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the card chosen to represent Me。 By way of being appropriate to my
situation as a poor groom out of employment； the card wasthe King
of Diamonds。
〃I tak' up the King o' Diamants；〃 says my aunt。 〃I count seven
cairds fra' richt to left； and I humbly ask a blessing on what
follows。〃 My aunt shut her eyes as if she was saying grace before
meat； and held up to me the seventh card。 I called the seventh
cardthe Queen of Spades。 My aunt opened her eyes again in a
hurry； and cast a sly look my way。 〃The Queen o' Spades means a
dairk woman。 Ye'll be thinking in secret； Francie； of a dairk
woman？〃
When a man has been out of work for more than three months； his
mind isn't troubled much with thinking of womenlight or dark。 I
was thinking of the groom's place at the great house； and I tried
to say so。 My aunt Chance wouldn't listen。 She treated my
interpretation with contempt。 〃Hoot…toot！ there's the caird in
your hand！ If ye're no thinking of her the day； ye'll be thinking
of her the morrow。 Where's the harm of thinking of a dairk woman！
I was ance a dairk woman myself； before my hair was gray。 Haud yer
peace； Francie； and watch the cairds。〃
I watched the cards as I was told。 There were seven left on the
table。 My aunt removed two from one end of the row and two from
the other； and desired me to call the two outermost of the three
cards now left on the table。 I called the Ace of Clubs and the Ten
of Diamonds。 My aunt Chance lifted her eyes to the ceiling with a
look of devout gratitude which sorely tried my mother's patience。
The Ace of Clubs and the Ten of Diamonds； taken together；
signifiedfirst； good news （evidently the news of the groom's
place）； secondly； a journey that lay before me （pointing plainly to
my journey to…morrow！）； thirdly and lastly； a sum of money
（probably the groom's wages！） waiting to find its way into my
pockets。 Having told my fortune in these encouraging terms； my
aunt declined to carry the experiment any further。 〃Eh； lad！ it's
a clean tempting o' Proavidence to ask mair o' the cairds than the
cairds have tauld us noo。 Gae yer ways to…morrow to the great
hoose。 A dairk woman will meet ye at the gate； and she'll have a
hand in getting ye the groom's place； wi' a' the gratifications and
pairquisites appertaining to the same。 And； mebbe； when yer
poaket's full o' money； ye'll no' be forgetting yer aunt Chance；
maintaining her ain unblemished widowhoodwi' Proavidence
assistingon thratty punds a year！〃
I promised to remember my aunt Chance （who had the defect； by the
way； of being a terribly greedy person after money） on the next
happy occasion when my poor empty pockets were to be filled at
last。 This done； I looked at my mother。 She had agreed to take
her sister for umpire between us； and her sister had given it in my
favor。 She raised no more objections。 Silently； she got on her
feet； and kissed me； and sighed bitterlyand so left the room。 My
aunt Chance shook her head。 〃I doubt； Francie； yer puir mither has
but a heathen notion of the vairtue of the cairds！〃
By daylight the next morning I set forth on my journey。 I looked
back at the cottage as I opened the garden gate。 At one window was
my mother； with her handkerchief to her eyes。 At the other stood
my aunt Chance； holding up the Queen of Spades by way of
encouraging me at starting。 I waved my hands to both of them in
token of farewell； and stepped out briskly into the road。 It was
then the last day of February。 Be pleased to remember； in
connection with this； that the first of March was the day； and two
o'clock in the morning the hour of my birth。
V
Now you know how I came to leave home。 The next thing to tell is；
what happened on the journey。
I reached the great house in reasonably good time considering the
distance。 At the very first trial of it； the prophecy of the cards
turned out to be wrong。 The person who met me at the lodge gate
was not a dark womanin fact； not a woman at allbut a boy。 He
directed me on the way to the servants' offices； and there again
the cards were all wrong。 I encountered； not one woman； but three…
…and not one of the three was dark。 I have stated that I am not
superstitious； and I have told the truth。 But I must own that I
did feel a certain fluttering at the heart when I made my bow to
the steward； and told him what business had brought me to the
house。 His answer completed the discomfiture of aunt Chance's
fortune…telling。 My ill…luck still pursued me。 That very morning
another man had applied for the groom's place； and had got it。
I swallowed my disappointment as well as I could； and thanked the
steward； and went to the inn in the village to get the rest and
food which I sorely needed by this time。
Before starting on my homeward walk I made some inquiries at the
inn； and ascertained that I might save a few miles； on my return；
by following a new road。 Furnished with full instructions； several
times repeated； as to the various turnings I was to take； I set
forth； and walked on till the evening with only one stoppage for
bread and cheese。 Just as it was getting toward dark； the rain
came on and the wind began to rise； and I found myself； to make
matters worse； in a part of the country with which I was entirely
unacquainted； though I guessed myself to be some fifteen miles from
home。 The first house I found to inquire at； was a lonely roadside
inn； standing on the outskirts of a thick wood。 Solitary as the
place looked； it was welcome to a lost man who was also hungry；
thirsty； footsore； and wet。 The landlord was civil and
respectable…looking； and the price he asked for a bed was
reasonable enough。 I was grieved to disappoint my mother。 But
there was no conveyance to be had； and I could go no farther afoot
that night。 My weariness fairly forced me to stop at the inn。
I may say for myself that I am a temperate man。 My supper simply
consisted of some rashers of bacon； a slice of home…made bread； and
a pint of ale。 I did not go to bed immediately after this moderate
meal； but sat up with the landlord； talking about my bad prospects
and my long run of ill…luck； and diverging from these topics to the
subjects of horse…flesh and racing。 Nothing was said； either by
myself； my host； or the few laborers who strayed into the tap…room；
which could； in the slightest degree； excite my mind； or set my
fancywhich is only a small fancy at the best of timesplaying
tricks with my common sense。
At a little after eleven the house was closed。 I went round with
the landlord； and held the candle while the doors and lower windows
were being secured。 I noticed with surprise the strength of the
bolts； bars； and iron…sheathed shutters。
〃You see； we are rather lonely here；〃 said the landlord。 〃We never
have had any attempts to break in yet； but it's always as well to
be on the safe side。 When nobody is sleeping here；