ormentors suddenly conceived an idea, and proceeded to put it into
practice in the manner I am about to relate in this most veracious
history.

The neighbourhood of Holmhurst had for some weeks past been honoured by
the presence of a gang of gipsies, who during the period of their
sojourn had rendered themselves conspicuous by their diligence in their
triple business of chair-mending, fowl-house robbing, and fortune-
telling. In the last of these three departments they perhaps succeeded
best in winning the confidence of their temporary neighbours, and the
private seances they held with housemaids, tradesmen's boys, and
schoolgirls had been particularly gratifying both as to attendance and
pecuniary result.

It had at length been deemed to be for the general welfare that these
interesting itinerants should seek a change of air in "fresh fields and
pastures new," and the police had accordingly hinted as much to the
authorities of the camp, and given them two hours to pack up.

More than ever convinced that gratitude is hopeless to seek in human
nature, the gipsies had shaken the dust of Holmhurst from the soles of
their not very tidy feet, and had moved off, no one knew whither.

These proceedings had, among other persons, interested Alexander Magnus
Bilk not a little, and no one mourned the rapid departure of the gipsies
more than he. For Bilk had for some days past secretly hugged the idea
of presenting himself to the oracle of these wise ones and having his
fortune told. He had in fact gone so far as to make a secret
observation of their quarters one afternoon, and had resolved to devote
the next half-holiday to the particular pursuit of knowledge they
offered, when, lo! cruel fate snatched the cup from his lips and swept
the promised fruit from his reach. In other words, the gipsies had
gone, and, like his great namesake, Alexander, Magnus mourned.

Among those who noticed his dejection and guessed the cause of it were
two of his particular persecutors. Morgan and Dell had for some months
been suffering affliction for lack of any notion how to get a rise out
of their victim. But they now suddenly cheered up, as they felt the
force of a mighty idea moving them once more to action.

"Old chap," said Morgan, "I've got it at last!"

"What have you got?" asked "the old chap"; "your back tooth, or measles,
or what?"

"I've got a dodge for scoring off the Lamp-post."

"Have you, though? You are a clever chap