"I became her friend, and we came to each other for advice. She has great faith—great faith," repeated Le Compte, with much emphasis on the expression, which seemed to please him, "in my clairvoyance powers. I give her much comfort. She gives me great confidence of her affairs, and shows me how rich Lyon makes her. I see her often—very often, at the Hall and here in my apartments. She gives me much confidence of her affairs still, and I am informed when she makes Canada some visits. She goes much to Canada, and I ask her why? She does not tell me, but laughs in my face, and shows me much money, which she ever brings back. I shake my finger at her so (illustrating), and say to her: 'You cannot hide from Le Compte,' which she answers: 'No, I will not. I go for money. See!'—when she would shake many bills in my face—'I make him come down, too!'"
"Did she give you the man's name?"
"I got it," continued Le Compte proudly, "with much wine—and clairvoyance!"
"Oh, confound your eternal clairvoyance!" said I. "I want the facts."
"But I got facts with clairvoyance," persisted the imperturbable Le Compte. "Little by little, patience by patience, at the end I got confession from her——"
"Which was?"——
"Which was," continued Le Compte, taking his time, "that Mrs. Winslow had got great power over a Toronto merchant with much wealth and great family, by name Devereaux."
"How long had she known him?"
"I know not that—five, four, three years, I will think."