In the meantime, while that gentleman was seated above stairs, a female, tall, slim, and considerably advanced in years, entered the room and took her seat. Her face was thin, and red in complexion, especially about the point of a rather long nose, where the color appeared to be considerably deeper in hue. “Sir,” said she, in a sharp tone of voice, “I'm told you can tell fortunes.” “Certainly, madam,” he replied, you have been correctly informed.” “You won't be offended, then, if I wish to ask you a question or two. It's not about myself, but a sister of mine, who is--ahem--what the censorious world is pleased to call an old maid.” “Why did your sister not come herself?” he asked; “I cannot predict anything unless the individual is before me; I must have him or her, as the case may be, under my eye.” “Bless me, sir! I didn't know that; but as I am now here--could you tell me anything about myself?” “I could tell you many things,” replied the conjurer, who read old maid in every line of her face--“many things not very pleasant for you to reflect upon.” “O, but I don't wish to hear anything unpleasant,” said she; “tell me something that's agreeable.” “In the first place, I cannot do so,” he replied; “I must be guided by truth. You have, for instance, been guilty of great cruelty; and although you are but a young woman, in the very bloom of life--” Here the lady bowed to him, and simpered--her thin, red nose twisted into a gracious curl, as thanking him for his politeness. “In the very prime of life, madam--yet you have much to be accountable for, in consequence of your very heartless cruelty to the male sex--you see, madam, and you feel too, that I speak truth.” The lady put the spectre of an old fan up to her withered visage, and pretended to enact a blush of admission. “Well, sir,” she replied, “I--I--I cannot say but that--indeed I have been charged with--not that it--cruelty--I mean--was ever in my heart; but you must admit, sir, that--that--in fact--where too many press, upon a person, it is the more difficult choose.” “Unquestionably; but you should have, made a judicious selection--and that was because you were in no hurry--and indeed you need not be; you have plenty of time before you. Still, there is much blame attached to you--you have defrauded society of its rights. Why, now, you might have been the proud mother of a son or daughter at least five years old by this time, if it had not been for your own obduracy--excuse me.” Up went the skeleton fan again with a wonderfully modest if not an offended simper at the notion of such an insinuation; but, said she in her heart, this is the most gentlemanly conjurer that ever told a fortune; quite a delightful old gentleman; he is really charming; I wish I had met him twenty years ago.”