"The Tylwyth Teg, sir?"

"Yes; the fairies. Do they never come to have a dance on the green sward
in this neighbourhood?"

"Very rarely, sir; indeed, I do not know how long it is since they have
been seen."

"You have never seen them?"

"I have not, sir; but I believe there are people living who have."

"Are corpse candles ever seen on the bank of that river?"

"I have never heard of more than one being seen, sir, and that was at a
place where a tinker was drowned a few nights after--there came down a
flood; and the tinker in trying to cross by the usual ford was drowned."

"And did the candle prognosticate, I mean foreshow his death?"

"It did, sir. When a person is to die his candle is seen a few nights
before the time of his death."

"Have you ever seen a corpse candle?"

"I have, sir; and as you seem to be a respectable gentleman, I will tell
you all about it. When I was a girl I lived with my parents a little way
from here. I had a cousin, a very good young man, who lived with his
parents in the neighbourhood of our house. He was an exemplary young
man, sir, and having a considerable gift of prayer, was intended for the
ministry; but he fell sick, and shortly became very ill indeed. One
evening when he was lying in this state, as I was returning home from
milking, I saw a candle proceeding from my cousin's house. I stood still
and looked at it. It moved slowly forward for a little way, and then
mounted high in the air above the wood, which stood not far in front of
the house, and disappeared. Just three nights after that my cousin
died."

"And you think that what you saw was his corpse candle?"

"I do, sir! what else should it be?"

"Are deaths prognosticated by any other means than corpse candles?"

"They are, sir; by the knockers, and by a supernatural voice heard at
night."

"Have you ever heard the knockers, or the supernatural voice?"

"I have not, sir; but my father and mother, who are now dead, heard once
a supernatural voice, and knocking. My mother had a sister who was
married like herself, and expected to be confined. Day after day,
however, passed away, without her confinement taking place. My mother
expected every moment to be summoned to her assistance, and was so
anxious about her that she could not rest at night. One night, as she
lay in bed, by the side of her husband, between sleeping and waking, she
heard of a sudden a horse coming stump, stump, up to the door. Th