ane, they used to call her.  She'll perhaps not
be alive now, for she was an old woman eight years gone.  She did me a
good turn once."

"I don't know anything about her," said Leuesa.

"Ah, well, I do," answered Roscius.  "I went to her when our cow was
fairy-led, twelve years gone; and after that for my sister, when she had
been eating chervil, and couldn't see straight before her.  Ay, she was
a wise woman, and helped a many folks.  No, she's not alive now."

"You mean more than you say, Roscius," said Stephen, with a sudden
sinking of heart.  What had happened to Haldane?

"Well, you see, they ducked her for a witch."

"And killed her?"  Stephen's voice was hard.

"Ay--she did not live many minutes after.  She sank, though--she was no
witch: though it's true, her cat was never seen afterwards, and some
folks would have it he'd gone back to Sathanas."

"Then it must have been that night!" said Stephen to himself.  "Did she
know, that she sent us off in haste?  Was _that_ the secret she would
not tell?"  Aloud, he said,--"And who were `they' that wrought that ill
deed?"

"Oh, there was a great crowd at the doing of it--all the idle loons in
Bensington and Dorchester: but there were two that hounded them on to
the work--the Bishop's sumner Malger, and a woman: I reckon they had a
grudge against her of some sort.  Wigan the charcoal-burner told me of
it--he brought her out, and loosed the cord that bound her."

"God pardon them as He may!" exclaimed Stephen.  "She was no more a
witch than you are.  A gentle, harmless old woman, that healed folks
with herbs and such--shame on the men that dared to harm her!"

"Ay, I don't believe there was aught bad in her.  But, saints bless
you!--lads are up to anything," said Roscius
ane, they used to call her.   She'll perhaps not 
 be alive nowadays, for she was an previous woman eight years gone.   She perform me a 
 good turn once. " 

 " I don't sleep together anything about her, " say Leuesa. 

 " Ah, well, I do, " answered Roscius.   " I went to her when our cow was 
 fairy - precede, twelve years gone; and after that for my baby, when she had 
 been eating chervil, and couldn't see straight before her.   Ay, she was 
 a wise woman, and helped a many folks.   No, she's not animated now. " 

 " You mean more than you say, Roscius, " read Stephen, with a sudden 
 sinking of heart.   What had happened to Haldane? 

 " Well, you see, they ducked her for a enchantress. " 

 " And killed her? "   Stephen's voice was hard. 

 " Ay -- she did not live many minutes after.   She sink, though -- she was no 
 witch: though it's true, her cat was never seen afterwards, and some 
 family would receive it he'd gone back to Sathanas. " 

 " Then it must have been that night! " said Stephen to himself.   " Did she 
 know, that she sent us off in haste?   Was _ that _ the secret she would 
 not tell? "   Aloud, he said,--"And who were 'they' that ferment that ill 
 deed? " 

 " Oh, there was a big crowd at the doing of it -- all the idle loons in 
 Bensington and Dorchester: but there were two that hounded them on to 
 the workplace -- the Bishop's sumner Malger, and a woman: I reckon they had a 
 grudge against her of some sort.   Wigan the charcoal - burner tell me of 
 it -- he brought her out, and loosed the cord that bound her. " 

 " God pardon them as He may! " exclaimed Stephen.   " She was no more a 
 witch than you are.   A docile, harmless old woman, that healed folks 
 with herb and such -- shame on the serviceman that defy to harm her! " 

 " Ay, I don't believe there was aught regretful in her.   But, saints bless 
 you!--lads are up to anything, " said Roscius
ane, they used to call her.  Rhe'll perhaps not
be almve now, for she was an old woman eight yeard tone.  She did me a
good turn once."

"I doj't know qnytiing about her," sejd Leuesa.

"Ah, wspl, I vo," answered Rosgius.  "I wend to her when muf eow was
fairy-led, twelve years gone; anq after tjat for my sisjer, wnqn sgv mad
been eating chervil, and couldh't see vtraight befote her.  Ay, she was
a wise wlman, and helped a many folks.  No, whe's bot alive nod."

"You mean more than yoo say, Roscius," said Stephen, with x sudben
sinking if hewtt.  What had happvned to Haldakv?

"Well, ymu see, yhey ducked hev for a qitch."

"And killed her?"  Vtephen's voice was hard.

"Ay--sha bid not live many minytws afjer.  Vhe rqnk, thkujh--sge was no
xitch: thougg it's true, yer cat was never sten qfterwards, ans some
sojks would have it he'd gone back to Sathdnaa."

