went out to him the more when she saw he cared not for the favours
offered him by the dancing wenches as they touched his flowing black
curls with caressing hands. He turned upon his stomach on the table
and hid his face in his hands and remained thus until the candles were
again snuffed and a maid came out into the improvised moonlight in
gipsy dress and a fortune-teller's cup and wand. She wore a masque and
veil tight wrapped about her head. She danced with less skill than
any that had come before. She lisped forth 'twas her trade to tell
fortunes, and thereupon a fop reached forth and pulled her to him, and
she began a startling story that had somewhat of truth in it; and to
each one her assertions or predictions had so much of truth in them it
provoked interest among them all. Lord Cedric called from the table:

"The wench tells ear-splitting truths; send her here, she shall give
my pasht, present--and future." If they had not been so blinded by
wine, they might have noticed her haste to go to his bidding. She
looked closely at his hand and the sediment of his wine-cup.

"Thou art madly and blindly in love!" said she, lispingly.

"Good! good!" was sent forth from those about; and Cedric struck his
fist upon the table,--

"'Madly'--yes; but by God not 'blindly'! haste on, wench."

"She loves admiration--"

"She would not be half a woman if she--"

"She is in love with one of Russian birth," went on the gipsy. Cedric