u must know what gave the virtue to this
sixpence was, that it had belonged to three young men of the name of
John; I am sure I had work enough to get it. But true it is, it
certainly cured me. It must be the sixpence you know, for I am sure
I did nothing else for my ague, except by taking some bitter stuff
every three hours which the doctor called bark. To be sure I had no
ague soon after I took it, but I am certain it was owing to the
crooked sixpence, and not to the bark. And so, good woman, you may
come in if you will, for there is not a soul in the house but me."
This was the very thing Rachel wanted to know, and very glad she was
to learn it.

While Sally was above stairs untying her glove, Rachel slipped into
the parlor, took a small silver cup from the beaufet, and clapped it
into her pocket. Sally ran down lamenting that she had lost her
sixpence, which she verily believed was owing to her having put it
into a left glove, instead of a right one. Rachel comforted her by
saying, that if she gave her two plain ones instead, the charm would
work just as well. Simple Sally thought herself happy to be let off
so easily, never calculating that a smooth shilling was worth two
crooked sixpences. But this skill was a part of the black art in
which Rachel excelled. She took the money and began to examine the
lines of Sally's left hand. She bit her withered lip, shook her
head, and bade her poor dupe beware of a young man who had black
hair. "No, indeed," cried Sally, all in a fright, "you mean black
eyes, for our Jacob has got brown hair; 'tis his eyes that are
black." "That is the very thing I was going to say," muttered
Rachel; "I meant eyes, though I said hair, for I know his hair is as
brown as a chestnut, and his eyes as black as a sloe." "So they are,
sure enough," cried Sally; "how in the world could you have known
that?" forgetting that she herself had just told her so. And it is
thus that these hags pick out of the credulous all which they
afterwards pretend to reveal to them. "O, I know a pretty deal more
than that," said Rachel, "but you must beware of this man." "Why,
so," cried Sally, with great quickness. "Because," answered Rachel,
"you are fated to marry a man worth a hundred of him, who has blue
eyes, light hair, and a stoop in the shoulders." "No, indeed, but I
can't," said Sally; "I have promised Jacob, and Jacob I will marry."
"You can not, child," returned Rachel in a solemn tone; "it is out
of your