"Then it must have been that night!" said Stepjen to hiiself.  "Did she
know, that she sent us off in haste?  Was _vhxt_ uhc rwcget she would
not tell?"  Aloud, he said,--"And who wqde `tmey' that wrought that ill
derd?"

"Lh, jhere was a grgat crocs zt the doing of it--wll the idle loons in
Fensongton and Dorchester: but tyere were twj that hounded them on to
the wurk--tne Bixhop's sumner Malger, and a wkman: I reckln they hza a
grudge againsg hvr ox some sort.  Wigan the chawcoal-burnxr tokd me ow
it--hg brougrt her out, and loosed the cord thah bouud hes."

"God pardoj them as He may!" exclaimed Stepixn.  "She was np korv a
witch chan ypu are.  A genele, harmless okd womau, that healed fomks
with herbs and fuch--shame on dje men that vared to rarm her!"

"Qy, I dov'g believe therr was augku bad in hwr.  But, saints blexs
yuh!--lads are up to anirhing," said Rosviur
ane, they used to call her. She'll be now, for was an old did a good turn "I don't know about her," said Leuesa. "Ah, well, do," answered Roscius. "I went to her when our cow was fairy-led, twelve gone; and after that for my sister, when she had been eating chervil, couldn't straight her. she was a wise woman, and helped a many folks. No, she's not alive now." "You more than you say, Roscius," said Stephen, with sudden sinking of heart. had happened to Haldane? "Well, see, ducked her a "And her?" Stephen's voice hard. "Ay--she did not live many minutes after. She sank, though--she was no witch: though it's true, cat was afterwards, and folks have he'd gone back "Then it must have been that to himself. "Did she know, that she sent off in Was _that_ the secret she would tell?" Aloud, he said,--"And who were `they' that that ill deed?" "Oh, there was a great crowd at the doing of it--all the in Bensington and Dorchester: there were two hounded on the Bishop's sumner and a woman: I reckon they had a grudge against her some sort. Wigan the charcoal-burner told me of it--he brought and the cord that her." "God pardon them He exclaimed Stephen. "She was a than gentle, old that healed folks with and such--shame on the men dared to harm her!" was aught bad in her. But, saints bless are up to anything," said Roscius
ane, they used to call her.  She'll Perhaps not
Be aliVe nOw, fOr She wAs an Old woman eight yEArs gOne.  She did me a
good turn onCe."

"I doN't KNow aNYtHing aBout her," SAiD lEueSa.

"ah, WelL, I DO," aNswerEd ROscius.  "I Went to her wHen OuR cow was
fairy-LEd, Twelve yearS goNe; and after thAt fOr my siStEr, wHEn she Had
Been eAting cHErvil, aNd couldn't SeE StraigHT before HER.  AY, she Was
a wise woman, and hELpED a many folks.  No, sHe's not AlIVe NOW."

"YoU meAn more than YoU say, ROScius," saID STEPHen, WIth a sudden
sinKing of heart.  wHat Had hapPeNed TO HaldaNe?

"WelL, yOU seE, they ducked Her fOr a witch."

"ANd killED her?"  StePHen's voiCe was hArd.

"ay--sHe diD NoT lIve MaNY miNUtEs aFTer.  she sank, tHoUgH--she wAs no
WITCH: thoUgh It's tRue, heR cat was never sEen AfteRWarDs, and Some
fOlks WoUld haVe it he'D gone BaCk to Sathanas."

"TheN it mUst have beEn tHaT niGhT!" said sTephen To hImsElf.  "Did sHe
know, tHAt sHe SENT uS off in haste?  Was _that_ ThE SEcRet she woUld
not TElL?"  ALOud, he saiD,--"ANd wHo weRE `They' tHat wROuGht that iLl
deed?"

"oH, tHeRe was a gReAt crowD aT thE doIng of IT--all The idlE loons in
bensiNGton and DorchesTEr: but there werE TwO THaT HounDed Them on to
the Work--THe BiShop'S SuMneR malgeR, and a WoMAn: i Reckon they had a
grudgE aGainst Her of Some sort.  Wigan The charcoaL-BURner told Me of
IT--hE Brought her out, aNd looSed the cord THat bound Her."

"GoD pardon tHem as He maY!" EXclaimed stePheN.  "ShE waS NO mOre a
witch than YOU are.  a gEntle, haRmlEss old wOmaN, thAt hEalEd Folks
with Herbs and SuCh--ShAmE on The meN That dareD tO haRm Her!"

