obstinately unfavourable, and display ominous signs of forthcoming
sorrow. If you gloss over this fact completely, and predict a rapid
recovery from the illness, what becomes of your client's faith in the
power of foretelling the future? Certain it is that the symbols would be
right in their verdict, and you would be wrong.

It is usually easier to prophesy smooth things rather than unpleasant
facts, but to do this in the face of obvious contradictions will lead to
disaster in foretelling the future.

Divination by tea-leaves or cards has the candour to be frankly
disagreeable when necessary. This is one great argument in favour of its
unerring truthfulness. There is no means by which symbols may be coaxed
into proclaiming false statements.

The most practised clairvoyant may occasionally make mistakes in her
reading of the symbols, but no genuine seer should ever deliberately
give a wrong interpretation of them to please her consultant. The
business of the diviner is to give what she believes to be a correct and
unprejudiced translation of the symbols before her.

It is sometimes a vexed question as to what extent information of a
gloomy nature, which may appear in a divination, should be given to a
client. Some are in favour of withholding such matter altogether, whilst
others announce it frankly without modification. It seems impossible to
lay down any hard and fast rule. There are so many things to be taken
into account, and each case should be treated on its merits and
according to its peculiar circumstances. There are some who would fret
themselves ill at the least mention of coming misfortune, others would
be the better prepared to meet it by having been warned of its approach.