The Chink in the Armour

nt shops they passed on the way, Sylvia Bailey and Anna Wolsky walked up the steep,

the pavement, gaily laughing and gossiping together in the eager way Parisians have. As the two foreign ladies, both young, both in their very different fashio

mused by the very frank remarks called forth in omnibuses as well as in the street by the brilliancy of her complexion and the brigh

n in answer to a question. "Why, it's ever so m

ook the two ladies a long time to find it, for the Rue Jolie was the funniest, tin

ng else, and surrounded by a gay, untidy little garden full of flowers, the kind of half-wil

via Bailey, remembering the stately, awe-inspiring rooms

s is evidentl

of the young Englishwoman; she delighted in Sylvia's radiant prett

much larger than the house built round it. But the gate was

must have gone out," said

ire, and then one of the chalet windows was suddenly flung open

r, the woman had drawn back: a moment later they heard h

, unlocked the iron gate, and curtly mo

Sylvia timidly. She took this stout, untidily-

rned round, her face breaking into a broad smile.

upulously clean, but about it hung the faint odour which the French eloquently descr

f heads, and over the plain mantelpiece was a really fine pastel

e, as I venture to suppose, come to consult me, I have inherited the great gifts which made Count Cagliostro famou

nce at the two young women standing before her

ncs. But if you require the Grand Jeu it will be ten francs. Come, ladies,

s odd, stuffy, empty-looking room; and this vulgar, common-looking woman asserting that she was descended from the famous C

reature, and she would not have hurt the feel

ive the woman five francs and go away? They surely could not expect to h

ring at Madame Cagliost

different French. "Very well! We will both t

y 'treat,' dear friend." And then, as Sylvia shook her head decidedly-there were ofte

ift. There are, however, one or two questions I must ask, and to which I fancy s

iled, and

rtance to wealth. But she knew that her friend was not as well off as herself, and therefore she was always trying to pay

he window," she said rather plaintiv

taking two packs of exceedingly dirty, queer-looking cards. T

asked to open the window,

not do that! On the contrary, the curtains should be drawn cl

ly together; she even pinned them across so that no ray of

queer, eerie sensation of fear, but this soon passed away as the l

er drew three chairs up to the round table,

ld you rather I went away, dear? I could wait on the staircase till you were ready for me to come back. It is n

t Madame Cagliostra, though it was obvious the Frenchwoman did not understand English, "The truth

she laid them out in a queer pattern; and as she did so she muttered and murmured to her

and the wise woman always takes off her wedding-ring on going to see a fortune-teller. She was also rather glad that sh

began to speak in a quick

now and again she touched with a fat fing

in harbour-" She suddenly looked up: "I spent my childhood at Dieppe, and that often suggests

nother craft. This other craft is, to Madame, a foreign craft, and I grieve to say it, rather battered. But its timbers are sound,

ans," said Sylvia, in a whisper

drop metaphor," said

bright, beady little eyes

ove is quite a new experience. It burns, it scorches you, does love, Madame. And for awhile

tually takes me for a young girl! What ridiculou

ur fate is a fair man, which is strange considering that you also are

, just now the only man in h

me strangely low and sweet. "He will love you tenderly as well as passionately. And as for you, Madam

tried to laugh, but failed. She fel

dame Cagliostra. Her voice had gr

d a little s

back to your own country! Stop-or, perhaps, I shall say too much! Still if you ever do go back, it will be as a stranger. Th

t of fear, steal over her. It seemed to her that Madame

and not too clean finger down

ething which I miss when I look at you as I am no

a, and her eyes travelled over

ere! They appear like little balls

, at last, Madame Cagliostra was justi

man impetuously. "If you had them here-I care not what they

. "I don't think you would d

a did not seem to he

said abruptly. "Of a mascot which

d. Of course she ha

objects which bring misfortune to their wear

ad the year before to a trifling gift, twin cherries made of enamel, which a friend had given her, in her old hom

her necklace, of these round balls. They have already brought her ill-fortune in the past, they have lowered her in the estimation of an estimab

she means my pearls," she whispered. "But h

already played a certain part in her life. But is it not just because of this fact that you feel the influ

looked very seriou

led-exceedingly puzzled-to-day. I do not know that I have ever had so strange a case as that of this English lady before me! I see

eally distressed, and was sti

do not know whether the necklace would make any real difference! If she takes one of the roads open to her, then I see n

