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The fortune-teller stopped talking, gathered the cards and locked them in the drawer. "The lady has restored peace to my spirit," he said, offering her his hand across the table and pressing that of the card-reader. She arose, laughing. "Go," she said. "Go, ragazzo innamorato ..." Italian for "love-sick boy," "young lover," etc. And arising, she touched his head with her index finger.
Poor woman, she had slaved her life against dust in halls and cockroaches and couples who wanted rooms without references and the heart had gone from her, and when she died she left the best of two thousand pound to a clairvoyant and card-reader, who had robbed her week after week for ten years and more. I took a place as companion to an old lady, going to Odymi in Hungary.
Never mind that. There's nothin' to be scared of. Nothin' at all. No one'll see us. I been there meself, many's the time, an' no one knows it." Mrs. Byrne entered the "reception rooms" of Madame Wampa, "clairvoyant, palmist, and card-reader," with the propitiatory smile of the woman who knows she is doing wrong but is prepared to argue that there is "no great harm into it."
Nobody appearing, he was about to go down; but it was too late now, curiosity was whipping his blood and his heart beat with violent throbs; he turned back to the door, and knocked once, twice, three times. He beheld a woman; it was the card-reader. Camillo said that he had come to consult her, and she bade him enter.
The fortune-teller had already placed the note in her pocket, and accompanied him down the stairs, chatting rather gaily. At the bottom of the first flight Camillo bid her good-bye and ran down the stairs that led to the street, while the card-reader, rejoicing in her large fee, turned back to the garret, humming a barcarolle. Camillo found the tilbury waiting for him; the street was now clear.
Camillo, anxious to leave, was at a loss how much to pay; he did not know her fee. "Raisins cost money," he said, at length, taking out his pocket-book. "How much do you want to send for?" "Ask your heart," she replied. Camillo took out a note for ten milreis' and gave it to her. The eyes of the card-reader sparkled. Her usual fee was two milreis.
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