the country round under the moon, and it looks so different, seemingly, to what it do in the daytime. Why, all them barrows on the down----” And then Mr Davis cut in, seeming to be out of temper with the lad, and said, “Ah yes, they’re old-fashioned places, ain’t they, sir? Now, what would you think was the purpose of them?” And my father said (now, dear me, it seems funny doesn’t it, that I should recollect all this: but it took my fancy at the time, and though it’s dull perhaps for you, I can’t help finishing it out now), well, he said, “Why, I’ve heard, Mr Davis, that they’re all graves, and I know, when I’ve had occasion to plough up one, there’s always been some old bones and pots turned up. But whose graves they are, I don’t know: people say the ancient Romans were all about this country at one time, but whether they buried their people like that I can’t tell.” And Mr Davis shook his head, thinking, and said, “Ah, to be sure: well they look to me to be older-like than the ancient Romans, and dressed different--that’s to say, according to the pictures the Romans was in armour, and you didn’t never find no armour, did you, sir, by what you said?” And my father was rather surprised and said, “I don’t know that I mentioned anything about armour, but it’s true I don’t remember to have found any. But you talk as if you’d seen ’em, Mr Davis,” and they both of them laughed, Mr Davis and the young man, and Mr Davis said, “Seen ’em, sir? that would be a difficult matter after all these years. Not but what I should like well enough to know more about them old times and people, and what they worshipped and all.” And my father said, “Worshipped? Well, I dare say they worshipped the old man on the hill.” “Ah, indeed!” Mr Davis said, “well, I shouldn’t wonder,” and my father went on and told them what he’d heard and read about the heathens and their sacrifices: what you’ll learn some day for yourself, Charles, when you go to school and begin your Latin. And they seemed to be very much interested, both of them; but my father said he couldn’t help thinking the most of what he was saying was no news to them. That was the only time he ever had much talk with Mr Davis, and it stuck in his mind, particularly, he said, the young man’s word about _not wanting for company_: because in those days there was a lot of talk in the villages round about--why, but for my father interfering, the people here would have ducked an old lady for a witch. _Charles_: What does that mean, granny, ducked an old lady for a witch? Are there witches here now?