“exact!” said Considine. “After dinner we will take our cigars and walk over to the camp.”
as a result, when the dinner turned into over, and the los angeles excursion completed, Joshua Considine and his pal, Dr. Burleigh, went over to the east aspect of the moor, where the gipsy encampment lay. As they had been leaving, Mary Considine, who had walked as a ways because the quit of the lawn in which it opened into the laneway, known as after her husband:
“thoughts, Joshua, you are to offer them a truthful threat, however don’t supply them any clue to a fortune—and don’t you get flirting with any of the gipsy maidens—and take care to preserve Gerald out of harm.”
For answer Considine held up his hand, as though taking a stage oath, and whistled the air of the antique song, “The Gipsy Countess.” Gerald joined in the strain, and then, breaking into merry laughter, the 2 men surpassed alongside the laneway to the common, turning now after which to wave their fingers to Mary, who leaned over the gate, inside the twilight, searching after them.
It turned into a adorable night inside the summer; the very air was full of rest and quiet happiness, as though an outward sort of the peacefulness and joy which made a heaven of the home of the younger married people. Considine’s life had now not been an eventful one. The handiest annoying detail which he had ever regarded became in his wooing of Mary Winston, and the long-persisted objection of her formidable parents, who anticipated a notable fit for their most effective daughter. while Mr. and Mrs. Winston had located the attachment of the younger barrister, they'd attempted to keep the younger people apart with the aid of sending their daughter away for an extended spherical of visits, having made her promise not to correspond together with her lover at some point of her absence. Love, but, had stood the test. Neither absence nor forget about regarded to cool the ardour of the young man, and jealousy seemed a thing unknown to his sanguine nature; so, after a protracted duration of waiting, the mother and father had given in, and the younger folkshave been married.
They have been residing inside the cottage a few months, and had been simply starting to sense at home. Gerald Burleigh, Joshua’s old university chum, and himself a sometime victim of Mary’s beauty, had arrived a week before, to stay with them for as long a time as he should tear himself faraway from his work in London.
when her husband had pretty disappeared Mary went into the residence, and, sitting down on the piano, gave an hour to Mendelssohn.
It turned into however a short walk throughout the commonplace, and before the cigars required renewing the two guyshad reached the gipsy camp. The area was as picturesque as gipsy camps—when in villages and whilst commercial enterprise is ideal—normally are. There had been a few few men and women round the fireplace, investing their cash in prophecy, and a large quantity of others, poorer or extra parsimonious, who stayed simply out of doors the boundariesbut close to sufficient to see all that went on.
As the two gents approached, the villagers, who knew Joshua, made way a bit, and a quite, keen-eyed gipsy womantripped up and requested to inform their fortunes. Joshua held out his hand, however the woman, with out seeming to look it, stared at his face in a very abnormal way. Gerald nudged him:
“You must cross her hand with silver,” he stated. “it is one of the most vital elements of the thriller.” Joshua took from his pocket a 1/2-crown and held it out to her, but, with out searching at it, she replied:
“You must pass the gipsy’s hand with gold.”
Gerald laughed. “you're at a top class as a topic,” he stated. Joshua was of the type of man—the widespread kind—who can tolerate being stared at via a quite female; so, with a few little deliberation, he responded:
“All proper; right here you're, my pretty female; however you have to deliver me a actual correct fortune for it,” and he surpassed her a half of sovereign, which she took, announcing:
“It is not for me to give right fortune or horrific, but handiest to read what the celebs have stated.” She took his right hand and grew to become it palm upward; but the immediate her eyes met it she dropped it as even though it were pink hot, and, with a startled appearance, glided hastily away. Lifting the curtain of the massive tent, which occupied the centre of the camp, she disappeared inside.
“sold once more!” said the cynical Gerald. Joshua stood a little amazed, and no longer altogether happy. They eachwatched the large tent. In some moments there emerged from the outlet no longer the younger girl, but a stately lookingfemale of middle age and commanding presence.
The instant she regarded the whole camp appeared to face still. The clamour of tongues, the laughter and noise of the paintings were, for a 2nd or , arrested, and each person who sat, or crouched, or lay, stood up and confronted the imperial searching gipsy.
“The Queen, of path,” murmured Gerald. “we are in success to-night time.” The gipsy Queen threw a searching lookaround the camp, after which, without hesitating an immediately, came directly over and stood before Joshua.
