--Amen.

"And is Tommy better?"

"He had aise in three minutes; but he wur cured with a good name. I'll
tell 'ee nother. You do knaw when you wur a cheeld you had a great
thorn in ye arm through fallin' off a hedge, and you comed to me, and I
charmed it and cured 'ee?"

"Very well."

"Well, I'll tell 'ee the charm:--

Christ was of a Virgin born,
And He was prick'd by a thorn,
And it did never throb nor swell,
And I trust in Jesus this never will.

Christ was crowned with thorns;
The thorns did bleed but did not rot.
No more shall thy finger,
In the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

I could not help a creepy feeling coming over me as she uttered the
words. I remembered her charming the place where the thorn had been
and rubbing some ointment over it, and I also remember how quickly I
had ease.

"So, my deer," she went on, "tedn't always a bad power that witches
have."

"Well," I said at length, "have you asked me to come in here in order
that you might tell me this?"

"Not all, my deer. I've wa'anted to show 'ee as ow I've got power,
Maaster Roger, and that tedn't oal bad. And I want 'ee to harken to me
so that you may not have the Trewinion's curse."

"Can you stop it?" I asked.

"I weth others can," she said.

"But the curse of the Trewinion's will not come upon me," I said, "for
I shall not do anything to incur it."

"Wa'ant 'ee, but you will, Maaster Roger, and ef you doan't do as I
tell 'ee you'll rue it to yer dyin' day. I see it comin', I see it
comin'," and she lifted her skinny hand above her head. "I zee Maaster
Roger beggard, I zee un starvin', I zee un mad wi' shame, I zee un
ouseless, and omeless, I zee hes brother where he ought to be oal
through Trewinion's curse."

In spite of myself I felt the old woman to be speaking the truth.

"But I will abide by everything written for my safety," I said.

"You ca'ant, you ca'ant," she screamed.

"Why?" I asked.

"You were born in a onlucky month, and the onlucky week of the month,
and a onlucky day of the week, and an onlucky time ov the day."

"Why, when was I born?"

"You was born at nine o'clock ov a Friday evenin', in the third week in
May," she said.

"And I can do nothing to avert the curse?"

"No, but I can."

"How?"

"Will 'ee come wi' me to Betsey Fraddam's cave?"

"When?"

"To-night."

"At what time?"

"Twelve o'clock."

"No," I said with a shudder.

She glared at me with her e