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Iwasanceadairkwomanmyself，beforemyhairwasgray。Haudyerpeace，Francie，andwatchthecairds。“
IwatchedthecardsasIwastold。Thereweresevenleftonthetable。Myauntremovedtwofromoneendoftherowandtwofromtheother，anddesiredmetocallthetwooutermostofthethreecardsnowleftonthetable。IcalledtheAceofClubsandtheTenofDiamonds。MyauntChanceliftedhereyestotheceilingwithalookofdevoutgratitudewhichsorelytriedmymother’spatience。
TheAceofClubsandtheTenofDiamonds，takentogether，signified——first，goodnews(evidentlythenewsofthegroom’splace)；secondly，ajourneythatlaybeforeme(pointingplainlytomyjourneyto-morrow！)；thirdlyandlastly，asumofmoney(probablythegroom’swages！)waitingtofinditswayintomypockets。Havingtoldmyfortuneintheseencouragingterms，myauntdeclinedtocarrytheexperimentanyfurther。“Eh，lad！it’sacleantemptingo’Proavidencetoaskmairo’thecairdsthanthecairdshavetauldusnoo。Gaeyerwaysto-morrowtothegreathoose。Adairkwomanwillmeetyeatthegate；andshe’llhaveahandingettingyethegroom’splace，wi’a’thegratificationsandpairquisitesappertainingtothesame。And，mebbe，whenyerpoaket’sfullo’money，ye’llno’beforgettingyerauntChance，maintainingherainunblemishedwidowhood——wi’Proavidenceassisting——onthrattypundsayear！“
IpromisedtoremembermyauntChance(whohadthedefect，bytheway，ofbeingaterriblygreedypersonaftermoney)onthenexthappyoccasionwhenmypooremptypocketsweretobefilledatlast。Thisdone，Ilookedatmymother。Shehadagreedtotakehersisterforumpirebetweenus，andhersisterhadgivenitinmyfavor。Sheraisednomoreobjections。Silently，shegotonherfeet，andkissedme，andsighedbitterly——andsolefttheroom。MyauntChanceshookherhead。“Idoubt，Francie，yerpuirmitherhasbutaheathennotionofthevairtueofthecairds！“
BydaylightthenextmorningIsetforthonmyjourney。IlookedbackatthecottageasIopenedthegardengate。Atonewindowwasmymother，withherhandkerchieftohereyes。AttheotherstoodmyauntChance，holdinguptheQueenofSpadesbywayofencouragingmeatstarting。Iwavedmyhandstobothofthemintokenoffarewell，andsteppedoutbrisklyintotheroad。ItwasthenthelastdayofFebruary。Bepleasedtoremember，inconnectionwiththis，thatthefirstofMarchwastheday，andtwoo’clockinthemorningthehourofmybirth。
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NowyouknowhowIcametoleavehome。Thenextthingtotellis，whathappenedonthejourney。
Ireachedthegreathouseinreasonablygoodtimeconsideringthedistance。Attheveryfirsttrialofit，theprophecyofthecardsturnedouttobewrong。Thepersonwhometmeatthelodgegatewasnotadarkwoman——infact，notawomanatall——butaboy。Hedirectedmeonthewaytotheservants’offices；andthereagainthecardswereallwrong。Iencountered，notonewoman，butthree——
andnotoneofthethreewasdark。IhavestatedthatIamnotsuperstitious，andIhavetoldthetruth。ButImustownthatI
didfeelacertainflutteringattheheartwhenImademybowtothesteward，andtoldhimwhatbusinesshadbroughtmetothehouse。HisanswercompletedthediscomfitureofauntChance’sfortune-telling。Myill-luckstillpursuedme。Thatverymorninganothermanhadappliedforthegroom’splace，andhadgotit。
IswallowedmydisappointmentaswellasIcould，andthankedthesteward，andwenttotheinninthevillagetogettherestandfoodwhichIsorelyneededbythistime。
BeforestartingonmyhomewardwalkImadesomeinquiriesattheinn，andascertainedthatImightsaveafewmiles，onmyreturn，byfollowinganewroad。Furnishedwithfullinstructions，severaltimesrepeated，astothevariousturningsIwastotake，Isetforth，andwalkedontilltheeveningwithonlyonestoppageforbreadandcheese。Justasitwasgettingtowarddark，theraincameonandthewindbegantorise；andIfoundmyself，tomakemattersworse，inapartofthecountrywithwhichIwasentirelyunacquainted，thoughIguessedmyselftobesomefifteenmilesfromhome。ThefirsthouseIfoundtoinquireat，wasalonelyroadsideinn，standingontheoutskirtsofathickwood。Solitaryastheplacelooked，itwaswelcometoalostmanwhowasalsohungry，thirsty，footsore，andwet。Thelandlordwascivilandrespectable-looking；andthepriceheaskedforabedwasreasonableenough。Iwasgrievedtodisappointmymother。Buttherewasnoconveyancetobehad，andIcou
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