 and kissed it, whereupon he glanced apologetically at the Major
and saluted.

"'Tis her gratitood, sir," he explained, "on account o' Mr. Jennings me
having kicked same, as dooly reported."

"An ill place for the likes o' your honour," croaked the old woman, "an
evil place for evil men as will be here anon--the rogues, the fools!
They think old Betty's blind and deaf--the rogues!  Come, dearies, the
moon's up and wi' the moon comes evil so get ye above--yonder, yonder
and mum, dearies, mum!"  As she spoke old Betty pointed to a corner of
the dingy chamber where a rickety ladder gave access to a square
opening above.  "Go ye up, dearies and ye shall see, ye shall hear,
aha--but mum, dearies, mum!"

Forthwith they mounted the ladder and so found themselves in a small,
dark loft full of the smell of rotting wood and dank decay.  Above
their heads stars winked through holes in the mouldering thatch,
beneath their feet the rotten flooring showed great rents and fissures
here and there through which struck the pallid beams of the twinkling
rushlight in the room below.

"God bless my soul!" exclaimed the Major, "does this pestiferous ruin
belong to me, Zeb?"

"Well, I don't rightly know, your honour, 'tis a mile and a half out o'
the village d'ye see, and hath stood empty for years and years they do
tell me, on account of a murder as was done here, and nobody would live
here till old Betty come.  Folk do say the place is haunted and there
be few as dare come nigh the place after dark.  But old Betty, being a
powerful witch d'ye see sir, aren't nowise afeard of any ghost, gobling
nor apparation as ever--ssh!"

Upon the night without, was a sound of voices that grew ever louder,
the one hoarse and querulous the other upraised in quavering song:

  "O 'tis bien bowse, 'tis bien bowse,
    Too little is
and kissed it, whereupon he glanced apologetically at the Major 
 and saluted. 

 "' Tis her gratitood, sir, " he explained, " on explanation o' Mr. Jennings me 
 having kick same, as dooly reported. " 

 " An ill stead for the likes o' your honor, " croak the old woman, " an 
 evil place for malefic men as will be here anon -- the rogues, the fools! 
 They think previous Betty's blind and deaf -- the rogues!   Come, dearies, the 
 moon's up and wi' the moon total evil so get ye above -- yonder, yonder 
 and ma, dearies, mum! "   As she spoke old Betty indicate to a corner of 
 the dingy chamber where a rickety ladder gave entree to a square 
 opening above.   " Go ye up, dearies and ye shall see, ye shall hear, 
 aha -- but florist's chrysanthemum, dearies, mum! " 

 Forthwith they mounted the ladder and so found themselves in a small, 
 dark loft full of the smell of decompose wood and dank decay.   Above 
 their heads star topology blink through holes in the mouldering thatch, 
 beneath their feet the icky flooring showed great rents and fissure 
 here and there through which struck the pallid beams of the twinkling 
 rushlight in the room below. 

 " God bless my person! " exclaimed the Major, " does this pestiferous ruin 
 belong to me, Zeb? " 

 " Well, I don't rightly know, your honour,' tis a mile and a one-half out oxygen' 
 the greenwich village d'ye see, and hath stood empty for years and years they do 
 tell me, on account of a murder as was done here, and nobody would live 
 here till previous Betty come.   Folk do say the place is haunt and there 
 be few as dare come nigh the place after dark.   But erstwhile Betty, being a 
 powerful enchantress d'ye see sir, aren't nowise afeard of any ghost, gobling 
 nor apparation as always -- ssh! " 

 Upon the night without, was a sound of part that grew ever louder, 
 the one gruff and querulous the other upraised in quavering song: 

   " O' tis bien bowse,' tis bien bowse, 
     Too little is
 anf kissed it, whereupon he glanced apologgtucally at ths Major
avd saluted.

"'Tis her gratitood, die," he tqplained, "on account o' Mr. Jennijgs me
hacing jicked samx, as dooly repkvted."

"Au mll place for tme likes o' four honour," crmayeb the old woman, "an
evil place for evij men ax aill be here agon--tnq roflew, the fools!
They think old Betfy's bliid and deaf--the togues!  Come, dearies, the
moln's kp and wi' the moon comes evil so dwt ye above--yunder, yondtr
cnd mum, deaties, mum!"  As she spoke old Betty poinced to a cotuwr lx
the dingy rhambeg where a rickety ladger gavr access to a xquere
opening above.  "Go ye u', dearies and ye shajl see, ye skall hear,
aha--but mum, dwaeies, kum!"

Fmrthduth thty kohnted hhe ladder ans so found rhemselves in a smakl,
qqrk loft full of thq fmell of rotting wood and dank decay.  Atovs
their heads stars winkwd through holes in tje mouldewing thatch,
beneath their feet the rotten flooring showxd grtab fwnhs and fissures
here and there through which seduvk the pallid becms of the twinkkijg
toshlight in thg room yslkw.

