“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！