r eight months; you will have
three children; you will see your future wife within nine hours,
nine days, or nine weeks; do not blame me if it runs into the
tens, but I tell you it will fall within the nines. Another man
is trying to get her away from you, he is a light-complected man,
he has had some influence over her, but she now turns from him
with disdain, and she will be yours and yours only--things are a
little worried and mixed up now, but she will be yours and yours
only, the light-complected man can't hurt you. I have something
that I can give you that will make her love you tender and true;
it will force her to do it and she won't have no power to help
herself, but you can do with her just what you please; I charge
extra for that."

Here was a chance to procure a love-philtre at a reasonable rate,
and unless the dark woman kept that article ready made and done
up in packages to suit customers, he could observe the terrible
ceremonies with which it was prepared, listen to the spells and
incantations with an attent eye, and take mental notes of all the
mighty magic. The opportunity was too good to be lost, and he at
once signified his desire to try a little of the extra witchcraft,
and his willingness to draw on his purse for the requisite amount
of ready cash to purchase this gratification of a laudable curiosity.

Madame Lent now assumed an air of the most intense gravity, and
shook into a very dirty bit of paper a little white powder from
one of the pomatum pots, and a corresponding quantity of grayish
powder from pot No. 2, and stirred them carefully together with
the tip of her finger. When she had mixed them to her liking she
folded the diabolical compound in a small paper. Then she
prepared another mixture in the same manner, and made a pretence
of adding another ingredient from a little pasteboard box, which
probably hadn't had anything in it for a month. Folding this
also in a paper she presented them both to her interested guest,
with these directions:

"You must shake some of the first powder on your true-love's
head, or neck, or arms, if you can, but if you can't manage this,
put it on her dress--the other powder you must sprinkle about your
room when you go to bed to-night--this will draw her to you, and
she will love you and you alone and can't help herself; this will
surely operate, if it don't, come and tell me."

One more cabalistic performance and the hocus-pocus was ended.
She desired