“preserve out your hand,” she stated in a commanding tone.
once more Gerald spoke, sotto voce: “i have not been spoken to in that way given that i used to be at faculty.”
“Your hand have to be crossed with gold.”
“one hundred in line with cent at this game,” whispered Gerald, as Joshua laid every other half of sovereign on his upturned palm.
The gipsy checked out the hand with knitted brows; then unexpectedly looking up into his face, said:
“have you ever a robust will—have you ever a real coronary heart that can be brave for one you adore?”
“i'm hoping so; but i am afraid i've now not arrogance sufficient to mention ‘sure.'”
“Then i'm able to solution for you; for I read decision to your face—decision desperate and determined if need be. you've got a wife you love?”
“sure,” emphatically.
“Then go away her without delay—by no means see her face once more. go from her now, at the same time as love is clean and your coronary heart is unfastened from wicked reason. cross brief—pass some distance, and in no way see her face again!”
Joshua drew away his hand speedy, and said, “thank you!” stiffly but satirically, as he started out to move away.
“I say!” said Gerald, “You’re no longer going like that, antique man; little need in being irritated with the stars or their prophet—and, moreover, your sovereign—what of it? at the least, pay attention the matter out.”
“Silence, ribald!” commanded the Queen, “you recognize now not what you do. permit him pass—and cross ignorant, if he'll now not be warned.”
Joshua straight away grew to become lower back. “at all events, we will see this component out,” he said. “Now, madam, you have given me advice, however I paid for a fortune.”
“Be warned!” said the gipsy. “the celebrities had been silent for lengthy; permit the thriller nonetheless wrap them round.”
“My dear madam, I do not get within contact of a mystery each day, and i opt for for my money expertise as opposed tolack of awareness. i will get the latter commodity for not anything when I need any of it.”
Gerald echoed the sentiment. “As for me i've a huge and unsaleable stock accessible.”
The gipsy Queen eyed the 2 men sternly, after which said, “As you want. you've got selected for your self, and have met warning with scorn, and appeal with levity. in your own heads be the doom!”
“Amen!” said Gerald.
With an imperious gesture the Queen took Joshua’s hand once more, and commenced to inform his fortune.
“I see right here the flowing of blood; it will go with the flow earlier than lengthy; it's miles strolling in my sight. It flows thru the damaged circle of a severed ring.”
“cross on!” said Joshua, smiling. Gerald changed into silent.
“should I talk plainer?”
“definitely; we commonplace mortals need some thing specific. the stars are an extended manner off, and their wordsget particularly dulled inside the message.”
The gipsy shuddered, and then spoke impressively. “that is the hand of a assassin—the murderer of his wife!” She dropped the hand and became away.
Joshua laughed. “Do you understand,” said he, “I suppose if I have been you I have to prophesy a few jurisprudence into my device. for example, you assert ‘this hand is the hand of a assassin.’ properly, whatever it can be within the destiny—or doubtlessly—it's miles at present now not one. You should supply your prophecy in such phrases as ‘the hand in an effort to be a assassin’s,’ or, as an alternative, ‘the hand of one who will be the murderer of his wife.’ the stars are genuinely no longer desirable on technical questions.”
The gipsy made no respond of any kind, but, with drooping head and despondent mien, walked slowly to her tent, and, lifting the curtain, disappeared.
without speakme the 2 guys turned homewards, and walked across the moor. currently, after some little hesitation, Gerald spoke.
“Of course, old guy, this is all a comic story; a ghastly one, but still a shaggy dog story. but would it not not be nicely to keep it to ourselves?”
“How do you mean?”
“properly, not to tell your spouse. it might alarm her.”
“Alarm her! My dear Gerald, what are you taking into consideration? Why, she would not be alarmed or scared of me if all the gipsies that ever didn’t come from Bohemia agreed that i was to murder her, or even to have a hard thought of her, while so long as she changed into pronouncing ‘Jack Robinson.’ “
Gerald remonstrated. “vintage fellow, women are superstitious—a long way more than we guys are; and, additionally, they're blessed—or cursed—with a worried device to which we're strangers. I see an excessive amount of of it in my worknow not to recognise it. Take my advice and do no longer permit her recognize, or you will frighten her.”
Joshua’s lips unconsciously hardened as he responded: “My pricey fellow, i would now not have a secret from my wife. Why, it would be the beginning of a brand new order of things among us. We have no secrets from every different. If we ever have, then you could begin to look out for some thing peculiar among us.”
