She took no notice of Bilk as he drew near tremblingly, and it was not until the old man had nudged her vehemently, and both had indulged in a long fit of coughing, that she at last growled, without even lifting her head-- "I see nothing unless for silver." It said a great deal for Bilk's quickness of apprehension that he at once guessed this vague observation to refer to the sixpence he had not yet offered.

He drew it out and handed it to the old woman, and was about to offer an apology at the same time, when the man put his hand to his mouth and snarled-- "Not a word." The old woman took the coin in her trembling hand, and bent her head over it in silence.

Bilk began to get uneasy.

The time was passing, and he would have to start back in a very few moments.

Could it be possible these gipsies, now they had his sixpence, were going to refuse to tell him the fortune for which he had longed and risked so much?
No! After a long pause the old woman lifted up her hand and said something in gibberish to her partner.