in Plymouth, and tell it at Pennington? Why should the
story be used as a reason why Naomi should marry Nick?

"It shall never be," I cried, gladly.

"We sh'll zee," grunted Betsey, "we sh'll zee this very minnit. Ould
Betsey 'll tell 'ee yer fortin, Jasper Penninton, and Eli sh'll git the
broth. Ther, Eli, my deear, taake out the brandis."

Now a brandis, as all Cornish folk know, is a three-legged stand made of
iron. It is generally placed on the ground over a fire, and supports
crocks, frying-pans, boilers, or anything that may be used.

Eli put this brandis in the middle of the kitchen on the stone floor.

"Now bring the crock," crooned Betsey, and Eli brought the crock and
placed it on the brandis.

"Put in the broth," commanded Betsey, and Eli obeyed her. I thought he
grew smaller and uglier as he did her bidding, while his eyes grew
larger and shone with a more unearthly light than ever.

"What time es et?" asked Betsey.

"Elev'n a'clock."

"In twenty minuits the moon 'll be vull," muttered the old dame.

Betsey made nine circles around the brandis, then she made nine passes
over the crock, and all the time she munched and munched with her
toothless jaws. Presently she began to repeat words, which to me had no
meaning,

"A first born son, a first born son,
Is this young Jasper Pennington,
And he is here on a moonlit night
To see the spirits of the light.
And I have made my potions fine,
And traced my circles nine times nine.
So mists depart, Tregeagle come
And show the lad his own true home.
Spirits black and spirits white,
Spirits bad and spirits bright,
Come to Betsey's house to-night,
And we shall see the things of light."

All this time she kept blowing on the liquid in the crock, while Eli set
up the most unearthly cries as though he were in pain.

A great terror seized me, for to me Betsey's form seemed to dilate.

"No, Betsey," I cried, "I'll have nothing to do with this wickedness."

"Stop yer noise!" she snarled. "There they come:

"'Join all hands
Might and main,
Weave the sands,
Form a chain.
Spirits black
And spirits white,
Let the first-born know the truth to-night.'"

Now whether I was carried away by superstitious fear or no I will not
say. I simply put down in simple words that whic