“Notmuchtodohere，“Isaytothehostler。
“Verylittletodo，sir，“thehostlerreplies。
“Anybodystayinginthehouse？“
“Thehouseisquiteempty，sir。“
“Ithoughtyouwerealldead。Icouldmakenobodyhearme。“
“Thelandlordisverydeaf，sir，andthewaiterisoutonanerrand。“
“Yes；andYOUwerefastasleepinthestable。Doyouoftentakeanapinthedaytime？“
Thewornfaceofthehostlerfaintlyflushes。Hiseyeslookawayfrommyeyesforthefirsttime。Mrs。Fairbankfurtivelypinchesmyarm。Areweontheeveofadiscoveryatlast？Irepeatmyquestion。Themanhasnocivilalternativebuttogivemeananswer。Theanswerisgiveninthesewords:
“Iwastiredout，sir。Youwouldn’thavefoundmeasleepinthedaytimebutforthat。“
“Tiredout，eh？Youhadbeenhardatwork，Isuppose？“
“No，sir。“
“Whatwasit，then？“
Hehesitatesagain，andanswersunwillingly，“Iwasupallnight。“
“Upallnight？Anythinggoingoninthetown？“
“Nothinggoingon，sir。“
“Anybodyill？“
“Nobodyill，sir。“
Thatreplyisthelast。TryasImay，Icanextractnothingmorefromhim。Heturnsawayandbusieshimselfinattendingtothehorse’sleg。IleavethestabletospeaktothelandlordaboutthecarriagewhichistotakeusbacktoFarleighHall。Mrs。Fairbankremainswiththehostler，andfavorsmewithalookatparting。
Thelooksaysplainly，“Imeantofindoutwhyhewasupallnight。
LeavehimtoMe。“
Theorderingofthecarriageiseasilyaccomplished。Theinnpossessesonehorseandonechaise。Thelandlordhasastorytotellofthehorse，andastorytotellofthechaise。TheyresemblethestoryofFrancisRaven——withthisexception，thatthehorseandchaisebelongtonoreligiouspersuasion。“Thehorsewillbenineyearoldnextbirthday。I’vehadtheshayforfour-
and-twentyyear。Mr。Max，ofUnderbridge，hebredthehorse；andMr。Pooley，ofYeovil，hebuilttheshay。It’smyhorseandmyshay。Andthat’sTHEIRstory！“Havingrelievedhismindofthesedetails，thelandlordproceedstoputtheharnessonthehorse。Bywayofassistinghim，Idragthechaiseintotheyard。Justasourpreparationsarecompleted，Mrs。Fairbankappears。Amomentortwolaterthehostlerfollowsherout。Hehasbandagedthehorse’sleg，andisnowreadytodriveustoFarleighHall。Iobservesignsofagitationinhisfaceandmanner，whichsuggestthatmywifehasfoundherwayintohisconfidence。Iputthequestiontoherprivatelyinacorneroftheyard。“Well？HaveyoufoundoutwhyFrancisRavenwasupallnight？“
Mrs。Fairbankhasaneyetodramaticeffect。Insteadofansweringplainly，YesorNo，shesuspendstheinterestandexcitestheaudiencebyputtingaquestiononherside。
“Whatisthedayofthemonth，dear？“
“ThedayofthemonthisthefirstofMarch。“
“ThefirstofMarch，Percy，isFrancisRaven’sbirthday。“
ItrytolookasifIwasinterested——anddon’tsucceed。
“Franciswasborn，“Mrs。Fairbankproceedsgravely，“attwoo’clockinthemorning。“
Ibegintowonderwhethermywife’sintellectisgoingthewayofthelandlord’sintellect。“Isthatall？“Iask。
“ItisNOTall，“Mrs。Fairbankanswers。“FrancisRavensitsuponthemorningofhisbirthdaybecauseheisafraidtogotobed。“
“Andwhyisheafraidtogotobed？“
“Becauseheisinperilofhislife。“
“Onhisbirthday？“
“Onhisbirthday。Attwoo’clockinthemorning。Asregularlyasthebirthdaycomesround。“
