s wife. If he has children, let curses rest upon them. While he
lives let darkness ever be in him and around him, and when he dies may
powers of darkness attend him even as they attended his father's
father."

My mother spoke in a voice full of passion, and I knew if such a curse
could take effect she would hurl it at me. Her words, too, seemed to
fan Wilfred's hate into a flame, a hatred which, I thought, lessened
when I told him I loved him.

"Ah, yes," he cried, "you do not believe in those lines our father
showed you on your fifteenth birthday They have become to you but an
idle tale, but you will know they are true, and you will know, too,
that Wilfred cannot be thwarted without making you suffer. Listen to
them:--

If from God's pure laws he stray,
Trewinion's power shall die away,
His glory given to another,
And he be cursed by younger brother.
Then this son, though born the first,
By the people shall be cursed;
And for generations three,
Trewinion's heirs shall cursed be.

I tell you you cannot escape, and if there is any power in the curse of
the younger brother, I call it upon you now."

"Doan't'ee be a vool no longer," said a voice at the door; "Stop!" said
a strange, croaking voice, and turning, I saw the form of Deborah
Teague, more bent and more wrinkled than when I last saw her.

"I seed Maaster Roger comin' up here," said the old dame, "and I
vollied un. You've a gived me a good dail of liberty in this ere
'ouse, and so no noatice was took of me when I stopped and 'arkened at
the door. I knaw every word that ev bin zed, and this I can tell 'ee,
no curse can hurt Maaster Roger now."

"Why?" asked my mother.

"Why? Because you ca'ant hurt nobody who's heart es vull of love.
Curse hes cheldren you may if ever he do 'ave any, ay even to the third
generation; because you be a Trewinion, but he you ca'ant curse, for
'ee do love hes enemies, and he do bless them that do curse him. Ef he
were ere with hes heart full of revenge and hatred, then 'twould be
defferent, but you ca'ant hurt un now."

"Then," cried Wilfred, "if there is truth in this story, I curse his
children and his children's children, for he has robbed me of
everything that makes life worth the living."

When the old woman had gone I turned and looked at my mother's face. A
marked change had come over it in the last few minutes. She seemed to
be making a great resolve.

"Mother," said Wilfred, "what are