went away. "Well, I wur oal alone, and so I thot and thot, and then I went to Logan Rock and tiched it wance, and I veeled a strange shivery feelin' and then I did it every night until the ninth night." "And what happened then, Deborah?" I asked. "I shan't tell 'ee that, my dear, but when I comed 'ome I seed Farmer Jory, and I looked top un, and I zed--well, never mind what I zed; but you knaw what happened." "But witchcraft is of the devil," I said. "Tes and tedn't," she said, mysteriously. "Who can charm as well as me, and the charms es oal bout goodness. Here, my dear, I'll tell 'ee some charms, and then you'll knaw ef they be good; but never tell a man, Maaster Roger, ef you do you'll break em. You knaw that Tommy Triscott's cheeld came to me t'other day with a scald, and I charmed un, and the charm is this:-- Then came three angels out of the east, One brought fire, and two brought frost; Out fire, and in frost In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost--Amen. "And is Tommy better?" "He had aise in three minutes; but he wur cured with a good name. I'll tell 'ee nother. You do knaw when you wur a cheeld you had a great thorn in ye arm through fallin' off a hedge, and you comed to me, and I charmed it and cured 'ee?" "Very well." "Well, I'll tell 'ee the charm:-- Christ was of a Virgin born, And He was prick'd by a thorn, And it did never throb nor swell, And I trust in Jesus this never will. Christ was crowned with thorns; The thorns did bleed but did not rot. No more shall thy finger, In the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I could not help a creepy feeling coming over me as she uttered the words. I remembered her charming the place where the thorn had been and rubbing some ointment over it, and I also remember how quickly I had ease. "So, my deer," she went on, "tedn't always a bad power that witches have." "Well," I said at length, "have you asked me to come in here in order that you might tell me this?" "Not all, my deer. I've wa'anted to show 'ee as ow I've got power, Maaster Roger, and that tedn't oal bad. And I want 'ee to harken to me so that you may not have the Trewinion's curse." "Can you stop it?" I asked. "I weth others can," she said. "But the curse of the Trewinion's will not come upon me," I said, "for I shall not do anything to incur it." "Wa'ant 'ee, but you will, Maaster Roger, and ef you doan't do as I tell 'ee you'll rue it to yer dyin' day. I see it comin', I see it comin'," and she lifted her skinny hand above her head. "I zee Maaster Roger beggard, I zee un starvin', I zee un mad wi' shame, I zee un ouseless, and omeless, I zee hes brother where he ought to be oal through Trewinion's curse." In spite of myself I felt the old woman to be speaking the truth. "But I will abide by everything written for my safety," I said. "You ca'ant, you ca'ant," she screamed. "Why?" I asked.