Thereshestops。Hasshediscoverednomorethanthat？Nomorethusfar。Ibegintofeelreallyinterestedbythistime。Iaskeagerlywhatitmeans？Mrs。Fairbankpointsmysteriouslytothechaise——withFrancisRavenhithertoourhostler，nowourcoachman
waitingforustogetin。Thechaisehasaseatfortwoinfront，andaseatforonebehind。Mywifecastsawarninglookatme，andplacesherselfontheseatinfront。
ThenecessaryconsequenceofthisarrangementisthatMrs。Fairhanksitsbythesideofthedriverduringajourneyoftwohoursandmore。NeedIstatetheresult？Itwouldbeaninsulttoyourintelligencetostatetheresult。Letmeofferyoumyplaceinthechaise。AndletFrancisRaventellhisterriblestoryinhisownwords。
ItisnowtenyearsagosinceIgotmyfirstwarningofthegreattroubleofmylifeintheVisionofaDream。
IshallbebetterabletotellyouaboutitifyouwillpleasesupposeyourselvestobedrinkingteaalongwithusinourlittlecottageinCambridgeshire，tenyearssince。
Thetimewasthecloseofday，andtherewerethreeofusatthetable，namely，mymother，myself，andmymother’ssister，Mrs。
Chance。ThesetwowereScotchwomenbybirth，andbothwerewidows。
TherewasnootherresemblancebetweenthemthatIcancalltomind。MymotherhadlivedallherlifeinEngland，andhadnomoreoftheScotchbrogueonhertonguethanIhave。MyauntChancehadneverbeenoutofScotlanduntilshecametokeephousewithmymotherafterherhusband’sdeath。AndwhenSHEopenedherlipsyouheardbroadScotch，Icantellyou，ifyoueverheardityet！
Asitfellout，therewasamatterofsomeconsequenceindebateamongusthatevening。Itwasthis:whetherIshoulddowellornottotakealongjourneyonfootthenextmorning。
Nowthenextmorninghappenedtobethedaybeforemybirthday；andthepurposeofthejourneywastooffermyselfforasituationasgroomatagreathouseintheneighboringcountytoours。Theplacewasreportedaslikelytofallvacantinaboutthreeweeks’
time。Iwasaswellfittedtofillitasanyotherman。Intheprosperousdaysofourfamily，myfatherhadbeenmanagerofatrainingstable，andhehadkeptmeemployedamongthehorsesfrommyboyhoodupward。Pleasetoexcusemytroublingyouwiththesesmallmatters。Theyallfitintomystoryfartheron，asyouwillsoonfindout。Mypoormotherwasdeadagainstmyleavinghomeonthemorrow。
“Youcanneverwalkallthewaythereandallthewaybackagainbyto-morrownight，“shesays。“Theendofitwillbethatyouwillsleepawayfromhomeonyourbirthday。Youhaveneverdonethatyet，Francis，sinceyourfather’sdeath，Idon’tlikeyourdoingitnow。Waitadaylonger，myson——onlyoneday。“
Formyownpart，Iwaswearyofbeingidle，andIcouldn’tabidethenotionofdelay。Evenonedaymightmakeallthedifference。
Someothermanmighttaketimebytheforelock，andgettheplace。
“ConsiderhowlongIhavebeenoutofwork，“Isays，“anddon’taskmetoputoffthejourney。Iwon’tfailyou，mother。I’llgetbackbyto-morrownight，ifIhavetopaymylastsixpenceforaliftinacart。“
Mymothershookherhead。“Idon’tlikeit，Francis——Idon’tlikeit！“Therewasnomovingherfromthatview。Wearguedandargued，untilwewerebothatadeadlock。Itendedinouragreeingtoreferthedifferencebetweenustomymother’ssister，Mrs。
Chance。
Whileweweretryinghardtoconvinceeachother，myauntChancesatasdumbasafish，stirringherteaandthinkingherownthoughts。Whenwemadeourappealtoher，sheseemedasitweretowakeup。“Yebaithreferittomypuirjudgment？“shesays，inherbroadScotch。WebothansweredYes。UponthatmyauntChancefirstclearedthetea-table，andthenpulledoutfromthepocketofhergownapackofcards。
