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yet；〃　he　added　in　a　low　voice；　〃I　almost　wish　myself　I　had　done



it。〃







Before　dark　those　two　young　men　had　worked　themselves　up　into　a



highly　complex　psychological　state　of　scornful　scepticism　and



alarmed　credulity。　　It　tormented　them　exceedingly；　and　the　thought



that　it　would　have　to　last　for　six　days　at　least；　and　possibly　be



prolonged　further　for　an　indefinite　time；　was　not　to　be　borne。　　The



ship　was　therefore　put　on　the　inshore　tack　at　dark。　　All　through



the　gusty　dark　night　she　went　towards　the　land　to　look　for　her　man；



at　times　lying　over　in　the　heavy　puffs；　at　others　rolling　idle　in



the　swell；　nearly　stationary；　as　if　she　too　had　a　mind　of　her　own



to　swing　perplexed　between　cool　reason　and　warm　impulse。







Then　just　at　daybreak　a　boat　put　off　from　her　and　went　on　tossed　by



the　seas　towards　the　shallow　cove　where；　with　considerable



difficulty；　an　officer　in　a　thick　coat　and　a　round　hat　managed　to



land　on　a　strip　of　shingle。







〃It　was　my　wish；〃　writes　Mr。　Byrne；　〃a　wish　of　which　my　captain



approved；　to　land　secretly　if　possible。　　I　did　not　want　to　be　seen



either　by　my　aggrieved　friend　in　the　yellow　hat；　whose　motives　were



not　clear；　or　by　the　one…eyed　wine…seller；　who　may　or　may　not　have



been　affiliated　to　the　devil；　or　indeed　by　any　other　dweller　in



that　primitive　village。　　But　unfortunately　the　cove　was　the　only



possible　landing　place　for　miles；　and　from　the　steepness　of　the



ravine　I　couldn't　make　a　circuit　to　avoid　the　houses。〃







〃Fortunately；〃　he　goes　on；　〃all　the　people　were　yet　in　their　beds。



It　was　barely　daylight　when　I　found　myself　walking　on　the　thick



layer　of　sodden　leaves　filling　the　only　street。　　No　soul　was



stirring　abroad；　no　dog　barked。　　The　silence　was　profound；　and　I



had　concluded　with　some　wonder　that　apparently　no　dogs　were　kept　in



the　hamlet；　when　I　heard　a　low　snarl；　and　from　a　noisome　alley



between　two　hovels　emerged　a　vile　cur　with　its　tail　between　its



legs。　　He　slunk　off　silently　showing　me　his　teeth　as　he　ran　before



me；　and　he　disappeared　so　suddenly　that　he　might　have　been　the



unclean　incarnation　of　the　Evil　One。　　There　was；　too；　something　so



weird　in　the　manner　of　its　coming　and　vanishing；　that　my　spirits；



already　by　no　means　very　high；　became　further　depressed　by　the



revolting　sight　of　this　creature　as　if　by　an　unlucky　presage。〃







He　got　away　from　the　coast　unobserved；　as　far　as　he　knew；　then



struggled　manfully　to　the　west　against　wind　and　rain；　on　a　barren



dark　upland；　under　a　sky　of　ashes。　　Far　away　the　harsh　and　desolate



mountains　raising　their　scarped　and　denuded　ridges　seemed　to　wait



for　him　menacingly。　　The　evening　found　him　fairly　near　to　them；



but；　in　sailor　language；　uncertain　of　his　position；　hungry；　wet；



and　tired　out　by　a　day　of　steady　tramping　over　broken　ground　during



which　he　had　seen　very　few　people；　and　had　been　unable　to　obtain



the　slightest　intelligence　of　Tom　Corbin's　passage。　　〃On！　on！　I



must　push　on；〃　he　had　been　saying　to　himself　through　the　hours　of



solitary　effort；　spurred　more　by　incertitude　than　by　any　definite



fear　or　definite　hope。







The　lowering　daylight　died　out　quickly；　leaving　him　faced　by　a



broken　bridge。　　He　descended　into　the　ravine；　forded　a　narrow



stream　by　the　last　gleam　of　rapid　water；　and　clambering　out　on　the



other　side　was　met　by　the　night　which　fen　like　a　bandage　over　his



eyes。　　The　wind　sweeping　in　the　darkness　the　broadside　of　the



sierra　worried　his　ears　by　a　continuous　roaring　noise　as　of　a



maddened　sea。　　He　suspected　that　he　had　lost　the　road。　　Even　in



daylight；　with　its　ruts　and　mud…holes　and　ledges　of　outcropping



stone；　it　was　difficult　to　distinguish　from　the　dreary　waste　of　the



moor　interspersed　with　boulders　and　clumps　of　naked　bushes。　　But；



