‘I must speak with the fellow first, daughter,’ said the Chevalier.  ’He must satisfy me that he has no unlawful dealings that could bring the Church down on us.’  And he looked meaningly at the mountebank, who replied by a whole muster-roll of ecclesiastics, male and female, who had heard and approved his predictions.

‘A few more words with thee, fellow,’ said the Chevalier, pointing the way to one of the rooms opening out of the hall.  ’As master of the house I must be convinced of his honesty,’ he added.  ’If I am satisfied, then who will may seek to hear their fortune.’

Chevalier, man and boy disappeared, and Philip was the first to exclaim, ’A strange fellow!  What will he tell us?  Madame, shall you hear him?’

‘That depends on my father’s report,’ she said.  ‘And yet,’ sadly and pensively, ’my future is dark and void enough.  Why should I vex myself with hearing it?’

‘Nay, it may brighten,’ said Philip.

‘Scarcely, while hearts are hard,’ she murmured with a slight shake of the head, that Philip thought indescribably touching; but Berenger was gathering his purchases together, and did not see.  ‘And you, brother,’ said Philip, ‘you mean to prove him?’

‘No,’ said Berenger.  ’Have you forgotten, Phil, the anger we met with, when we dealt with the gipsy at Hurst Fair?’

‘Pshaw, Berry, we are past flogging now.’

’Out of reach, Phil, of the rod, but scarce of the teaching it struck into us.’

‘What?’ said Philip, sulkily.

’That divining is either cozening manor forsaking God, Phil.  Either it is falsehood, or it is a lying wonder of the devil.’

‘But, Berry, this man is not cheat.’

‘Then he is worse.’

’Only, turn not away, brother.  How should he have known things that even I know not?—­the heather.’

‘No marvel in that,’ said Berenger.  ’This is the very man I bought Annora’s fan from; he was prowling round Montpipeau, and my heather was given to Veronique with little secrecy.  And as to the royal deathbed, it was Rene, his master, who met me there.’

‘Then you think it mere cozeing?  If so, we should find it out.’

’I don’t reckon myself keener than an accomplished Italian mountebank,’ said Berenger, dryly.

Further conference was cut short by the return of the Chevalier, saying, in his paternal genial way, ’Well, children, I have examined the fellow and his credentials, and for those who have enough youth and hope to care to have the future made known to them, bah! it is well.’

‘Is it sorcery, sir?’ asked Philip, anxiously.

The Chevalier shrugged his shoulders.  ‘What know I?’ he said.  ’For those who have a fine nose for brimstone there may be, but he assures me it is but the white magic practiced in Egypt, and the boy is Christian!’

‘Did you try this secret, father?’ inquired Madame de Selinville.