"The result, I have no doubt," replied the other, "of personal
acquaintance with private occurrences, rendered incredible under
ordinary circumstances, in consequence of her rapid transitions from
place to place. I shall certainly not put myself under the guidance of
an impostor, Mr. Birney."

"In this case, sir, I think you are right; for it has been generally
observed that, in no instance, has she ever been known to make any
reference to the past in her character of fortune-teller. She affects to
hold intercourse with the fairies, or good people, as we term them,
and insists that it is from them that she derives the faculty of a
prophetess. She also works extraordinary cures by similar aid, as she
asserts. The common impression is, that her mind is burdened with some
secret guilt, and that it relieves her to contemplate the future, as it
regards temporal fate, but that she dares not look back into the past.
I know there is nothing more certain than that, when asked to do so,
in peculiar moods of mind, she manifests quite as much of the maniac as
poor Fenton."

"Away with the old impostress!" exclaimed the stranger; "I will have
none of her! Can you think of no one else?"

"Of course, you have not had time to become acquainted with our parish
priest?" replied Birney. "Since 'Aroint thee, witch,' is your creed, I
think you had better try him."

"Not an unnatural transition," replied the stranger, smiling; "but what
is he like? Give me an outline."