Don’trunaway，ifyouplease，withthenotionthatthiswasdonelightly，withaviewtoamusemymotherandme。MyauntChanceseriouslybelievedthatshecouldlookintothefuturebytellingfortunesonthecards。Shedidnothingherselfwithoutfirstconsultingthecards。Shecouldgivenomoreseriousproofofherinterestinmywelfarethantheproofwhichshewasofferingnow。
Idon’tsayitprofanely；Ionlymentionthefact——thecardshad，insomeincomprehensibleway，gotthemselvesjumbleduptogetherwithherreligiousconvictions。Youmeetwithpeoplenowadayswhobelieveinspiritsworkingbywayoftablesandchairs。OnthesameprincipleifthereISanyprincipleinitmyauntChancebelievedinProvidenceworkingbywayofthecards。
“WhetherYOUareright，Francie，oryourmither——whetheryewilldoweelorill，themorrow，togoorstay——thecairdswilltellit。
Wearea’inthehandsofProavidence。Thecairdswilltellit。“
Hearingthis，mymotherturnedherheadaside，withsomethingofasourlookinherface。Hersister’snotionsaboutthecardswerelittlebetterthanflatblasphemytohermind。Butshekeptheropiniontoherself。MyauntChance，toownthetruth，hadinherited，throughherlatehusband，apensionofthirtypoundsayear。Thiswasanimportantcontributiontoourhousekeeping，andwepoorrelationswereboundtotreatherwithacertainrespect。
Asformyself，ifmypoorfatherneverdidanythingelseformebeforehefellintodifficulties，hegavemeagoodeducation，andraisedmethankGodabovesuperstitionsofallsorts。However，averylittleamusedmeinthosedays；andIwaitedtohavemyfortunetold，aspatientlyasifIbelievedinittoo！
Myauntbeganherhocuspocusbythrowingoutallthecardsinthepackunderseven。Sheshuffledtherestwithherlefthandforluck；andthenshegavethemtometocut。“Wi’yerlefthand，Francie。Mindthat！PetyourtrustinProavidence——butdinnaforgetthatyourluck’sinyerlefthand！“Alongandroundaboutshiftingofthecardsfollowed，reducingtheminnumberuntiltherewerejustfifteenofthemleft，laidoutneatlybeforemyauntinahalfcircle。Thecardwhichhappenedtolieoutermost，attheright-handendofthecircle，was，accordingtoruleinsuchcases，thecardchosentorepresentMe。Bywayofbeingappropriatetomysituationasapoorgroomoutofemployment，thecardwas——theKingofDiamonds。
“Itak’uptheKingo’Diamants，“saysmyaunt。“Icountsevencairdsfra’richttoleft；andIhumblyaskablessingonwhatfollows。“Myauntshuthereyesasifshewassayinggracebeforemeat，andhelduptometheseventhcard。Icalledtheseventhcard——theQueenofSpades。Myauntopenedhereyesagaininahurry，andcastaslylookmyway。“TheQueeno’Spadesmeansadairkwoman。Ye’llbethinkinginsecret，Francie，ofadairkwoman？“
Whenamanhasbeenoutofworkformorethanthreemonths，hismindisn’ttroubledmuchwiththinkingofwomen——lightordark。I
wasthinkingofthegroom’splaceatthegreathouse，andItriedtosayso。MyauntChancewouldn’tlisten。Shetreatedmyinterpretationwithcontempt。“Hoot-toot！there’sthecairdinyourhand！Ifye’renothinkingofhertheday，ye’llbethinkingofherthemorrow。Where’stheharmofthinkingofadairkwoman！