Peril?" echoed

eir House of Peril-the house whose threshold they should nev

s been, alas! more than one House of Peril in my life." She

little place, ladies-quite my idea of a pretty dwelling. But it is filled with horror unutterable to Madame. Ah! I entreat you"

's necklace. Is it, for instance, of great value, a

ad her doubts as to the genuineness of the pearls her friend wore. Pearls are so ex

radually she had become convinced of Sylvia's good fa

a's answer was disap

They, as you know, often bring terrible ill-fortune in their train, especially when they have been taken from the bodies of mummies. But the necklace has already caused this lady to quarrel with a very good and sure

" she said in a tone of relief, "I will deal with

hair a little awa

fortune had been told her! And then it had all been so muddled

er own country; the second was all that extraordinary talk about her pearls. As to the promised lover, the memory of the

which she laid great store. But wasn't there such a thing as telepathy? Isn't it supposed by some people that fortune-t

account for all that the fortune

hen they had been together to some place of amusement at night, and she had felt quite miserable, quite lost without them. She had even caught herself wondering whether M. Girard was p

hat was going on be

, deliberate fashion-and then she uttered a kind of low

tell you nothing-nothing at all! I feel ill-very ill!" and, indeed, sh

ayer stood staring into Ann

not prevent your telling your friends of my powers. Allow me t

ing down at the pack of cards which lay on the tabl

she muttered at last, "for I kno

w. She tore apart the curt

t's absurd to sit with a window tight shut in this kind of r

had sunk down in

ames," she muttered, faintly. "F

to Sylvia a very strange manner. She walked

wish to tell me?" she said imperiously. "I do n

woman angrily. "I am too ill to see anyth

he little room the soothsayer looked ghas

id again. "If you do not wish to give me t

to the door, and Sylvia put a fi

oped their way to the end of the sho

oment's pause, "Mesdames,

n Anna, putting her finger to her l

, "I knew you had somethi

t have the other lady here, too. You must

ed out, "Come up Sylvia! She w

Madame Wolsky's voice; and Sylvia, surprised, ran up ag

r shortly. She stared at them for a moment,

or awhile, especially do not leave Paris together. I see you both running into terrible danger! If you do go away-and

id Anna Wolsky urgently. "How goes m

see wonderful luck; packets of bank-notes and rouleaux of gold! It is not your luck-it is something

oman smiled

that can be?"

your

not know that I value my lif

, Madame, which says: 'A sh

shall have, if a short

tated a moment, as if making a silent calculation-"twelve weeks, I can predict you, if not so happy a life, then a long life and a fairly merry one. Will you take my advice, Madame?" she went on, almost

seen in the cards that you tender u

tra again looked s

lank. I could see nothing in them. But, of course, we do not only tell fortunes by cards

ike tone, added, "And now I leave the question

ittle grimly, and pulled

ed, and murmu

the roughly paved little stree

k to be very excellent advice. You see, I had told her that I am a gambler. She knows, as we all know, that to play for money is a foolish thing to do. She is aware that in Paris it is not very easy for a stranger to obtain admittance-especially if that stranger be a respectable woman-to a gambling club. She therefore said to herself, 'I will give this lady far more than

-she certainly spoke very seriously, did she not, Anna? She seemed qu

me, in spite of Madame Cagliostra's mysterious predictions, I shall, of course, go to some place-I think it will be Dieppe (I like the Dieppe Casino the best)-where I can play

thing to her, for she had seen in the last two years two deathbeds, that of her father, that o

eir system when they are still young-do not, as a rule, live very long. Their emotions are too strong, too often excited! Play