The lady's excitement and giddy mien, however, accused Poltermore of a stage of success requiring to be combated immediately.

There was mention of Duchess Susan's mighty wish to pay a visit to the popular fortune-teller of the hut on the heath, and Mr.Beamish put his veto on the expedition.

She had obeyed him by abstaining from play of late, so he fully expected, that his interdict would be obeyed; and besides the fortune-teller was a rogue of a sham astrologer known to have foretold to certain tender ladies things they were only too desirous to imagine predestined by an extraordinary indication of the course of planets through the zodiac, thus causing them to sin by the example of celestial conjunctions--a piece of wanton impiety.

The beau took high ground in his objections to the adventure.
Nevertheless, Duchess Susan did go.

She drove to the heath at an early hour of the morning, attended by Chloe, Colonel Poltermore, and Caseldy.
They subsequently breakfasted at an inn where gipsy repasts were occasionally served to the fashion, and they were back at the wells as soon as the world was abroad.