“And by this token thy ideal woman must be constant in conjugal fidelity. Excess in this direction leads to jealousy, the very epitome of selfishness. But what flower dost thou love for its own sake?” “Myrtle, sprig and blossom, are always endeared to me.” “Then thou hast the redeeming grace of brotherly love. Of the three animals—the horse, the dog, the cat—which dost thou like the best?” “The horse first, and then the dog.” “Which tells me that thou art capable of a noble, affectionate, and faithful friendship. Trial lies along this line. Give me leave to judge thy antipathies.” “Rats and mice offend me much.” “Upright and fastidious,” she murmured. “Nor does thy frank and open nature warm to spiders, nor thy proud spirit willingly tolerate serpents.” “How well thou readest my inner thoughts!” exclaimed Orondo, wonderingly. “Never have these sentiments lent action to my tongue.” “In dreamland what rich spoils assail thy vagrant will?” “Happiness and joy attend my sleeping ventures.” “A sanguine temperament, normally exercised—a personality which will die hard in the living man, and one which is liable to wreck the body.” She examined both of his hands, minutely—fingers, palms and wrists. Finally she said: “To three separate warnings must I give voice. The heart is threatened seriously as to feeling and action. Sudden and tempestuous jealousy assail thy future, and the divine spark will not be generous as to years. So much for thine own self. As to outside entities which may mingle and interweave, the tarot must be oracle.” The king of cups represented him who cultivated affection; the king of diamonds, the custodian of wealth, and the proper distribution of it; the king of swords, the inventions and skill of the inquirer; the king of clubs was the significator of all manual labor. The queens were the wives, actual or prospective, in a question concerning men. They were the personalities of the woman herself in a feminine inquiry. The heralds and knaves represented religious and civic power respectively, while the numbers from two to ten pertained to the personalities. Orondo watched her eagerly while she placed the cards, face downward on the four trines. When they were all in position she turned over the ace of diamonds, on the western cardinal point of rubies, and then quickly laid those on numbers 1, 6, 11—in a row. Beginning with number 1, she said: “This pertains to the present state of time—thy life as it is at this moment. All is well from this point. Number 6 is exalted and grand, as the individual contacts Deity. But in number 11, there are adverse conditions—I can see neither posterity nor extended continuation here.” “Posterity holds nothing for me?” questioned Orondo, concern dominating manner and voice. “Not as the matter lies. But all the cards are involved in the final reading. Have patience.”