the town of
--, and stopping at a superior inn in another part of the town, dressed
as travellers, that is, people who go about the country for orders from
the manufacturers, ordered our beds and supper in the coffee-room. The
conversation was soon turned upon the wonderful powers of Nattee, the
gipsy. "Nonsense," said Melchior, "she knows nothing. I have heard of
her. But there's a man coming this way (should he happen to pass
through this town) who will surprise and frighten you. No one knows who
he is. He is named the Great Aristodemus. He knows the past, the
present, and the future. He never looks at people's hands--he only
looks you in the face, and _woe be to them who tell him a lie_.
Otherwise, he is good-tempered and obliging, and will tell what will
come to pass, and his predictions never have been known to fail. They
say that he is hundreds of years old, and his hair is while as silver."
At this information many expressed their doubts, and many others vaunted
the powers of the gipsy. Melchior replied, "that all he knew was, that
for the sum of two guineas paid down, he had told him of a legacy left
him of six hundred pounds, which otherwise he would never have known of
or received." All the town of -- being quite alive for fortune-telling,
this new report gained wind, and after a week's sojourn, Melchior
thought that the attempt should be made.

PART ONE, CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE SEED HAVING BEEN CAREFULLY SOWN, WE NOW REAP A GOLDEN HARVEST--WE
TELL EVERYONE WHAT THEY KNEW BEFORE, AND WE ARE LOOKED UPON AS MOST
MARVELLOUS BY MOST MARVELLOUS FOOLS.

We accordingly packed up and departed to another market town. Timothy
dressed in a sombre suit of black, very much like an undertaker, was
provided with a horse, with the following directions: to proceed
leisurely until he was within half a mile of the town of--, and then to
gallop in as fast as he could, stop at the best inn in the place, and
order apartments for the Great Aristodemus, who might be expected in
half an hour. Everything in this world depends upon appearances, that
is, when you intend to gull it; and as everyone in the town had heard of
the Great Aristodemus, so everyone was anxious to know something about
him, and Timothy was pestered with all manner of questions; but he
declared that he was only his courier, and could only tell what other
people said; but then what other people said, by Timothy's account, was
very marvellous indeed