"Ah! look Mr. Haveloc, they are launching a boat; let us go a few steps farther and see them. Don't you like the rough noise, and the splash, and the voices of the fishermen together. See, just in the moon's path; and now they are in shadow again. When I was a child I used to envy the fishermen as I saw them starting on a bright evening like this, for their merry night's fishing." "And they envied you, perhaps, that you were going to enjoy a good night's rest, instead of getting wet and weary, and not knowing whether they should catch fish enough to buy their next day's breakfast." "Perhaps so," said Aveline. "Few people would envy me now." "Because you are in bad health." "Yes. Do you not think mamma is very much depressed to-day?" "She struck me as being so." "Mr. Lindsay tells her the truth," said Aveline, "it is a comfort to me to be sure of that; as he would tell me the truth if I were to ask him." "That is a comfort," said Mr. Haveloc, "at least, whatever were to befall me, I would rather know it." "Did you ever have your fortune told, Mr. Haveloc?" "No, never. Oh, yes, I forgot! I had my fortune told me once near Rome; in the Campagna." "By a gipsy?" "A regular gipsy, with a face like the head of Memnon in the Museum; long eyed, with massive features, and the upper and under lip of equal thickness." "What did she tell you? Do try and recollect." "Let me consider," said Mr. Haveloc, leaning against the pony's neck, "first she asked me for a crown." "Of course you gave it; but such a sum ought to have bought you a very handsome fortune." "So the Sybil seemed to think, for she told me I was greatly beloved by a young lady with dark eyes." Aveline trembled. "You are cold; we will finish the fortune teller in the house." "No, no--go on here." "Let me lead him back to the garden, you forget I am responsible to Mrs. Fitzpatrick for your well-being. I will go on; though I did not know you were superstitious." "Yes, I am, about gipsies." "Well, I ventured to hint that these pleasing events always told better when there was a strong contrast between the parties; and that I should be obliged to the Sybil to furnish my young lady with blue eyes before she proceeded any farther. But my Zingara was not so accommodating, 'she did not like,' she said, 'to trifle with the stars; the dark eyed lady insisted on being attached to me. But, she would work me an incredible deal of woe.'" "Ah!" cried Aveline raising her voice almost to a shriek, "what did she say. Tell me how--what came next?" "I'll tell you what, Miss Fitzpatrick," said he leading the pony up the stony staircase, "when I was a great many years younger, I have sat up telling ghost stories at Christmas, until I was afraid to look behind me; but I never heard that this sport was good for an invalid. You are as much afraid of gipsies as I was of ghosts. We will talk of something else." "No, but finish I entreat you," said Aveline in a gentle tone.