The Lair of the White Worm

Adam Salton, his relationship, circumstances, and prospects. So it would have been strange indeed if both girls did not dream of possibilities of the future. In agricu

helping hand. When the gongs sounded for the banquet, he went with her into the tent where her grandfather had seats. Mr. Salton and Sir Nathaniel noticed that

ose of her own class who were present; but words were not necessary when so much could be expressed by nods and smiles. It seemed to be an accepted thing that at last there was to be a mistress of Castra Regis, and that she was present amongst them. There were not lacking some who, whil

ing Adam to follow in his own time. He came in earlier than was expected, and seemed upset about something. Neither of the

condition of things seen for the first time. The others, with the patience-or the experience-of age, trusted to time to unfo

let people alone! He seems to think that he has only to

g in an amiable young man. Sir Nathaniel, as an old diplomatist, had a way of understanding, as if by for

after

er how beautiful she was. Why, before he left her side, he had asked himself to tea to-morrow at Mercy Farm. Stupid

nd looked at Mr. Salton-a keen look

tes before dinner, and we shall all have better appetit

id that a human being could object to. He was very civil, and all that was proper-just what a landlord

ice was soft and soothing, nothing of contradiction or overdo

and she like a dove-and, now that I think of it, that is what the

e the soft voice

wen

his set me off. But I wanted to

ung men. I couldn't help noticing the way that

it won't do to have any quarrel between you, especially so soon after his home-coming and y

er may happen, or even threaten, I shall o

el, who heard the servants in

the wine, Sir Nathaniel returned

angerous topic for us to dis

any topic. I can even discuss Mr. Caswall. Indeed, I may meet him to-morrow. He is goin

Salton, "that you d

eadily. Then, lest the mood of his listener shoul

fferent epochs of our history, and each has its special crop of legend. The Druid and the Roman are too far off for matters of detail; but it seems to me the Saxon and the Angles are near enough to yield material for legendary lore. We find that this particular place had anothe

England there were originally vast plains where the plentiful supply of water could gather. The streams were deep and slow, and there were holes of abysmal depth, where any kind and size of antediluvian monster could find a habitat. In places, which now we can see from our windows, were mud-holes a hundred or more feet deep. Who can tell us when the age of the monsters which flourished in slime came to an end? There must have been places and conditions which made for greater longevity, greater size, greater strength than was usual. Such over-lappings may have come down even to our earlier centuries. Nay, are there not now creatures of a vastness of bulk regarded by the generality of men as impossible? Even in our own day there are seen the traces of animals, if not the animals themselves, of stupendous size-veritable survivals from earlier ages, preserved by some special qualities in their habitats. I remember meeting a dist

get a sort of idea of the 'worms,' which possibly did frequent the great m

rally accepted," replied Adam. "Also, if there were such things, that this was the very place for them. I have tried to think over the matter si

what

he mud-holes is a distance of several hundred feet-I am leaving out of consideration altogether any lateral distance. Is it possible that there was a way by which a monster coul

fusion of natural growth as would bar the progress of men formed as we are. The lair of such a monster would not have been disturbed for hundreds-or thousands-of years. Moreover, these creatures must have occupied places quite inaccessible to man. A snake who could make himself comfortable in a quagmire, a hundred feet deep, would be protected on the outskirts by such stupendous morasses as now no longer exist, or which, if they exist anywhere at all, can be on very few places on the earth's surface. Far be it from me to say that