My mother's eyes fairly shone with joy as he said this, and then she too joined in the plea that Wilfred should be allowed to leave home so that his powers might have a fair chance of being tested. My father at length gave his consent, and Mr. Polperrow went away with the commission to procure for Wilfred an entrance into this ancient seat of learning. When we retired to rest I thought long over the events of the day. What was the meaning of this sudden desire to depart? Was there a league between the three who had advocated this step? Only a few days before Wilfred had been speaking of going to Oxford a year later. Why then this sudden resolution? I fell asleep, however, without solving the problem, and as during the next few days Wilfred wore a grieved expression and seldom spoke to any one but his mother and Ruth, I was still deeper in mystery. When we were all together, if he spoke to me, he spoke kindly, but when we were alone he betrayed a hatred for me that I could not understand. A month later my mother was in great sorrow. Wilfred had started for Oxford. CHAPTER VII THE WITCHES' CAVE As I look back over what I am now about to relate, my mind is strangely confused with the amount of reality and unreality that appeared. At one time I am inclined to think it all real, at another I am led to regard it as pure imagination, or as due to the credulity of a hot-brained youth. Be that as it may, however, I will try and set down what I remember as faithfully as I can. After Wilfred had gone things were very quiet. My mother seldom spoke to me, but kept Ruth by her side, until the two became, as it seemed to me, almost inseparable. Indeed, she took far more notice of Ruth than she did of her own daughters. As a consequence my sisters and I were often together, until the villagers came to say that Roger Trewinion wanted no sweethearts but his sisters. On the afternoon of a sultry autumn day, some time after Wilfred had gone to Oxford, I had to walk past Deborah Teague's cottage, and saw the old woman sitting on the doorstep quietly smoking. "Come ere, Maaster Roger," she said; "I've been waitin' for 'ee a bra long while." I looked at her in astonishment. "Iss' my dear, I knawed you was a comin', so I says I'll jist wait for Maaster Roger." "How did you know I was coming?" "Knaw!" she replied, "what doan't I knaw? But come in, I want to talk to 'ee." "What about?" "Somethin' you're interested in, my deer. Ther set down. Yer brother es gone away to college edn't a?" "Yes, he's gone." "Ah, ould Debrah ev for a long time bin thinkin' 'bout it, my dear." "About what?" "'Twas a hawful storm, Maaster Roger, wadn't it, then? People do say that ould women ca'ant do nothin', but, law, that storm wur big enough and bad enough!" "Do you mean to say that you caused the storm then?"