an
whose wife she was no longer--

"I beseech you, send my goods to my father's house. Peace be unto you!"

"Peace be to thee, daughter!" returned the Rabbi.

Then, still carrying the child, she went out into the night and the
snow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. See Matthew 27 verses 26, 27; Mark fourteen verses 22, 23; Luke
twenty-two verses 17, 20; One Corinthians eleven verse 24, when it will
be seen that "blessed" means gave thanks to God, not blessed the
elements.

Note 2. Hebrews Seven verse 14; Eight verse 4.

Note 3. Matthew Eight verse 4.

Note 4. Acts two verse 46; twenty-seven verse 11; One Corinthians
eleven verses 20-34.

Note 5. Diceto makes this barbarity a part of the sentence passed on
the Germans. Newbury mentions it only as inflicted.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

IN THE WHITE WITCH'S HUT.

"But all my years have seemed so long;
And toil like mine is wondrous dreary;
And every body thinks me strong:
And I'm aweary."

M.A. Chaplin.

"Heigh-Ho! It's a weary life, Gib--a weary life!"

The words came from an old woman, and were addressed to a cat. Neither
of them was an attractive-looking object. The old woman was very old,
having a face all over minute wrinkles, a pair of red eyes much sunken,
and the semblance of a beard under her chin. The cat, a dark tabby,
looked as if he had been in the wars, and had played his part valiantly.
His coat, however, was less dilapidated than the old woman's garments,
which seemed to be composed mainly of disconnected rags of all colours
and shapes. She sat on a three-legged stool, beside a tiny hearth, on
which burned a small fire of sticks.

"Nobody cares for us, Gib: nobody! They call me a witch--the saints
know why, save that I am old and poor. I never did hurt to any, and
I've given good herb medicines to the women about; and if I do mutter a
few outlandish words over them, what harm does it do? They mean
nothing; and they make the foolish girls fancy I know something more
than they do, and so I get a silver penny here, or a handful of eggs
there, and we make shift to live."

She spoke aloud, though in a low voice, as those often do who live
alone; and the cat rose and rubbed himself against her, with a soft
"Me-ew!"

"Well, Gib! Didst thou want to remind me that so long as thou art
alive, I shall have one friend left? Poor puss!" and she stroked her
uncomely companion.