passon ded read the funeral service over again, and took care
to turn the Prayer-book upside down so that the ghost couldn't rise any
more."

"And was it seen afterwards?"

"No sur, it weren't; but some don't think 'twas the passon laid the
ghost, but 'cause Debrah Teague had summin to do wi' it, and the passon
had a row wi' her."

"Well, what happened afterwards?"

"Things went on quiet for a bit, sur; then we heerd as 'ow Maaster
Wilfred, who took 'pon him the place ov squire, was plagin' Miss Ruth
to marry un, and she wudden, then it laiked out that she said she
wudden marry un 'till ten year after Maaster Roger 'ad gone."

"My dream, my dream!" I thought. Surely the hand of God was in this;
but I did not know all then!

"Well, are the ten years up yet?" I said, as quietly as I could.

"'Twas up 'bout a month ago, sur; and then, sur we've heerd as 'ow a
strange thing happened."

"What?"

"I have to go up to the house a goodish bit, sur. I take fish there,
and I'm friendly weth the sarvents, too, and so I heer more'n anybody
else."

"Well?"

"They do say as 'ow Mrs. Trewinion and Maaster Wilfred went botherin'
'er again to marry 'im, tellin' her that the ten years was up. They
say, too, that Maaster Wilfred got Miss Ruth's old steward Inch into
some scrapes, and can make un do moast what he've got a mind to.
Anyhow they oal got at her, and got her to promise, when she screeches
out 'Roger es ere; I see un!' There were a sarvent in the 'all that
eerd her and she tould me!"

"Merciful God," I thought, my dream again.

"What happened afterwards?" I said, excitedly.

"Why, sur, Miss Ruth she fented away, and lyed like one dead for a long
time, and when she came to she looked oal dazed."

"And then?"

"The next day she went to her own house."

"What for?"

"To prepare for the weddin'. She believed, so she tould her maid, that
Roger must be dead, and so she went home tu fulfil her father's will,
and prepare for the weddin'."

"What, did Wil--, that is, the other brother, persist in her marrying
him, though he knew she didn't like him?"

"That he did, sur. You see, he've bin livin' wild, and people do zay
that the whole estate es mortgaged up to its eyes, and he ded want to
get Miss Ruth so as to kep Trewinion."

My heart grew hot with anger, but I only urged the man to go on with
his story.

"Well, I do'ant knaw much after that 'ow things went on; but I've heerd
that she pined and pined