“The curl is the wrong way,” said Martha, gravely, “it's a figure 3; so, I have three of them, have I?”
“And mine,” Sally continued, “is a W!”
“Yes, if you look at it upside down. The inside of the peel is uppermost: you must turn it, and then it will be an M.”
Sally snatched it up in affected vexation, and threw it into the fire. “Oh, I know a new way!” she cried; “did you ever try it, Martha—with the key and the Bible!”
“Old as the hills, but awful sure,” remarked Miss Lavender. “When it's done serious, it's never been known to fail.”
Sally took the house-key, and brought from the old walnut cabinet a plump octavo Bible, which she opened at the Song of Solomon, eighth chapter and sixth verse. The end of the key being carefully placed therein, the halves of the book were bound together with cords, so that it could be carried by the key-handle. Then Sally and Martha, sitting face to face, placed each the end of the fore finger of the right hand under the half the ring of the key nearest to her.
“Now, Martha,” said Sally, “we'll try your fortune first. Say 'A,' and then repeat the verse: 'set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.'”
Martha did as she was bidden, but the book hung motionless. She was thereupon directed to say B, and repeat the verse; and so on, letter by letter. The slender fingers trembled a little with the growing weight of the book, and, although Sally protested that she was holding as still “as she knew how,” the trembling increased, and before the verse which followed G had been finished, the ring of the key slowly turned, and the volume fell to the floor.
Martha picked it up with a quiet smile.
“It is easy to see who was in your mind, Sally,” she said. “Now let me tell your fortune: we will begin at L—it will save time.”