my mother? Of
course she was. I had ever been taught to call her mother, and my
father had ever called her his wife.

"Do you know what you are talking about?" I said, excitedly.

"Knaw!" she repeated. "Knaw! Iss, and I cud tell 'ee lots ov things,
Maaster Roger, my deer."

"But what do you mean by hinting that my mother--that is--that--that
she isn't my mother at all?"

"Why es it that she've bin allays agin 'ee, hi? Why have she allays
tried to shaw that you was in the wrong and yer brother in the right?
Why es it that your eyes es black and yer hair brown and curly, while
yer brother and sisters ev got blue eyes and yella hair, tell me that,
will 'ee, my deer?"

This had never struck me before; certainly there was no likeness
between my brothers and sisters and myself.

"B--but," I stammered.

"No buts, my deer, I be'ant goin' to tell 'ee nothin' more, though ould
Debrah do knaw lots ov things. There's no time, now, you've got other
things to do, and a terrible lot to go through as soon as you git away.
Hark, do 'ee 'ear that?"

It was the sound of the breakers upon the rugged rocks and hard sea
sand, while the wind blew and moaned dismally.

"Dedn't ould Debrah tell 'ee ov a storm? Well, tes come, and, Roger,
yer dark days es comin' on."

"But what did you mean by telling me to come here to hear what I have?
I am sure of nothing."

"Main! I main this. Maaster Roger'll have to bee keerful of the woman
he do call mawther. Watch her every day and watch Maaster Wilfred,
too. Hark, do 'ee 'ear that?"

I heard nothing but the roar of the rising storm.

"I can hear nothing but the wind," I said.

"But I can, I can," she said. "I can hear the screech ov the
sufferin'; oa tes wisht, terrible wisht, Maaster Roger, but tes yer
fate, my deer. I'll tell 'ee more another time, but you must go now,
go and help em, you father wants 'ee go, and be keerful of they I've
tould 'ee about."

She pushed me out as I spoke, all the time looking around as though she
saw sights unseen by me.

"You'll want oal yer strength and oal yer courage, my deer, oa tes
terrible. May Roger be protected; but oa, if 'ee saves her 'ee 'll
have to suffer."

Wondering at her words, I rushed out into the wild night, and had
scarcely done so before I saw a dark form rise from under the window in
the cottage, and hurry away right in the teeth of the wind. I started
and followed, but whoever he might be, he was more fleet th