suitors and her thoughts about them, and tried
to look unconcerned at each name as it came out.

"Well, well," said Lucy, who took nothing by her move, simply because
there was nothing to take; "think over it--think over it, my dear life;
and if you did set your mind on any one--why, then--then maybe I might
help you to a sight of him."

"A sight of him?"

"His sperrit, dear life, his sperrit only, I mane. I 'udn't have no
keeping company in my house, no, not for gowld untowld, I 'udn't; but
the sperrit of mun--to see whether mun would be true or not, you'd like
to know that, now, 'udn't you, my darling?"

Rose sighed, and stirred the ashes about vehemently.

"I must first know who it is to be. If you could show me that--now--"

"Oh, I can show ye that, tu, I can. Ben there's a way to 't, a sure way;
but 'tis mortal cold for the time o' year, you zee."

"But what is it, then?" said Rose, who had in her heart been longing for
something of that very kind, and had half made up her mind to ask for a
charm.

"Why, you'm not afraid to goo into the say by night for a minute, are
you? And to-morrow night would serve, too; 't will be just low tide to
midnight."

"If you would come with me perhaps--"

"I'll come, I'll come, and stand within call, to be sure. Only do ye
mind this, dear soul alive, not to goo telling a crumb about mun, noo,
not for the world, or yu'll see naught at all, indeed, now. And beside,
there's a noxious business grow'd up against me up to Chapel there; and
I hear tell how Mr. Leigh saith I shall to Exeter gaol for a witch--did
ye ever hear the likes?--because his groom Jan saith I overlooked
mun--the Papist dog! And now never he nor th' owld Father Francis goo by
me without a spetting, and saying of their Ayes and Malificas--I do
know what their Rooman Latin do mane, zo well as ever they, I du!--and a
making o' their charms and incantations to their saints and idols! They
be mortal feared of witches, they Papists, and mortal hard on 'em, even
on a pure body like me, that doth a bit in the white way; 'case why you
see, dear life," said she, with one of her humorous twinkles, "tu to a
trade do never agree. Do ye try my bit of a charm, now; do ye!"

Rose could not resist the temptation; and between them both the charm
was agreed on, and the next night was fixed for its trial, on the
payment of certain current coins of the realm (for Lucy, of course,
must live by her trade); and slipping a tester