"I doubt it not," he said; "the stars do not speak falsely."
"No, no."
"And so you may convince your friend that I say no more nor less than the truth."
"I can," said d.i.c.k, in a voice as solemn as that of the necromancer himself, "for I am a mesmerist, and I have here with me a clairvoyant of great power."
The conjurer started.
"Where?"
"Here."
He held out his hand to young Jack and led him forward.
Harkaway and Jefferson stared again.
"Hullo!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed old Jack; "what the deuce is madcap d.i.c.k up to now?"
"Can"t hazard a guess," said Jefferson.
"Mesmerism can not read the future as my art does," said the necromancer.
"It can," said d.i.c.k; "it corroborates all you have said. I"ll give you a proof of it before our friends here."
And then, before he could object, d.i.c.k made a mesmeric pa.s.s or two across young Jack"s face, and immediately it appeared to take effect.
Young Jack"s eyes were closed, and for a moment there played about his mouth a merry smile of mischief, and then he appeared to be in a state of coma.
Never was mesmerism effected with such little trouble.
"Now tell me," said d.i.c.k, with all the tricks of manner of the professional mesmerist, "tell me to what this person alludes?"
"He speaks of Mathias, the brigand chief."
"True," said d.i.c.k; "and will Mathias escape?"
"No."
"You hear," said d.i.c.k, turning towards the necromancer.
"I do."
"And therefore it is useless to try and effect the liberation of this Mathias?"
"Quite," returned young Jack. "The wizard here is trying all he can himself, but he will be discovered by the police and thrown into prison."
"Hah!" exclaimed d.i.c.k, "do you hear that?"
"I do," returned the necromancer, "but it is false."
"It is true," said d.i.c.k. "So beware."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "SPEAK," SAID d.i.c.k, MAKING MESMERIC Pa.s.sES ACROSS JACK"S FACE"--ADV. IN GREECE, VOL. II PAGE 64.]
"Ask him more," said the wizard, eagerly. "Ask him more."
"What shall I ask?" demanded d.i.c.k.
"Ask him--yet, mark me, I don"t believe a word of it--ask him, for curiosity, what follows."
"Follows what?"
"What he said last."
"You mean what follows being thrown into prison?" he said, deliberately.
"Yes."
"Do you hear?" said d.i.c.k.
"Yes, master," responded young Jack.
"Speak, then."
By this time Harkaway the elder and Jefferson began of course to see what they were driving at, and they became just as much interested as the wizard himself in what young Jack was going to say.
"What follows," said young Jack, "is too dreadful to look at."
"Speak," said d.i.c.k, with a furious pa.s.s across the lad"s face. "Speak, I command you. What follows?"
"I see the wizard hanging by the neck--there," and young Jack pointed straight before him.
The necromancer looked as unhappy as possible when he heard young Jack"s words.
"Do you know enough," asked d.i.c.k Harvey, "or would you learn more yet?"
The wizard essayed to smile, but it was a sickly attempt, and it died away in a ghastly manner.
"I can not believe a word of what you say, but still let him speak on."
d.i.c.k frowned.
"If you are a scoffer," he said, sternly, "my clairvoyant will not speak."
"I am no scoffer," returned the necromancer; "speak on."
"What would you know?"