‘No,’ she answered with quiet resolution, shaking her head.
‘Why won’t you? Very well, some other time.... Somehow I believe you will tell me the truth.’
‘No. I will not. I won’t do it for anything.’
‘Oh, that’s not right, Olyessia. For first acquaintance’ sake you can’t refuse.... Why don’t you want to?’
‘Because I’ve put out the cards for you already. It’s wrong to do it twice.’
‘Wrong? But why? I don’t understand it.’
‘No, no, it’s wrong, wrong,’ she began to whisper with superstitious dread. ‘It’s forbidden to ask twice of Fate. It’s not right. Fate will discover, overhear.... She does not like to be asked. That’s why all fortune-tellers are unhappy.’
I wanted to make a jesting reply to Olyessia; but I could not. There was too much sincere conviction in her words; and when she turned her head to the door in a strange fear as she uttered the word Fate, in spite of myself I turned with her.
‘Well, if you won’t want to tell me my fortune now, tell me what the cards have told you already,’ I begged.
Olyessia suddenly gave a turn to the spinning-wheel, and with her hand touched mine.