above--sweetly--mockingly, as it seemed to him. What were they? Why were
they? How came Cassandra there listening? He could stand this mystery no
longer--and he cried out to her.

"Cass, hear. Listen to that."

"Yes, Frale." She spoke wearily, but did not pause.

"Wait, Cass. What be hit, ye reckon? Hit sure hain't no fiddle. Thar!
Heark to hit. Whar be hit at?"

"I reckon it's up yonder at Doctor Thryng's cabin. He has a little pipe
like, that he blows on and it makes music like that."

"An' you clum' up thar to heark to him?" He bounded forward in the
darkness and walked close to her. She quivered like a leaf, but held her
voice low and steady as she replied.

"No, Frale. I go there evenings when I'm not too tired. I've been going
there ever since you left to--"

"That doctah, he's be'n castin' a spell on you, Cass. I kin see
hit--how you walkin' off an' nevah 'low me to touch you. Ye hain't said
howd'y to me nor how you glad I come. You like a col' white drift o'
snow blowin' on ahead o' me. You hain't no human girl like you used to
be. I got somethin' to put a spell on him, too, ef he don't watch out."

He spoke in his mild, low-voiced drawl, but he kept close to her side,
and she could hear his breathing, quick and panting. She felt as if a
tiger were keeping pace with her, and she knew the sinister meaning
beneath his words. She knew that all she could do now was to take him
back to his promise and hold him to it.

"There's no such thing as spell casting, Frale. You know that, and you
have my promise and I have yours. Have you forgot? Talking that way
seems like you have forgot." She walked on rapidly, taking him nearer
and nearer their home, and in her haste she stumbled. In an instant his
arm was thrown around her, holding her on her feet.

"Look at you now, like to fall cl'ar headlong, runnin' that-a-way to get
shet o' me. 'Pears like you mad that I come."

He held her back, and they went slowly, but he did not release her, nor
did she struggle futilely against his strength, knowing it wiser to
continue calmly leading him on; but she could not reply. The start of
her fall and her wildly beating heart rendered her breathless and weak.

"I tell you that thar doctah man, he have put a spell on you. He done
drawed you up thar to hear to him. I seed you lookin' like he'd done
drawed yuer soul outen yuer body. I have heard o' sech. He's be'n down
to Bishop Towahs', too, whar I be'n workin' at. I seed him