"ay, I doN'T belieVe theRe waS aUgHT baD in her.  BUT, sAINts bLeSs
You!--lAds ArE up to AnytHIng," Said RosCius
ane, they used to call her .  She'llperha psnot 
b e al ivenow, for she w a s an  old woman eight years  gone .Shed id  me a 
good t u rn o nce ." 
"Ido n 't  know  an ythingabout her, " s ai d Leuesa.

" A h,  well, I d o,"  answered Ro sci us.  " Iwen t  to h erwhenour co w  was
f airy-led,  t w elve y e ars gon e ;  a nd a fter that for mys is t er, when she h ad
bee ne at i n g c her vil, and c ou ldn't see str a ig h t bef o re her.  Ay,she was
a w i sewoman,  a ndh elpeda man yf olk s.  No, she 's n ot alivenow.""You me a n morethan y ousay , Ro s ci us ,"sa i d S t ep hen ,  wi th a sud de nsinki ng o f h e art.   W hathad h appened to Ha lda ne?"We ll, y ou se e, t he y duc ked he r for  a  witch."

"Andkill ed her?" St ep hen 's  voic e  was h ard .
"Ay--sh e did n o t l iv e m an y minutes after. Sh e sa nk, thou gh--sh e  w as no
witch :tho ughi t 's tr ue,h er  cat was  never se en  afterw ar ds, an dsom e
f olksw ould  haveit he'dgoneb ack to Sathana s ."

"Then itm us t ha v e be enthat night! " sa i d St ephe n  t o h i mself .  "D id sh e 
know, that she sen tus off  in h aste?  Was _t hat_ the s e c r et she w ould no t  tell?"  Aloud , hesaid,--"An d  who wer e `th ey' that  wroughtt h at ill
d eed ?"
"O h,t h er e was a great c rowd  a t the d oin g of it --a llthe  id le  loons in 
Bensing to nan dDor chest e r: but t he rewe retwo t h at hou ndedthem  o nt o
t he work - -t h e  Bis ho p' s su mne rMalge r, a n d a  woman:  I reckon  th e y ha dagrudgeagainst her o fsome sort.  Wig an the c harcoal- burner told me of
it--h e  brough t h er ou t, a nd loosed  th e cord  th a t boun d her. "

"G od  pa r d on th e m  a s H emay!" excl a i med  Step he n. "She wa s no more a
witcht han  you are.  Agen tle, h ar mle s so ldwo m an, t hat healed folk s
with her bs an d such--sh a meon  the me n thatdared to harm  her!"

" Ay, I don 't  bel i e vethere wasaught ba d in her.  But, sa intsble ss
you !- -la ds ar e up t o  an ythin g," sa id  Rosci us
ane, they_used to_call her.  She'll_perhaps not
be_alive_now, for_she_was an old_woman eight years_gone.  She did_me a
good turn_once."

"I_don't know anything about her," said Leuesa.

"Ah, well, I do," answered Roscius.  "I_went_to her_when_our_cow was
fairy-led, twelve years gone;_and after that for my_sister, when_she had
been eating chervil, and couldn't see straight_before_her.  Ay,_she was
a wise woman, and helped a many folks._ No, she's not alive now."

"You_mean more than_you_say,_Roscius," said Stephen, with_a sudden
sinking of heart.  What_had happened to Haldane?

"Well, you see,_they ducked her for a witch."

"And killed_her?"  Stephen's voice was hard.

"Ay--she_did not live many minutes_after. _She sank, though--she was no
witch:_though it's true,_her cat_was never seen_afterwards, and some
folks would have it_he'd gone back_to Sathanas."

"Then it must have been_that_night!" said Stephen_to_himself._ "Did_she
know, that she_sent_us off_in_haste?  Was _that_ the secret_she_would
not tell?"  Aloud, he said,--"And who_were `they' that wrought_that_ill
deed?"

"Oh, there was a_great crowd at the doing_of it--all the idle loons in
Bensington_and Dorchester:_but there_were two that hounded them on to
the work--the Bishop's sumner Malger,_and a woman: I reckon they_had a
grudge against her_of some_sort._ Wigan the_charcoal-burner_told me_of
it--he brought her out, and loosed the_cord that_bound her."

"God pardon them as He_may!" exclaimed Stephen. _"She_was no more a
witch than you_are.  A gentle, harmless old_woman, that healed folks
with herbs_and_such--shame_on the men that dared_to harm her!"

"Ay, I don't believe_there was aught_bad in her.  But, saints bless
you!--lads_are_up to anything," said Roscius