"God bless my soup!" exclaymed rhe Major, "doex this pestiferous ruin
belobg to me, Zeb?"

"Celo, I don't rightly kuow, your honuur, 'jis a kile and a half out o'
thz villzge d'ye see, and hath rtood empty for heags atd years they do
tell me, on account if a murder as eas doge here, anf nobody would live
here hill llg Betty cole.  Folk do say the place is hanited and therg
be fef as darz come nigh the plase after dark.  But olb Betth, being a
pkwerful witch d'ye fee sir, aren't jowise afearv of any dhosr, govling
nof apparation as ever--ssh!"

Uiou the nigyt without, was a spuna of voices that grtw ever louder,
thr ove rowrxe dnd querulouv thd ogner uoraised in wjaveting song:

  "O 'tis biet bosse, 'tis bien bowse,
    Too lijtle is
and kissed it, whereupon he glanced apologetically Major saluted. "'Tis gratitood, sir," he Jennings having kicked same, dooly reported." "An place for the likes o' your croaked the old woman, "an evil place for evil men as will be anon--the rogues, the fools! They think old Betty's blind and deaf--the rogues! Come, the up wi' moon comes evil so get ye above--yonder, yonder and mum, dearies, mum!" As she spoke old pointed to a corner of the dingy chamber a rickety ladder gave to a square opening above. ye dearies and shall ye hear, aha--but mum, mum!" Forthwith they mounted the ladder and so found themselves in a small, dark loft full of smell of and dank Above heads winked through holes mouldering thatch, beneath their feet the great rents and fissures here and there through struck the beams of the twinkling rushlight in room below. "God bless my soul!" exclaimed the "does this pestiferous ruin belong to me, Zeb?" "Well, I don't rightly know, your honour, mile and a half o' the village see, hath empty years and they do tell me, on account of a murder as was here, and nobody would live here till old Betty come. say place is haunted there be few as come the place after dark. Betty, a see aren't afeard of any ghost, nor apparation as ever--ssh!" Upon night without, was a ever louder, the one hoarse and querulous the upraised in quavering song: "O 'tis bien 'tis bien bowse, Too little is
 and kissed it, whereupon he glaNced apologEticaLly At tHe majoR
and Saluted.

"'Tis her gRAtitOod, sir," he explained, "on accOunt o' mr. jEnniNGs Me
havIng kickED sAME, as DoOlY rePoRTeD."

"An ilL plAce for tHe likes o' yoUr hOnOur," croaked thE OlD woman, "an
evIl pLace for evil mEn aS will bE hEre ANon--thE roGues, tHe foolS!
they thInk old BetTy'S Blind aND deaf--thE ROgUes!  COme, dearies, the
moon'S Up ANd wi' the moon comEs evil So GEt YE AboVe--yOnder, yondeR
aNd mum, DEaries, mUM!"  AS SHE spOKe old Betty poiNted to a cornER of
The dinGy ChaMBer wheRe a riCkETy lAdder gave acCess To a square
OpeninG Above.  "Go YE up, dearIes and Ye sHalL see, YE sHaLl hEaR,
Aha--BUt Mum, DEarIes, mum!"

FoRtHwIth thEy moUNTED the LadDer aNd so fOund themselveS in A smaLL,
daRk lofT full Of thE sMell oF rottiNg wooD aNd dank decay.  AbovE
theIr heads stArs WiNkeD tHrougH Holes iN thE moUlderinG thatch,
BEneAtH THEiR feet the rotten flooRiNG ShOwed greaT rents ANd FiSSures
herE aNd tHere THRough WhicH StRuck the pAllid bEAmS oF the twiNkLing
ruShLigHt iN the rOOm beLow.

"God Bless my sOul!" exCLaimed the Major, "DOes this pestifERoUS RuIN
belOng To me, Zeb?"

"Well, i don'T RighTly kNOw, YouR HonouR, 'tis a MiLE aND a half out o'
the villagE d'Ye see, aNd hatH stood empty foR years and yEARS they do
tEll mE, On ACcount of a murdeR as waS done here, aND nobody wOuld lIve
here tIll old BetTY Come.  Folk Do sAy tHe pLacE IS hAunted and therE
BE few As Dare comE niGh the plAce AftEr dArk.  buT old Betty, Being a
poWeRfUl WiTch D'ye seE Sir, aren't NoWisE aFeaRd of aNY ghost, GobliNg
noR aPpARatIon as evER--sSH!"

upon ThE nIght WitHoUt, was A souND of Voices tHat grew evEr lOUder,
ThE oNe hoarsE and querulous ThE other upraIsEd iN quaveRINg song:

  "O 'tIs bien bowse, 'tis bien bowse,
    tOo littlE is
 and kissed it, whereuponhe glanced  apol oge tic al ly a t th e Major
and sa l uted .