“nonetheless,” said Gerald, “at the chance of unwelcome interference, I say again be warned in time.”
“The gipsy’s very phrases,” said Joshua. “You and she appear quite of 1 accord. tell me, antique man, is that this a placed-up issue? You instructed me of the gipsy camp—did you set up all of it together with her Majesty?” This turned into saidwith an air of bantering earnestness. Gerald confident him that he most effective heard of the camp that morning; however he made a laugh of each answer of his friend, and, inside the method of this raillery, the time handed, and that they entered the cottage.
Mary become sitting by the piano but no longer gambling. The dim twilight had waked a few very tender feelings in her breast, and her eyes had been complete of gentle tears. while the men came in she stole over to her husband’s aspect and kissed him. Joshua struck a sad mindset.
“Mary,” he stated in a deep voice, “before you technique me, listen to the words of destiny. the stars have spoken and the doom is sealed.”
“what is it, pricey? inform me the fortune, but do now not frighten me.”
“under no circumstances, my dear; but there may be a truth which it is nicely that you need to know. Nay, it's faressential so that each one your arrangements may be made ahead, and the whole lot be decently executed and so as.”
“cross on, pricey; i am listening.”
“Mary Considine, your effigy may but be seen at Madame Tussaud’s. The juris-imprudent stars have announced their fell tidings that this hand is crimson with blood—your blood. Mary! Mary! My God!” He sprang ahead, however too overdue to catch her as she fell fainting at the ground.
“I instructed you,” said Gerald. “You don’t recognise them as well as I do.”
After a little even as Mary recovered from her swoon, but handiest to fall into robust hysterics, wherein she laughed and wept and raved and cried, “maintain him from me—from me, Joshua, my husband,” and lots of different phrases of entreaty and of worry.
Joshua Considine become in a state of thoughts bordering on ache, and when at final Mary have become calm he knelt by way of her and kissed her toes and fingers and hair and known as her all the candy names and said all the tender thingshis lips could body. All that night he sat through her bedside and held her hand. a long way through the night time and as much as the early morning she saved waking from sleep and crying out as though in worry, until she changed intocomforted with the aid of the cognizance that her husband changed into watching beside her.
Breakfast was overdue the next morning, but throughout it Joshua acquired a telegram which required him to pressureover to Withering, nearly twenty miles. He was loth to move; however Mary might not hear of his remaining, and so beforenoon he drove off in his canine-cart on my own.
when he became long past Mary retired to her room. She did not appear at lunch, however when afternoon tea changed into served at the garden, below the outstanding weeping willow, she came to join her guest. She was searching quiterecovered from her illness of the night before. After some informal remarks, she said to Gerald: “Of direction it becamevery stupid approximately ultimate night time, however I could not assist feeling apprehensive. indeed i might sense so nonetheless if I permit myself consider it. but, in any case, those human beings might also simplest consider matters, and i have were given a test that could hardly fail to expose that the prediction is fake—if certainly it be false,” she introduced alas.
“what is your plan?” requested Gerald.
“I shall cross myself to the gipsy camp, and have my fortune instructed via the Queen.”
“Capital. can also I go with you?”
“Oh, no! that could destroy it. She would possibly know you and bet at me, and fit her utterance as a result. I shall crossby myself this afternoon.”
while the afternoon became gone Mary Considine took her manner to the gipsy encampment. Gerald went together with her as a long way because the close to fringe of the commonplace, and lower back by myself.
half-an-hour had infrequently elapsed when Mary entered the drawing-room, wherein he lay on a settee reading. She turned into ghastly pale and turned into in a country of intense pleasure. hardly had she exceeded over the edge whileshe collapsed and sank moaning on the carpet. Gerald rushed to resource her, however through a super effort she managed herself and motioned him to be silent. He waited, and his prepared interest to her wish appeared to be her first-rate help, for, in a few minutes, she had quite recovered, and become capable to tell him what had handed.
“when I got to the camp,” she stated, “there did no longer seem to be a soul about. I went into the centre and stood there. suddenly a tall lady stood beside me. ‘something instructed me i used to be wanted!’ she stated. I held out my hand and laid a chunk of silver on it. She took from her neck a small golden trinket and laid it there additionally; and then, seizing the 2, threw them into the movement that ran by using. Then she took my hand in hers and spoke: ‘Naught but blood in this responsible location,’ and grew to become away. I stuck keep of her and requested her to tell me greater. After somehesitation, she said: ‘lamentably! lamentably! I see you lying at your husband’s ft, and his hands are pink with blood.'”
