d to work for'n, my dear, and my maid went there to sarvice.
Pitter and me were 'appy as two turtle doves, my deer, and my maid was
the puttiest in the parish. Well, Farmer Jory was a bad man, my deer.
He ought to ev married my maid, and he ded'n, an' though I went down on
my knees and prayed to 'im to save her frum disgrace, he would'nt, and
so she died heartbroken. By this time Pitter wur nearly a cripple and
couldn't work much, so that we wur nearly starvin'. He had worked for
the Jorys oll his life, and now when they ought to ev 'elped us they
left us to starve. Twa'nt more'n three weeks after we berried the maid
afore Pitter died of starvation and a brokken heart, and I wur left
alone. Oh, Maaster Roger, ef you could ev knawed what I suffered you
would pity me. I wur nearly mad wi' grief and shame, and the day after
my owld man wur berried I wur sittin' in the doorway theer, when Betsey
Tressider comed 'long. I was allays 'fraid of Betsey, cause people
said she wur a witch, and did meet with a lot ov others up in the witch
ov Fraddam's cave. She axed me what I wur grievin' for and I tould
her. Then she laughed and zed I wur a fool not to be revenged on
Farmer Jory, and not to make 'im suffer more'n I'd suffered. I axed
her ow I cud do it, and she tould me to become a witch. Then I axed
her ow I could be a witch, and she tould me to go to Logan Rock nine
times at midnight and tich it wi my little vinger, an' she laughed and
went away.

"Well, I wur oal alone, and so I thot and thot, and then I went to
Logan Rock and tiched it wance, and I veeled a strange shivery feelin'
and then I did it every night until the ninth night."

"And what happened then, Deborah?" I asked.

"I shan't tell 'ee that, my dear, but when I comed 'ome I seed Farmer
Jory, and I looked top un, and I zed--well, never mind what I zed; but
you knaw what happened."

"But witchcraft is of the devil," I said.

"Tes and tedn't," she said, mysteriously. "Who can charm as well as
me, and the charms es oal bout goodness. Here, my dear, I'll tell 'ee
some charms, and then you'll knaw ef they be good; but never tell a
man, Maaster Roger, ef you do you'll break em. You knaw that Tommy
Triscott's cheeld came to me t'other day with a scald, and I charmed
un, and the charm is this:--

Then came three angels out of the east,
One brought fire, and two brought frost;
Out fire, and in frost
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost