efore:

"Madame ----, seventh daughter of the seventh daughter, reveals to those
who wish to consult her all the main incidents of their past, present,
and future life; brings together the hearts of those who are suffering
from the pangs of lovers' quarrels, though the whole wide earth should
separate them; indicates the whereabouts of missing ones, though they
should be hidden as deeply and securely from sight as the bowels of the
earth. The madame can with ease secure for you the love of any person
whom you may choose to win, put each and every person in the way of
making fabulous fortunes in the shortest possible space of time, and all
this for the small sum of fifty cents. Madame can be found, between the
hours of nine and twelve in the forenoon, one and six in the afternoon,
and from seven until eleven in the evening, by those who wish to consult
her marvelous powers, on the fourth floor of the last tenement house on
Hester Street. Visitors will please take note that Madame's consultation
studio is in the rear of the building. A candle lights the way."

By dint of much perseverance Kendal found the place.

Taking the candle, he groped his way through the long, narrow, grimy
passage, and found himself at length standing before Room 106, as the
advertisement had indicated.

His loud, impatient knock was answered, after some little delay, by a
tall figure hooded and cloaked, the face almost concealed by a long,
thick veil that was thrown about the head, and which reached almost to
the feet.

In a black-gloved hand this strange apparition held a lighted candle.

"I trust I have found the right place," said Kendal. "I am in search of
Madame Morlacci, the fortune-teller."

At the sound of the deep, rich, mellow voice, the figure started back as
though it had been struck a sudden blow, the black-shrouded hand that
held the candle shook as if from palsy.

"Come in," replied a muffled voice, that sounded like nothing human, it
was so weird.

Kendal stepped fearlessly into the room, the corners of which were in
deepest gloom, which the flickering rays of the candle could not
penetrate.

"Well," said Kendal, impatiently, "I should be grateful to commence the
preliminaries of this fortune-telling business at your earliest
convenience, if you please, madam; my time is somewhat limited."

Kendal drew forth his pocket-book, took out a bank-bill and handed it to
the strange creature; but, to his intense surprise, she