is among
the girls."

"Ranting Rody--let me see," and here he looked very solemnly into his
book--"yes; I see--a halter. My good woman, you had better not inquire
after him; he was born to be hanged."

"But when will that happen, sir?"

"Your fate and his are so closely united, that, whenever he swings, you
will swing. You will both hang together from the same gallows; so that,
in point of fact, you need not give yourself much trouble about the time
of his suspension, because I see it written here in the book of fate,
that the same hangman who swings you off, will swing him off at the same
moment. You'll 'lie lovingly together; and when he puts his tongue out
at those who will attend his execution, so will you; and when he dances
his last jig in their presence, so will you. Are you now satisfied?"

"Troth, and I'm very fond o' the vagabone, although he's the worst
friend I ever had. But you won't tell me where he is? and I know why,
because, with all your pretended knowledge, the devil a know you know."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Ay, cocksure."

"Then I can tell you that he is sitting on the chair there, opposite me.
Go about your business, Rody, and rant elsewhere; you may impose upon
others, but not upon a man that can penetrate the secrets of human life
as I can. Go now; there is a white wand in the corner,--my conjuring
rod,--and if I only touched you with it, I could leave you a cripple and
beggar for life. Go, I say, and tell Caterine Collins how much she and
you gained by this attempt at disgracing me."

Rody, for it was he, was thunderstruck at this discovery, and, springing
to his feet, disappeared.

"Well, Rody," said the crowd, "how did you manage? Did he know you?"

Rody was as white in the face as a sheet. "Let me alone," he replied;
"the conjurer above is the devil, and nothin' else. I must get a glass
o' whiskey; I'm near faintin'; I'm as wake as a child; my strength's
gone The man, or the devil, or whatsomever he is, knows everything, and,
what is worse, he tould me I am to be hanged in earnest."

"Faith, Rody, that required no great knowledge on his part; there's not
a man here but could have tould you the same thing, and there's none of
us a conjurer."

Rody, however, immediately left them to discuss the matter among
themselves, and went, thoroughly crestfallen, to give an account of his
mission to Caterine Collins, who had employed him, and to reassume his
own clothes, which, indeed, w