Wessex Tales

hes that shehad raked out in front of her to extinguish them. She contemplatedso intently the new wife, as presented to he

the young wife, in thepale silk dress and white bonnet, but with features shockinglydistorted, and wrinkled as by age, was sitting upon her chest as shelay. The pressure of Mrs. Lodge's person grew heavier; the blueeyes peered cruelly into her face; and then the figure thrustforward its left hand mocki

hand, seized the confronting spectre by its obtrusive leftarm, and whirled

ing on the edge of the bed in acold swe

every flesh and bone of it, as it seemed. She looked on the floorwh

and haggard she looked. Themilk that she drew quivered into the pail; her hand had not calmedeven yet, a

mer, mother, last night?' said hers

anything fall?

n the clock

ed goingafield on the farms, and she indulged his reluctance. Betweeneleven and twelve the garden-gate clicked, and she lift

ld come!' exclaimed the

hen? How does

poken to her. I talk

ng indignantly, 'never to speakto anybo

spoke to me. And I did not go nea

did you

et dry if it came on wet, because they were socracked. I told her I lived with my mother, and we had enough to doto keep ourselves, and that's how it

asRhoda had seen her in the bed-chamber, but in a morning hat, a

m she carri

was stillstrong. Brook had almost expected to see the w

ped an interview, had

cottage, and in an instantthe boy had lif

aid she, glancing at thelad, and smiling. '

of Rhoda's midnight visitant, that the latter couldhardly believe the evidence of her senses. She was truly glad thatshe had not hidden away in sheer

uldhave her blessing and not her curse. When she left them a lightseemed gone from the dwelling. Two days later she came again

our house is thenearest outside our own parish.

and large frame, than in the soft-cheeked young womanbefore her. The conversation became quite confidential as regardedtheir powers and weaknesses;

lth being usually good. 'Though, now you remind me,' sheadded, 'I have one li

xact original of the limb she had beheld andseized in her dream. Upon the pink round sur

olorations; she fancied thatshe discerned

appen?' she sai

nly shot into my arm there, and was so keen as to awakenme. I must have struck it in the daytime, I suppose, though I don'tremember doing so.' She

. . On what nig

go on themorrow. 'When I awoke I could not remember where I

guilty thing. The artless disclosure startledher; she did not reason on the freaks of coinc

er visitor had departed,'that I exercise a ma

nderstood why that particular stigma had been attachedto her, it had passed disrega