"Citizen," said Mademoiselle Lenormand, "I employ different methods."
"Let us hear what they are," said the incroyable, thrusting his stomach forward, and slipping his thumbs into the armholes of his waistcoat and letting his cane dangle from the cord around his wrist.
"For example, I prophesy by the whites of eggs, the analysis of coffee grounds, spotted or algebraic cards, and I sometimes read the future by means of a cock."
"The last would suit me very well," said the young man. "But we should need a living cock, and a glassful of wheat; have you got them?"
"I have them," replied Mademoiselle Lenormand. "I also use catoptromancy at times."
"I am looking for a Venetian mirror; for, as nearly as I can remember," said the young man, "catoptromancy is performed with a Venetian mirror and a drop of water spilled upon it."
"Exactly, citizen. You seem to be well informed concerning my art."
"Bah!" said the young man. "Yes, yes; I take an occasional turn at the occult sciences."
"There is also chiromancy," observed Mademoiselle Lenormand.
"Ah! that is what I want. All the other practices are more or less diabolical, while chiromancy has never been censured by the Catholic Church, being a science founded upon principles drawn from Holy Writ and transcendental philosophy. As much cannot be said for hydromancy, you will concede, citizeness, which has to do with a ring thrown into water; nor of pyromancy, which consists of placing the victim in the midst of a fire; of geomancy, which is performed by tracing cabalistic signs upon the ground; of capnomancy, where poppy seeds are thrown on burning coals; of coscinomancy, in which the hatchet, the sieve and the tongs are employed; nor, finally, of anthropomancy, in which human victims are sacrificed."