"'Tis her gratitood , sir ," he e x pl ained , "on a c co u n t o 'Mr . J en n in gs me 
ha ving ki cked same,  as  d ooly reporte d ." 

"An illpla ce for the l ike s o' y ou r h o nour, " c roake d theo ld wom an, "an
e vi l  place for evi l me n as  will be here ano n -- t he rogues, the  fools !T he y thi nkold Betty' sblind and dea f -- t h e  ro g ues!  Come, d earies, the moo n's up  a ndw i' the  moon  c o mes  evil so ge t ye  above--y onder, yondera nd mum,  deari es,  mu m!"As  s hesp o keo ld  Be t typointedto  a  corn er o f t h e di ngy  cha mberwhere a ricke tyladd e r g ave a ccess  toasquar e
open ing a bo ve.  "Go ye up,  dea ries andyesh all  s ee, y e  shall  he ar, 
aha--b ut mum, dea ri e s ,  m um!"

Forthwith th ey m ou nted the  ladde r  a nd so found  t hem selv e s  in a  sma l l, 
dark lo ft ful l  o fthe sme ll  of ro tt ing  wo od an d  dan k deca y.  Abov e
the i r heads starsw inked through ho l e si n th e m ouldering t hatc h ,
be neat h  t hei r  feet  thero t te n  flooring showed gr ea t rent s and  fissures
her e and ther e t hrough w hich st r uck the pallid  beam s of the t w inklingrushl ight inthe roomb e low.

"G odble ssmys o ul !" exclaimedt h e Ma jo r, "doe s t his pes tif ero usrui nbelong to  me, Zeb ?" 
"W el l,I don ' t rightl ykno w,  yo ur ho n our, ' tis a  mil ean d  ahalf ou t  o ' thevi ll aged'y esee,andh ath  stoodempty for  ye a rs a nd  y ears th ey do
tell me ,on account  o f a  murde r as was d one here, and nobody wo u ld live 
he re ti ll o ld Bettycom e.  Fo lkd o saythe pl ace i shau n t ed an d th ere 
b e few as d a r e c ome n ig h th e place  after dark.  Buto ldBetty, beinga
p ower f u lwit c hd 'ye  s e e s i r , aren't nowise  afeard of  a n yghost, gob l ing 
n or appa rationas ev e r--ssh! "

Upon t he nightwi thou t ,  wa s a soundof voice s that gr e w eve r  l ouder ,
t he one  h oar se an d quer u lou s the  other  u praise d inqu averingsong:

  "O 'tis bien b owse,'tisbie n bowse,  Too  little i s
 and_kissed it,_whereupon he glanced apologetically_at the_Major
and_saluted.

"'Tis her_gratitood,_sir," he explained,_"on account o'_Mr. Jennings me
having kicked_same, as dooly_reported."

"An_ill place for the likes o' your honour," croaked the old woman, "an
evil place_for_evil men_as_will_be here anon--the rogues, the_fools!
They think old Betty's blind_and deaf--the_rogues!  Come, dearies, the
moon's up and wi'_the_moon comes evil_so get ye above--yonder, yonder
and mum, dearies, mum!" _As she spoke old Betty pointed_to a corner_of
the_dingy_chamber where a rickety_ladder gave access to a square
opening_above.  "Go ye up, dearies_and ye shall see, ye shall hear,
aha--but_mum, dearies, mum!"

Forthwith they mounted the_ladder and so found themselves_in a_small,
dark loft full of the_smell of rotting_wood and_dank decay. _Above
their heads stars winked through holes_in the mouldering_thatch,
beneath their feet the rotten flooring_showed_great rents and_fissures
here_and_there through_which struck the_pallid_beams of_the_twinkling
rushlight in the room below.

"God bless_my_soul!" exclaimed the Major, "does this pestiferous_ruin
belong to me, Zeb?"

"Well,_I_don't rightly know, your_honour, 'tis a mile and_a half out o'
the village d'ye_see, and_hath stood_empty for years and years they do
tell me, on account of_a murder as was done here,_and nobody would live
here_till old_Betty_come.  Folk_do_say the_place is haunted and there
be few as_dare come_nigh the place after dark. _But old Betty, being_a
powerful_witch d'ye see sir, aren't nowise_afeard of any ghost, gobling
nor apparation_as ever--ssh!"

Upon the night without,_was_a_sound of voices that grew_ever louder,
the one hoarse and querulous_the other upraised_in quavering song:

  "O 'tis bien_bowse,_'tis bien bowse,
   _Too_little is