. "I will see it in your hand."

She crossed the palm three times with the coin, and began in the
monotonous voice and with the expressionless face of the fakir: "You are
married. Many years. I see many years. You have not been happy. Monday
is your unlucky day. Do not begin anything on Monday. You are thinkin'
of takin' a journey--somethin'--some change. It will not end well. You
had better remain without the change--whatever it is. There is a man--a
man who has horses--who drives horses, perhaps. I see horses. He will
meet with an accident--I think, a runaway--a collision, perhaps. He will
be hurt. He will be--hurt. Yes. He is an old man. It will be bad. He may
die. Perhaps. He is a relative--related to you. You must beware of
animals. One will do you an injury. You will never be rich--but
comfortable. The best of your life is comin'. You will have your wish."

She had finished, but Mrs. Cregan did not move. She had drawn back in
her chair. Her mouth had loosened; her hand lay limp on the table; all
her intelligence seemed to have concentrated in her eyes in an
expression of guilty and horrified surprise. She said faintly: "Is't
Cregan?"

Madame Wampa shrugged one shoulder in her red kimono. "The lines do not
say." She blew out the lamp and rose from the table. "That is all. It is
impossible to tell much for a quarter. I give a full trance readin',
with names, dates, and all questions answered----"

Mrs. Cregan "blessed" herself,--with the sign of the cross,--gasped,
"God forgi' me!" and blundered out into the room. Mrs. Byrne cried:
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Cregan did not hear. She stampeded to the door in
the ponderous fright of a panic-stricken elephant. Her one thought was
to find a place where she might get on her knees.... Cregan! It was
himself! It was Dinny! Killed, maybe! She had blasphemed against the
Church and Father Dumphy, and she must pray. She must pray for herself
and for Cregan. She would "take back" everything she had said. She would
never leave him. She would be good.

Mrs. Byrne tugged at her cape. "Whist! Whist! What's come over yuh,
woman? What is it?"

"It's Dinny!"

That was all that could be had out of her. Even when she reached her
home again, and Mrs. Byrne followed her in, afraid of leaving the
frightened woman alone lest she should "blab" the whole secret to the
first person she met,--even then Mrs. Cregan could not speak until she
had gathered up the broken dishes and propped the bro