Wessex Tales

had wooed for her grace andbeauty was contorted and disfigured in the left limb; moreover, shehad brought him no child, which rendered it likely that he would bethe l

cross. She was honestly attached to her husband, and was eversecretly hoping against hope to win back his heart again byregaining some at least of her personal beauty. Hence it arose thather close

messesand witch mixtures some time or other,' said her husb

n suchheart-swollen reproach that he looked sorry for his words

and destroy them,' said she huski

'I once thought ofadopting a boy; but he is too

a word had everpassed between her husband and herself on the subject. Neither hadshe ever spoken to him of her visit

e-and-twenty; but

o herself. And then she thought of theapparent cause, and said, with a tragic glan

e of the solitary by Rhoda against her will;but it now suddenly occurred to Gertrude that she would, in a lastdesperate effort at deliverance from this seeming curse, again seekout the man, if he yet lived. He was en

it should

at the cottage, she went to where his bent figure waspointed out to her at work a long way off. Trendle remembered her,and laying down the handful of furze-roots which he was gatheringand throwing into a he

scences I know,' she said;'why can't you s

nd I am old andweak now, too. No, no; it is too much

icaments and counterspellswhich she had ad

for such as this. This is of the nature of a blight, not of thenature

I only

as neverfailed in kindred afflictions,--that I can declar

me!' s

the limb the neck of a

little at the im

fter he's cut down,' contin

an that

wait for him whenhe's brought off the gallows. Lots have done it, though perhaps notsuch pretty women as you. I use

put her into a straighttrack homeward, turned