortune told. Among the announcements, as interpreted by
the lady, was the rather unpleasant prospect that two constables would
be 'after' him! We all laughed heartily at the odd things that came out
for everybody, and then the thing was forgotten; the steamer reached her
destination; and all the companions of the pleasant voyage separated and
went their different ways.

Some months after, I met the young gentleman above alluded to, and among
the various adventures which he had had, he mentioned the following.
He said that shortly after his arrival in New York he presented a
ten-dollar note which he had received, at a drinking-house, that it was
declared a forged note, and that he was given into custody; but that
the magistrate, on being conclusively convinced of his respectability,
dismissed the charge without even taking the trouble to establish the
alleged fact that the note was a forgery. So far so good; but on
the following morning, whilst at breakfast at his hotel, another
police-officer pounced upon him, and led him once more on the same
charge to another magistrate, who, however, dismissed the case like the
other.(84)

(84) It appears that this is allowable in New York. The explanation of
the perverse prosecution was, that the young gentleman did not 'fee' the
worthy policemen, according to custom in such cases.

Thereupon I said--'Why, the French lady's card-prediction on board came
to pass! Don't you remember what she said about two constables being
"after you"?'

'Now I remember it,' he said; 'but I had positively forgotten all about
it. Well, she was right there--but I am sorry to say that nothing else
she PROMISED has come to pass.'

Doubtless all other consulters of the cards and of astrologers can say
the same, although all would not wisely conclude that a system must be
erroneous which misleads human hope in the great majority of cases.
In fact, like the predictions in our weath