und I went off to his lordship, as if
I had heared his bell ring. All of us knew better than to speak till him
beginning, for he were not what they now call 'halfable,' but very much
to the contrary. So he says, 'You door-skulker, what do you want there?'
And I see that he got his hot leg up, certain to fly to bad language.
According, I asked, with my breath in my hand, if he pleased to see any
young man there just now, by reason that such likes had been observated
going out in some direction. But his lordship roared to me to go in
another direction, not fit for young ladies. My old lord was up to every
word of English; but his present lordship is the hopposite extreme."

"Is that all you have to tell me, Stixon? Did you never see that fearful
man again? Did you never even hear of him?"

"Never, miss, never! And to nobody but you have I ever told all as I
told now. But you seems to be born to hear it all."

CHAPTER XXXVIII

A WITCH

It was true enough that Stixon now had nothing more to tell, but what he
had told already seemed of very great importance, confirming strongly,
as it did, the description given me by Jacob Rigg. And even the butler's
concluding words--that I seemed born to hear it all--comforted me like
some good omen, and cheered me forward to make them true. Not that I
could, in my sad and dangerous enterprise, always be confident.
Some little spirit I must have had, and some resolve to be faithful,
according to the power of a very common mind, admiring but never
claiming courage. For I never did feel in any kind of way any gift of
inspiration, or even the fitness of a quick, strong mind for working out
deeds of justice. There were many good ladies in America then, and now
there are some in England, perceiving so clearly their own superiority
as to run about largely proclaiming it. How often I longed to be a
little more like these, equal to men in achievements of the body, and
very far beyond them in questions of the mind!

However, it was useless to regret my lacks, and foolish, perhaps, to
think of them. To do my very best with what little gifts I had was more
to the purpose and more sensible. Taking in lonely perplexity now this
dim yet exciting view of things, I resolved, right or wrong, to abide
at the place where the only chance was of pursuing my search. I was
pledged, as perhaps has been said before, to keep from every one
excepting faithful Betsy, and above all from Lord Castlewood, th