as you hinted at,
Bill?" I said.

"I'm sure 'ee's capable of doin' any devilish thing," said Bill;
"beside, 'e've bin drinkin' 'ard lately."

The thought was ghastly in the extreme, and yet as I remembered the
look on his face the night before, when he said he would ever seek to
curse my life, I felt the truth of Bill's words. He had tried to
murder me in order to retain wealth, would he not murder her rather
than see her make me happy? Then the thought came to me--was this a
part of the curse? For the past eleven years I had never known real
happiness. Before I had raised the cup to my lips it had been dashed
out of my hand. Was it to be now as it had ever been? For a moment I
believed that an evil power attended me, and that I could not rid
myself of the evil to which I had been born. Then I thought of old
Deborah Teague's words. "You ca'ant curse waun that do love everybody,
and whose heart es full ov love." This comforted me; not that I
believed particularly in anything she might say, but because her words
sounded true.

Anyhow, if such were the case, I would resist my fate, I would struggle
to the end, and God would help me.

I rushed to the stables, where two or three men lolled around.

"Are the horses all in the stables?" I asked.

"No, sur, there be two gone."

"Good ones?"

"The best we've got, sur. Brown Molly es a thora breed, sur, and will
run till she do drop; and Prince is nearly so good."

"Have you a good horse now?"

"There's Bess. She's a bra mare, jist brok in, sur."

"Saddle her at once for me, and stop! Do you know who has the other
two horses?"

"No, sur; but Master Wilfred do often take hosses without we knawin'
'bout it."

"Just so. Bring Bess to the hall door immediately."

I rushed into the house, where I found my mother. I told her all Bill
had related to me. As I did so I saw her face pale to the very lips.

"Oh, Roger, oh Roger!" she cried, "save him."

"Do you think Bill's surmise correct?"

"Oh, Wilfred, Wilfred, you will kill me yet," she murmured. "Ride
fast, Roger, ride for your life. Don't wait a moment if you would save
her, and save him!"

The horse was brought up to the door at that moment, a powerful black
mare, well fed and exercised.

I kissed my mother and prepared to go, but she held my arm for a moment.

"Be careful and watchful," she said, "he's very cunning; but, oh, my
God, save him from this!"

I jumped into the saddle, and in