"I laughed at myself for listening to this, and for the strange feeling of interest or faith which I felt in it, and which my common sense told me was ridiculous. And yet the prediction, strangely enough, was fulfilled, though not in the sense in which I suppose most people would have taken it. Soon after I lost another relative, and was overwhelmed with that and other troubles when Providence sent me a friend in that most amiable and remarkable woman the Countess B----, who, with that noble and gracious affability which distinguishes her, as well as her husband, Sir ----, relieved my mind and cheered my depressed spirits. "I add to this a marvellous story of a gypsy prediction which was uttered here in T---- and published last year in a small biography, but which is worth consideration because I have heard it apparently well authenticated by trustworthy people. A very great disgrace to our town--I am happy to say he was the only one--was a Mr. M----, of very good family. This man kept a mistress named R. M----, who became acquainted with a young man who was employed as a clerk at the Credit Anstalt, and who always at night carried on his person its keys. This M---- learned, and formed the following plot: The victim was to be enticed by the woman to her room, where she proposed to cut his throat, take the keys, and with the aid of M---- to rob the bank and escape. It succeeded so far as that the young man was brought to her room, but when she began to attempt to kill him he struggled, and was overpowering her when M---- entered the room and shot him dead. "The precious pair were subsequently arrested and tried, and in the report of the proceedings there appears the following curious statement:-- "'It is a singular thing (cosa piu singolare) that to this woman (M----'s mistress, Miss R----), a gypsy woman who pretended to palmistry predicted that she would come to a bad end (ch'essa finirebbe assai male).' Which she effectually did, being condemned to fourteen years' hard labour, and would have been hung had not her "interesting state" inclined the judge to mercy. "There is the following addition in the pamphlet to what has been quoted: 'Being begged by the said Maria R---- to look more closely into the hand, the Zingara refused to do so, and went away muttering strange or foreign words.' (Borbottanda strane parole)." To this my informant adds:-- "I know of a more cheerful case of gypsy prediction, and of quite another kind, and which happened to a friend's friend of mine, also here in T----. The 'subject' was a young lady, who was 'intended' or betrothed, to an Italian actor, who had gone to play at Madrid; but for two months she heard nothing from him, and, believing that he had neglected her, was in despair.