ace, who
was in the full rays of the moon.

He watched her without speaking, and unperceived by any but Marty and
Grammer, who had drawn up on the dark side of the same holly which
sheltered Mrs. and Miss Melbury on its bright side. The two former
conversed in low tones.

"If they two come up in Wood next Midsummer Night they'll come as one,"
said Grammer, signifying Fitzpiers and Grace. "Instead of my
skellington he'll carry home her living carcass before long. But though
she's a lady in herself, and worthy of any such as he, it do seem to me
that he ought to marry somebody more of the sort of Mrs. Charmond, and
that Miss Grace should make the best of Winterborne."

Marty returned no comment; and at that minute the girls, some of whom
were from Great Hintock, were seen advancing to work the incantation,
it being now about midnight.

"Directly we see anything we'll run home as fast as we can," said one,
whose courage had begun to fail her. To this the rest assented, not
knowing that a dozen neighbors lurked in the bushes around.

"I wish we had not thought of trying this," said another, "but had
contented ourselves with the hole-digging to-morrow at twelve, and
hearing our husbands' trades. It is too much like having dealings with
the Evil One to try to raise their forms."

However, they had gone too far to recede, and slowly began to march
forward in a skirmishing line through the trees towards the deeper
recesses of the wood. As far as the listeners could gather, the
particular form of black-art to be practised on this occasion was one
connected with the sowing of hemp-seed, a handful of which was carried
by each girl. At the moment of their advance they looked back, and
discerned the figure of Miss Melbury, who, alone of all the observers,
stood in the full face of the moonlight, deeply engrossed in the
proceedings. By contrast with her life of late years they made her
feel as if she had receded a couple of centuries in the world's
history. She was rendered doubly conspicuous by her light dress, and
after a few whispered words, one of the girls--a bouncing maiden,
plighted to young Timothy Tangs--asked her if she would join in.
Grace, with some excitement, said that she would, and moved on a little
in the rear of the rest.

Soon the listeners could hear nothing of their proceedings beyond the
faintest occasional rustle of leaves. Grammer whispered again to
Marty: "Why didn't ye go and try your luck