and I found myself
walking into a tall hedge. I felt my way round this until I came to a
small gate, and opening it cautiously, walked, not without some little
nervousness, up a long path which led to the door. There was no light and
no sound from within. Half repenting of my temerity I shortened my stick
and knocked lightly upon the door.

"I waited a couple of minutes and then knocked again, and my stick was
still beating the door when it opened suddenly and a tall bony old woman,
holding a candle, confronted me.

"'What do you want?' she demanded gruffly.

"'I've lost my way,' I said, civilly; 'I want to get to Ashville.'

"'Don't know it,' said the old woman.

"She was about to close the door when a man emerged from a room at the
side of the hall and came toward us. An old man of great height and
breadth of shoulder.

"'Ashville is fifteen miles distant,' he said slowly.

"'If you will direct me to the nearest village, I shall be grateful,' I
remarked.

"He made no reply, but exchanged a quick, furtive glance with the woman.
She made a gesture of dissent.

"'The nearest place is three miles off,' he said, turning to me and
apparently trying to soften a naturally harsh voice; 'if you will give me
the pleasure of your company, I will make you as comfortable as I can.'

"I hesitated. They were certainly a queer-looking couple, and the gloomy
hall with the shadows thrown by the candle looked hardly more inviting
than the darkness outside.

"'You are very kind,' I murmured, irresolutely, 'but--'

"'Come in,' he said quickly; 'shut the door, Anne.'

"Almost before I knew it I was standing inside and the old woman,
muttering to herself, had closed the door behind me. With a queer
sensation of being trapped I followed my host into the room, and taking
the proffered chair warmed my frozen fingers at the fire.

"'Dinner will soon be ready,' said the old man, regarding me closely. 'If
you will excuse me.'

"I bowed and he left the room. A minute afterward I heard voices; his
and the old woman's, and, I fancied, a third. Before I had finished my
inspection of the room he returned, and regarded me with the same strange
look I had noticed before.

"'There will be three of us at dinner,' he said, at length. 'We two and
my son.'

"I bowed again, and secretly hoped that that look didn't run in the
family.

"'I suppose you don't mind dining in the dark,' he said, abruptly.

"'Not at all,' I replied, hid