her dinner." After some
ingenious drawing-out, the _Doctor_ vouchsafed the subjoined
statement of his business prospects.

"We seen the time when we hadn't fifteen minutes a day, on
account of young gals a comin' for to have their fortune told; we
used to be busy from mornin' till ten and 'levin o'clock at night
a-tellin' fortunes an' a doctorin'--but now, we don't do so much
'cause the young gals don't like to come to a boardin'-house
where young men can see 'em, 'specially in the evenin'. We's too
public here; the young men a-boardin' here likes for to have the
young gals come, they likes for to see 'em in the parlor, but the
young gals won't come so much, 'cause we's too public. We'll have
for to get another house on account of business.

"I don't get so much doctorin' to do as I used to, 'cause we's
too public. I have doctored lots of folks, principally young
fellers and young gals, and I can do it right. If you ever get
into any trouble you'll find me and my wife _all right_; you can
come to us--we mean to be all right, and to give everybody the
worth of their money, and we _is_ all right."

By this time, Madame Lebond had finished her dinner, and was
waiting in the back parlor. She is a fat, slovenly-looking woman,
forty years old or more, having no teeth, and taking prodigious
quantities of snuff, which gives her enunciation some peculiar
characteristics.

When the Individual first beheld her, she was standing in the
middle of the floor, picking her teeth. She requested her visitor
to take a seat, and to pay her half-a-dollar, with both of which
requests he complied. She then put into his hand the end of a
brass tube about an inch in diameter and a foot long, and said:
"Give be the tibe of your birth as dear as possible."

This was done, and the following brief dialogue ensued:--

"Was you bord id the bording?"

"I really don't remember."

"Do you have beddy dreabs?"

"I do not dream much."

"Thed you dod't have bad dreabs?"

"No."

"Thed you was bord id the bording," by which mysterious word she
probably meant, "morning." She then continued:--

"You are a pretty keed sbart chap--sharp id busidess, but dot good
id speculatiods, ad you should codfide your attedtiods to
busidess. If you keep od as you are goidg dow, ad works hard, ad
dod't bix id bad cobpady, ad is hodest, ad dod't spend your
buddy, you will be rich. You will travel buch--you _have_
travelled buch, but your travels is hardly be