"You've been upon a journey lately," she said, "and you'll soon be going upon another." I give only the substance of what the old lady said, but it was interspersed freely with her own remarks. "You'll have a present before many days is gone; and you'll--stay, there's that black card--you'll hear of somebody that's sick. And--dear me! there's an offer for you--an offer of marriage,--but it won't come to anything. Well, now, shuffle and cut again, please." Helen did so. This was repeated three times in all. But, so far as we could understand it, her future seemed to be very uneventful--to have nothing in it--something like Miss Deveen's. "It's a brave fortune, as I thought, young lady," cried Mrs. Ness. "No trouble or care in store for you." "But there's _nothing_," said Helen, too intently earnest to mind any of us. "When am I to be married?" "Well, my dear, the cards haven't told so much this time. There'll be an offer, as I said--and I think a bit of trouble over it; but----" "But you said it would not come to anything," interrupted Helen. "Well, and no more it won't: leastways, it seemed so by the cards; and it seemed to bring a bother with it--old folks pulling one way maybe, and young 'uns the other. You'll have to wait a bit for the right gentleman, my pretty miss." "What stupid cards they are!" cried Helen, in dudgeon. "I dare say it's all rubbish." "Any ways, you've had nothing bad," said the old woman. "And that's a priceless consolation." "It's your turn now, Anna." "I won't have mine told," said Anna. "I'm afraid." "Oh, you senseless donkey!" cried Bill. "Afraid of a pack of cards!" So Anna laughed, and began. "Ah, there's more here," said the old woman as she laid them out. "You are going through some great ceremony not long first. See here--crowds of people--and show. Is it a great ball, I wonder?" "It may be my presentation," said Anna. "And here's the wedding-ring!--and there's the gentleman! See! he's turning towards you; a dark man it is; and he'll be very fond of you, too!--and----" "Oh, don't go on," cried Anna, in terrible confusion as she heard all this, and caught Tod's eye, and saw Bill on the broad laugh. "Don't, pray don't; it must be all nonsense," she went on, blushing redder than a rose. "But it's true," steadily urged the old lady. "There the wedding is. I don't say it'll be soon; perhaps not for some years; but come it will in its proper time. And you'll live in a fine big house; and--stay a bit--you'll----" Anna, half laughing, half crying, pushed the cards together. "I won't be told any more," she said; "it must be all a pack of nonsense." "Of course it is," added Helen decisively. "And why couldn't you have told me all that, Mrs. Ness?" "Why, my dear, sweet young lady, it isn't me that tells; it's the cards." "I don't believe it. But it does to while away a wet and wretched afternoon. Now, Miss Carey." Miss Carey looked up from her book with a start. "Oh, not me! Please, not me!"