“I don’t know,” was the reply; “but she sent her name, and bade me say she had told your fortune.”
An indistinct recollection seemed to cross his mind, but he only said, “I will go,” and was accordingly conducted into her presence.
She recalled their former meeting, inquired as to the veracity of what she had then said, and ended by telling him there was a very good clairvoyant, Madame Maine, with her at that time, and, if he liked, she would put her to sleep and have him examined.
He was at the time suffering from a recent attack of the Asiatic cholera, which was accurately described by Madame M., even to the time and place of his sickness, for which she wrote a prescription, which he took in all faith.
She then went on to tell what he was to do for the future. “You will dig for a pirate’s money,” she said, “and you will find”—here she hesitated.
“A bugbear,” he said, laughing.
“The pirate, himself, sir,” she added, “or, rather what there is left of what was once a pirate, and a treasure with him.”
“That is encouraging,” he said, concealing his unbelief “Can you tell me where this money lies that I am to dig for?”
“It is somewhere by the sea-side, I think,” she answered; “less than twenty miles from Boston.”
Well, he left with his confidence in mesmerism so much lessened that he never used his prescription. A short time after that he met two or three young men conversing upon that subject. They had heard something of Mr. M.’s experience, and wanted to hear more.