If Kainie robbed her of Mark, might not she retaliate and take from her the inheritance of Drownlands? If she were struck, might she not strike back? Did Kainie need lands and houses? As Mark's wife, she would be rich without her uncle's estate added to Crumbland, whereas she—Zita—had not a particle of soil on which to set her foot and say it was her own. Had not the master of Prickwillow a right to do what he would with his own? Kainie had done nothing for him, and she—Zita—was devoting her life to his service. As she looked out of the window, musing on these things, she saw that the light on the horizon had faded, or that the great curtain of cloud had set over it and had obscured it. Something, where she believed that the embankment ran, now attracted, without greatly engaging, her attention. A minute flash of light travelled a little distance, and was then extinguished. Presently another wavering speck appeared, and then again all was dark. 'The Jack o' Lanterns are about,' said Zita. Her thoughts recurred to her troubles. A recoil of better feeling set in and washed over her heart. 'No,' said she, 'I could not have borne it. It would have killed me to have Mark believe that I was sold body and soul. Let him take Kainie, and with Kainie let him have Prickwillow when it falls;—but let him not think ill of me.' She started up. She replaced the will in her bosom. 'I will go to Red Wings,' she said. 'He is there with Kainie. He said he would take her away this night. I will go and tell him all. I will show him what I have here;' she touched her bosom where lay the will. 'When he has heard my story and has seen that, he will think better of me.' She descended the staircase. At the foot she found the master. 'There are Jack o' Lanterns in the fens,' she said. 'Folks say that they have seen them,' he replied. 'I never have. They were plentiful before so much marsh was reclaimed.' 'I have seen them,' said Zita. 'Pshaw!' laughed he. 'There are no Jack of Lanterns in winter. Whither are you going?' 'On the embankment; perhaps on the ice. I wish to be alone.' She drew a shawl over her head and opened the door. Drownlands followed her to the doorstep. At that moment he also for a moment saw a twinkle on the embankment. 'That is what you call Jack o' Lanterns,' said he. 'It is some ganger going home. Shall I attend you?' 'I desire to be alone.' Then Drownlands went within, and Zita walked on till she reached the highway that ran below the embankment. It was so dark there that she mounted the steep slope, so as to have the advantage of what little light still hung in the sky and was reflected by the frozen surface of the river.