ey. Such
heiresses are the natural food of the noble shark and the swell sucker,
and even a gypsy knows it, and can read them at a glance. I explained
this to the lady; but she knew what she knew, and would not know
otherwise.

So we came along the rippling river, watching the darting swallows and
light water-gnats, as the sun sank afar into the tawny, golden west, and
Night, in ever-nearing circles, wove her shades around us. We saw the
little tents, like bee-hives,--one, indeed, not larger than the hive in
which Tyll Eulenspiegel slept his famous nap, and in which he was carried
away by the thieves who mistook him for honey and found him vinegar. And
the outposts, or advanced pickets of small, brown, black-eyed elves, were
tumbling about as usual, and shouted their glad greeting; for it was only
the day before that I had come down with two dozen oranges, which by
chance proved to be just one apiece for all to eat except for little
Synfie Cooper, who saved hers up for her father when he should return.

I had just an instant in which to give the gypsy sorceress a "straight
tip," and this I did, saying in Romany that one of the ladies was married
and one a widow. I was indeed quite sure that she must know the married
lady as such, since she had lived near at hand, within a mile, for
months. And so, with all due solemnity, the sorceress went to her work.

"You will come first, my lady, if you please," she said to the married
dame, and led her into a hedge-corner, so as to be remote from public
view, while we waited by the camp.

The hand was inspected, and properly crossed with a shilling, and the
seeress began her prediction.

"It's a beautiful hand, my lady, and there's luck in it. The line o'
life runs lovely and clear, just like a smooth river from sea to sea, and
that means you'll never be in danger before you die, nor troubled with
much ill. And it's written that you'll have another husband very soon."

"But I don't want another," said the lady.

"Ah, my dear lady, so you'll say till you get him, but when he comes
you'll be glad enough; so do you just get the first one out of your head
as soon as you can, for the next will be the better one. And you'll
cross the sea and travel in a foreign land, and remember what I told you
to the end of your life days."

Then the widow had her turn.

"This is a lucky hand, and little need you had to have your fortune told.
You've been well married once, and once