is blood or Nathan's. She wept a lot, and told him
about Coaker, and what a strong, hard chap he was, and how he had the
trick to ride over a woman's heart and win 'em even against their wills.
And altogether she worked upon the mind of Peter Hacker so terrible, that
he got into a proper sweat of fear and anger--but chiefly fear. And the
next day--unknown to Mary--he rode up along to Walna, and had a tell with
Charity Badge on his own account.

Peter began in his usual way with women. He blustered a lot, and talked
very loud and stamped his foot and beat his leg with his riding-whip.

"What's all this here tomfoolery you've been telling my girl?" he says. "I
wonder at you, Mrs. Badge, a lowering yourself for to do it--frightening
an innocent female into fits. You ought to know better."

Of course Charity did know better, and she knowed Peter and his character
inside out as well.

She looked at him, calm as calm, and smiled.

"I wish 'twas tomfoolery, Mr. Hacker. I wish from my heart that the things
I see didn't happen; but they always do, if the parties ban't warned in
time; though now and again, when a sensible creature comes to me and hears
what's going to overtake 'em, they can often escape it--as we can escape a
storm if we look up in the sky and know the signs of thunder and lightning
soon enough."

"'Tis all stuff and rubbish, I tell you," he said, "and I won't have it!
Fortune-telling be forbidden by law, and if I hear any more about you and
your cards and your crystal, I'll inform against you."

"You'd better be quick and do it, then, master," she answers him, still
mild and gentle, "for I'm very sorry to say there's that be going to
happen to you, as will spoil your usefulness for a month of Sundays or
longer; and that afore a fortnight's out. Of course, if you don't believe
what I know too well to be the truth, then you'll go your rash way and
meet it; but so sure as Christmas Day be Quarter Day, I'm right, and
you'll do far wiser to look after your own affairs than to trouble about
mine. And now I'll wish you good evening."

She made to go in, for Hacker was sitting on his horse at her very door;
but that weren't enough for him. His cowardly heart was shaking a'ready.

"Don't you go," he said. "I'll onlight and hear more of this."

He dismounted and came in the house; and Charity Badge bade me go out of
the kitchen, where I was to work, and leave 'em together, but I catched
what came after through t