’Where goest thou? Do’y see un, Hender? Do’y see un? He be like a black shadow with no sartain shape, stealing along, and now I sees a bit clear and then another bit. There be one fiery eye peer out, and now it be gone, and there shoots out another. Look in thicky corner, where he stands, and gapes and mows and tosses his arms. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom then shall I fear? See, Hender! he has his fingers in his mouth and is drawing out the corners, out—wide—wider—like gum elastic, the whole width o’ the room, and the fire comes out—it be the mouth of hell! Hender, Hender! see where he be writing on the wall, and the letters be letters of fire?’ Then she uttered a piercing shriek, and clasped her hands over her eyes, and buried her face in the black shawl. Hender Benoke followed his wife. ’Come, come back to bed, Genefer. What do the devil mean by walking o’ nights like this when it be freezing hard, and folks wants to be warm between the blankets? Come back, and if you must run arter ’un, run o’ a summer night, ondeacent though it be—in your smock.’ ’My boy! my John! O master, dear Master John! O the day, the day!’ ’Come back to bed; you’re frightening the young lady.’ ’Her! her! the Snow Maiden that’ll freeze the blood in the heart of un! Where be she? I cannot stay, it will be too late. I’ve a read the writing in fire. Let go, Hender; do not hold me back! I see the devil; he be making for the door, and I must after him, and smite him with the Lord’s word. Come on, you—you!’ She grasped Mirelle by the arm. ’It were you as brought the devil here to tempt us, and you must strive along of me to drive un, or he will carry the dear maister away.’ She made for the porch door, drawing Mirelle after her. Hender again interposed. ’Genny,’ he said, ’you cannot; you must not.’ ’Very well then—no!’ exclaimed the woman, letting go her hold of Mirelle. ’No, no, it be none o’ you can drive the devil, for you be an idolater, and idolaters has their portion in the lake that burneth wi’ fire for ever and ever. I must drive un with the Word of God. Run, Hender! bring me the great black Bible; quick, man. The devil be gone out at the porch door.’ She dashed to the window, tore aside the curtains, and cried: ’I see un, I see un on the snow, going like a puff o’ smoke, and at every step he takes the snow glints white as a flash of moon. Bring me my black Bible, that I may pursue un, and catch un up, and smite un atcross the horns, and fell un like an ox.’ Then she came into the midst of the room, and stood before Mirelle, and fixed her eyes sternly on her.