hen I saw that she was more
shaken and hurt than I had at first thought. She would have fallen, I
believe, had I not upheld her. I led her to a rock, where she sat down
for a rest, and when I had found some fresh water for her, she was
quite refreshed. She took hold of my arm as we walked home, however,
and I felt a strange pleasure in helping her. She had grown just like
one of my sisters to me, and she seemed to regard me as a brother.

We talked quite pleasantly on our way, until we forgot the great danger
in which we had both been a little while before. I forget just now
what we were talking about; but I know that while we were laughing
heartily at something she had been saying we were startled by a voice
telling us to stop.

We looked up, and Deborah Teague stood before us. She eyed us keenly,
and when she saw how friendly we were, she said, "Maaster Roger, mind
what ould Debrah said."

"I always do mind what you say, Deborah," I replied; "you have always
been a friend to me."

"Maaster Roger," she continued, "ould Debrah hev vollied the fortins of
yer family for years, and she ought to knaw."

"Well, what's wrong now?"

"It wur a woman as tempted Adam, it wur a woman as tempted Samson, it
wur a woman as tempted Ahab. Lev Maaster Roger be keerful."

"I hardly know what you mean," I said, a little astonished at this
strange speech.

She lifted her skinny hand above her head.

"Mind," she said, "mind Trewinion's curse! Oh, tes comin', tes comin'.
I see it now. Mind, Maaster Roger, my deer, mind. Doan't 'ee forgit
what ould Debrah tould 'ee on the night of the storm, years agone.
'Twas the mawther that was too cunning for Esau, ah, and ef Maaster
Roger ed'n keerful the mawther'll be too cunnin' for him."

Try as I would I could not help shuddering at her words, while Ruth
clutched my arm convulsively.

"Keep boath yer eyes oppen, Maaster Roger, or the curse'll be upon 'ee,
for as sure as ould Debrah spaikes tes comin'."

She waddled away when she said this, leaving us to wonder at her words.

What caused her to speak like this? How could she know what she
did?--for her words came true. Did she possess some power to peer into
the future? Were things clear to her vision to which I was blind? Or
was it simply that she was clear headed and clever and her statements
amounted only to a shrewd guess?

I will not dare to answer. I have seen so many strange things happen,
which I have been unab