Gerald did not feel in any respect comfortable, and attempted to snort it off. “definitely,” he stated, “this lady has a craze approximately homicide.”
“Do now not laugh,” said Mary, “I can not endure it,” after which, as though with a unexpected impulse, she left the room.
not lengthy after Joshua lower back, vibrant and cheery, and as hungry as a hunter after his long power. His presence cheered his wife, who regarded an awful lot brighter, however she did now not point out the episode of the visit to the gipsy camp, so Gerald did not point out it both. as if by way of tacit consent the situation became now not alluded to in the course of the nighttime. however there has been a unusual, settled appearance on Mary’s face, which Gerald could not but have a look at.
inside the morning Joshua got here all the way down to breakfast later than typical. Mary were up and approximately the house from an early hour; but because the time drew on she regarded to get a little anxious, and now and again threw round an tense appearance.
Gerald could not assist noticing that none of these at breakfast should get on satisfactorily with their meals. It turned intonow not altogether that the chops had been difficult, but that the knives had been all so blunt. Being a guest, he, of course, made no signal; however currently saw Joshua draw his thumb across the edge of his knife in an unconscioustype of way. at the motion Mary grew to become light and almost fainted.
After breakfast all of them went out on the garden. Mary was making up a bouquet, and said to her husband, “Get me a number of the tea-roses, dear.”
Joshua pulled down a cluster from the the front of the residence. The stem bent, but turned into too hard to break. He positioned his hand in his pocket to get his knife; but in vain. “Lend me your knife, Gerald,” he said. but Gerald had no longer were given one, so he went into the breakfast-room and took one from the desk. He got here out feeling its edgeand grumbling. “What on this planet has happened to all of the knives—the edges appear all floor off?” Mary grew to become away hurriedly and entered the house.
Joshua attempted to sever the stalk with the blunt knife as countrycooks sever the necks of fowl—as schoolboys cut cord. With a touch effort he finished the undertaking. The cluster of roses grew thick, so he determined to gather a top notchbunch.
He couldn't find a single sharp knife in the sideboard in which the cutlery was stored, so he referred to as Mary, and whilstshe came, advised her the country of things. She regarded so agitated and so depressing that he could not assist knowingthe truth, and, as though astounded and harm, requested her:
“Do you mean to mention that you have accomplished it?”
She broke in, “Oh, Joshua, i was so afraid.”
He paused, and a hard and fast, white appearance got here over his face. “Mary!” stated he, “is that this all of the believeyou have got in me? i might not have believed it.”
“Oh, Joshua! Joshua!” she cried entreatingly, “forgive me,” and wept bitterly.
Joshua notion a second after which said: “I see how it's miles. we shall higher cease this or we shall all pass mad.”
He bumped into the drawing-room.
“where are you going?” nearly screamed Mary.
Gerald noticed what he meant-that he could now not be tied to blunt contraptions through the pressure of a superstition, and was no longer surprised while he saw him pop out through the French window, bearing in his hand a big Ghourka knife, which usually lay at the centre table, and which his brother had sent him from Northern India. It turned into one of these first-rate hunting-knives which labored such havoc, at near quarters with the enemies of the dependable Ghourkas all through the mutiny, of amazing weight but so flippantly balanced within the hand as to appear mild, and with an edgelike a razor. With the sort of knives a Ghourka can cut a sheep in two.
when Mary saw him pop out of the room with the weapon in his hand she screamed in an suffering of fright, and the hysterics of last night time had been right away renewed.
Joshua ran towards her, and, seeing her falling, threw down the knife and attempted to seize her.
but, he became only a second too late, and the 2 guys cried out in horror concurrently as they noticed her fall upon the bare blade.
while Gerald rushed over he observed that in falling her left hand had struck the blade, which lay partly upwards at thegrass. a number of the small veins were reduce through, and the blood gushed freely from the wound. As he changed intotying it up he mentioned to Joshua that the marriage ring turned into severed by way of the metal.
They carried her fainting to the residence. whilst, after a while, she came out, along with her arm in a sling, she changed into peaceful in her thoughts and happy. She said to her husband:
“The gipsy became wonderfully near the fact; too near for the real component ever to occur now, dear.”
Joshua bent over and kissed the wounded hand.
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