"A one-eyed woman and a one-eyed house," he answered darkly.
Then, before I could frame a question, he turned from me as
abruptly as he had come, and, mounting a sorry mare that stood
near, stumbled away through the ford.
It required little wit to see that the man was an astrologer, and
one whose predictions, if they had not profited his clients more
than himself, had been ominous indeed. I was inclined,
therefore, to make sport of him, knowing that the pretenders to
that art are to the true men as ten to one. But his words, and
particularly the fact that he had asked for nothing, had
impressed my followers differently; so that they talked of
nothing else while we ate, and could still be heard discussing
him in the saddle. The wildness of the road and the gloomy
aspect of the valley had doubtless some effect on their minds;
which a thunderstorm that shortly afterwards overtook us and
drenched us to the skin did not tend to lighten. I was glad to
see the roofs of Saury before us; though, on a nearer approach,
we found all the houses except the inn ruined and tenantless; and
even, that scorched and scarred, with the great gate that had
once closed its courtyard prostrate in the road before it.
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