--although he's his mother's pet; the divil can't stand
him for dress--and, moreover, he's given to liquor and card-playin', and
is altogether goin' to the bad. Widin the last two or three days he has
bought himself a new hat, a new pair o' brogues, and a pair o' span-new
breeches--and, upon my conscience, it wasn't from me or mine he got the
money to buy them."

The conjurer looked solemnly into his book for some minutes, and then
raising his head, fastened his cold, glassy, glittering eyes on the
farmer with a glance that filled him with awe.

"I have found it out," said he; "there are two parties to the
theft--your wife and your youngest son. Go to the hucksters of the town,
and ask them if they will buy any more butter like the last of yours
that they bought, and, depend on it, you will find out the truth."

"Then you think, sir, it was my wife and son between them that stole the
butter?"

"Not a doubt of it, and if you tell them that I said so, they will
confess it. You owe me five shillings."

The farmer put his hand in his pocket, and placing the money before
him, left the room, satisfied that there was no earthly subject, past,
present, or to come, with which the learned conjurer was not acquainted.

The next individual that came before him was a very pretty buxom
widow, who, having made the venerable conjurer a courtesy, sat down and
immediately burst into tears.

"What is the matter with you, madam?" asked the astrologer, rather
surprised at this unaccountable exhibition of the pathetic.

"O, sir, I lost, about fifteen months ago, one of the best husbands that
ever broke the world's bread."

Here came another effusion, accompanied with a very distracted blow of
the nose.

"That must have been very distressing to you, madam; he must have been
extremely fond of such a very pretty wife."

"O sir, he doted alive upon me, as I did upon him--poor, darling old
Paul."

"Ah, he was old, was he?"

"Yes, sir, and left me very rich."

"But what do you wish me to do for you?"

"Why, sir, he was very fond of money; was, in fact, a--a--kind of miser
in his way. My father and mother forced me to marry the dear old man,
and I did so to please them; but at the same time he was very kind in
his manner to me--indeed, so kind that he allowed me a shilling a month
for pocket money."

"Well, but what is your object in coming to me?"

"Why, sir, to ask your opinion on a case of great difficulty."

"Very well,