"That's wonderfu'!--that dings a'!--ye are queer folk! hoo in the world do ye ken?" Even the curiosity of Mr Andrew Smith was raised, and his wonder excited; and, after he had quaffed his third cup with the gipsy king, he, too, reverentially approached the bearded princess, extending his hand, and begging to know what futurity had in store for him. She raised it before her eyes, she rubbed hers over it. "It is a dark and a difficult hand," muttered she: "here are ships and the sea, and crossing the sea, the great danger, and a way to avoid it--but the gowd!--the gowd that's there! And yet ye may lose it a'! Cross my loof, sir--yours is an ill hand to spae--for it's set wi' fortune, and danger, and adventure." Andrew gave her all the money in his possession. Now, it was understood that she was to return the money and the trinkets with which her loof had been crossed; and Andrew's curiosity overcoming his fears, he ventured to intrust his property in her keeping; for, as he thought, it was not every day that people could have everything that was to happen unto them revealed. But when she had again looked upon his hand-- "It winna do," said she--"I canna see ower the danger ye hae to encounter, the seas ye hae to cross, and the mountains o' gowd that lie before ye yet--ye maun cross my loof again." And when, with a woful countenance, he stated that he had crossed it with his last coin-- "Ye hae a chronometer, man," said she--"it tells you the minutes now, it may enable me to show ye those that are to come!" Andrew hesitated, and, with doubt and unwillingness, placed the chronometer in her hand. Elspeth wore a short cloak of faded crimson; and in a sort of pouch in it, every coin, trinket, and other article of value which was put into her hands were deposited, in order, as she stated, to forward her mystic operations. Now, the chronometer had just disappeared in the general receptacle of offerings to the oracle, when heavy footsteps were heard descending the staircase leading to the hall. Poor Andrew, the ruler of the household, gasped--the blood forsook his cheeks, his knees involuntarily knocked one against another, and he stammered out-- "For Heaven's sake, gie me my chronometer!--Oh, gie me it!--we are a' ruined!" "It canna be returned till the spell's completed," rejoined Elspeth, in a solemn and determined tone--and her countenance betrayed nothing of her dupe's uneasiness; while her husband deliberately placed his right hand upon a sort of dagger which he wore beneath a large coarse jacket that was loosely flung over his shoulders. The males in his retinue, who were eight in number, followed his example. In another moment, the laird, with wrath upon his countenance, burst into the hall. "Andrew Smith," cried he, sternly, and stamping his foot fiercely on the floor, "what scene is this I see? Answer me, ye robber, answer me;--ye shall hang for it!"