o with a man, and something to do with a woman. Be
careful then, for your future happiness may depend on your actions in a
moment of surprise. You are not rich, but you have a lucky hand. You
could find things hidden if you set yourself to look for them."

"Hidden treasure?" I asked, laughingly, and venturing to break in
because she was speaking slowly now, as if she had come to the end of
her string of prophecies.

"Perhaps. Yes. If you looked for the hidden treasure here, you might be
the one to find it after all these hundreds of years. Who knows? These
things happen to the lucky ones."

"Well, if I believed that I'd been born for such luck, I'd try to come
back some day, and have a look," I said. "I should begin in this house,
I think."

"It is never so lucky to return for things as to try and get them at
the right time," the old woman pronounced. "If you would like to wait
till my sons come--"

"No, I wouldn't," I said. "I must go now."

"If you would at least do me a favour, for the good fortune I have told
you so cheap," she begged. "I, who in my day have had as much as two
louis from great ladies who would know their fortune!"

"What is the favour?" I asked.

"Oh, it is next to nothing. Only to go down to the foot of the stairs in
the cellar below this, and pick up my rosary, which I dropped, and which
I know is lying there."

"It's too dark," I said. "I couldn't see to find it--and you said your
sons were coming soon."

"Not soon enough, for when you are gone, and I am alone, I should like
to pray at the time of vespers. And it is not so dark as you think.
Besides, this will be the test of the fortune I have just told you. If
it's true that you have the lucky hand for finding you will put it on
the rosary in an instant. That will be a sign you can find anything.
Unless you are afraid, mademoiselle--"

"Of course I'm not afraid," I said, for I always have been ashamed of my
fear of the dark, and have forced myself to fight against it. "If the
rosary is at the foot of the staircase I'll try and get it for you, but
I won't go any farther."

Her corner was close by the opening where more steps were cut into the
rock. I could see the bottom, I thought, and started down quickly,
because I was in a hurry to come back and be on my way home--to the
Aigle.

Six, seven steps, and then--crash! down I came on my hands and knees.

Oh, how it hurt! And how it made my head ring! Fireworks went off before
my