On the following morning the whole town of Rathfillan was in a state of
excitement by the rumor that a conjurer had arrived, for the purpose not
only of telling all their future fates and fortunes, but of discovering
all those who had been guilty of theft, and the places where the stolen
property was to be found. This may seem a bold stroke; but when we
consider the materials upon which the sagacious conjurer had to work, we
need not feel surprised at his frequent success.
The conjurer in question had taken up his residence in the best inn
which the little town of Rathfillan afforded. Immediately after his
arrival he engaged the beadle, with bell in hand, to proclaim his
presence in the town, and the purport of his visit to that part of the
country. This was done through the medium of printed handbills, which
that officer read and distributed through the crowds who attended him.
The bill in question was as follows:
"To the inhabitants of Rathfillan and the adjacent neighborhood, the
following important communications are made:--
"Her Zander Vanderpluckem, the celebrated German conjurer, astrologist,
and doctor, who has had the honor of predicting the deaths of three
kings, five queens, twenty-one princesses, and seven princes, all of
royal blood, and in the best possible state of health at the time the
predictions were made, and to all of whom he had himself the honor
of being medical attendant and state physician, begs to announce his
arrival in this town.
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