“As you probably know, Mr. Sibley,” said she, “people come here for various objects. Some call to have their horoscopes cast, others to have a mediumistic sitting with me in the hope of receiving communications from dead friends, while others call to consult me about business and love-affairs, or to have their fortunes told by the cards.” “So I imagined,” bowed Nick. “But you came for nothing of the kind, that’s my impression,” exclaimed Madame Victoria, with an abrupt exhibition of earnestness. “It is quite correct.” “You have no faith in any of those things.” “That also is true.” “Dear me, I am awfully perplexed,” laughed the woman, apparently with vain efforts to straighten out something in her mind. “You seem to me just like two men, which I, of course, know is absurd. Yet I cannot rid myself of the effects of that impression. I shall try to do all that I can for you, however, and will give you what comes to me.” “If you please, madame,” said Nick, not a little impressed and puzzled by her curious statements and apparently genuine endeavors. Again Madame Victoria beat her brow with her palm, so violently that Nick did not wonder that her hair was somewhat disordered. As she suddenly fixed her eyes upon him, he noticed that they began to dilate and glow with almost preternatural brilliancy, while she abruptly exclaimed, as if under the impulse of another of her vivid impressions: “You have recently been in danger, Mr. Sibley, in great danger!” “Is that your present impression?” inquired Nick. “Yes, sir. It must be correct, too, or I could not feel it so strongly.” “Go on, madame.” “You are a man who encounters many dangers,” Madame Victoria continued, now speaking much more rapidly and earnestly. “Your life is made up of stirring adventures and frequent perils.” “That is very true,” admitted Nick. “I see you hunting—hunting—hunting!” cried the woman, with suppressed vehemence. “I don’t know what it means, sir, but you seem to be constantly hunting, searching after persons and things, and delving into all kinds of complicated mysteries.” “Well, well! that hits pretty near the mark,” laughed Nick. “Oh, dear! and I see you all surrounded with a red atmosphere, as if you were not a stranger to violent combats and the sight of blood.” “I have seen my share of both.” “Yes, yes, that is plain to me, very plain,” she rapidly went on. “You are a busy man, and you—wait! I am now carried away from here. I feel as if I were riding in a railway-train. I don’t quite interpret the impression as yet, but I feel—oh, now I have it! You don’t belong here, sir, not in this city. You are a stranger here.” “Well, not exactly that,” replied Nick, more and more puzzled by the accuracy with which she was hitting the mark. “I don’t mean that you never were here, and are not familiar with this city,” cried Madame Victoria quickly. “I mean only that your business is not here, that your interests are in some distant place. Isn’t that right?”