as　he　says；　〃he　steered　his　course　by　the　feel　of　the　wind；〃　his



hat　rammed　low　on　his　brow；　his　head　down；　stopping　now　and　again



from　mere　weariness　of　mind　rather　than　of　body　…　as　if　not　his



strength　but　his　resolution　were　being　overtaxed　by　the　strain　of



endeavour　half　suspected　to　be　vain；　and　by　the　unrest　of　his



feelings。







In　one　of　these　pauses　borne　in　the　wind　faintly　as　if　from　very



far　away　he　heard　a　sound　of　knocking；　just　knocking　on　wood。　　He



noticed　that　the　wind　had　lulled　suddenly。







His　heart　started　beating　tumultuously　because　in　himself　he



carried　the　impression　of　the　desert　solitudes　he　had　been



traversing　for　the　last　six　hours　…　the　oppressive　sense　of　an



uninhabited　world。　　When　he　raised　his　head　a　gleam　of　light；



illusory　as　it　often　happens　in　dense　darkness；　swam　before　his



eyes。　　While　he　peered；　the　sound　of　feeble　knocking　was　repeated　…



and　suddenly　he　felt　rather　than　saw　the　existence　of　a　massive



obstacle　in　his　path。　　What　was　it？　　The　spur　of　a　hill？　　Or　was　it



a　house！　　Yes。　　It　was　a　house　right　close；　as　though　it　had　risen



from　the　ground　or　had　come　gliding　to　meet　him；　dumb　and　pallid；



from　some　dark　recess　of　the　night。　　It　towered　loftily。　　He　had



come　up　under　its　lee；　another　three　steps　and　he　could　have



touched　the　wall　with　his　hand。　　It　was　no　doubt　a　POSADA　and　some



other　traveller　was　trying　for　admittance。　　He　heard　again　the



sound　of　cautious　knocking。







Next　moment　a　broad　band　of　light　fell　into　the　night　through　the



opened　door。　　Byrne　stepped　eagerly　into　it；　whereupon　the　person



outside　leaped　with　a　stifled　cry　away　into　the　night。　　An



exclamation　of　surprise　was　heard　too；　from　within。　　Byrne；



flinging　himself　against　the　half　closed　door；　forced　his　way　in



against　some　considerable　resistance。







A　miserable　candle；　a　mere　rushlight；　burned　at　the　end　of　a　long



deal　table。　　And　in　its　light　Byrne　saw；　staggering　yet；　the　girl



he　had　driven　from　the　door。　　She　had　a　short　black　skirt；　an



orange　shawl；　a　dark　complexion　…　and　the　escaped　single　hairs　from



the　mass；　sombre　and　thick　like　a　forest　and　held　up　by　a　comb；



made　a　black　mist　about　her　low　forehead。　　A　shrill　lamentable　howl



of：　　〃Misericordia！〃　came　in　two　voices　from　the　further　end　of　the



long　room；　where　the　fire…light　of　an　open　hearth　played　between



heavy　shadows。　　The　girl　recovering　herself　drew　a　hissing　breath



through　her　set　teeth。







It　is　unnecessary　to　report　the　long　process　of　questions　and



answers　by　which　he　soothed　the　fears　of　two　old　women　who　sat　on



each　side　of　the　fire；　on　which　stood　a　large　earthenware　pot。



Byrne　thought　at　once　of　two　witches　watching　the　brewing　of　some



deadly　potion。　　But　all　the　same；　when　one　of　them　raising　forward



painfully　her　broken　form　lifted　the　cover　of　the　pot；　the　escaping



steam　had　an　appetising　smell。　　The　other　did　not　budge；　but　sat



hunched　up；　her　head　trembling　all　the　time。







They　were　horrible。　　There　was　something　grotesque　in　their



decrepitude。　　Their　toothless　mouths；　their　hooked　noses；　the



meagreness　of　the　active　one；　and　the　hanging　yellow　cheeks　of　the



other　（the　still　one；　whose　head　trembled）　would　have　been



laughable　if　the　sight　of　their　dreadful　physical　degradation　had



not　been　appalling　to　one's　eyes；　had　not　gripped　one's　heart　with



poignant　amazement　at　the　unspeakable　misery　of　age；　at　the　awful



persistency　of　life　becoming　at　last　an　object　of　disgust　and



dread。







To　get　over　it　Byrne　began　to　talk；　saying　that　he　was　an



Englishman；　and　that　he　was　in　search　of　a　countryman　who　ought　to



have　passed　this　way。　　Directly　he　had　spoken　the　recollection　of



his　parting　with　Tom　came　up　in　his　mind　with　amazing　vividness：



the　silent　villagers；　the　angry　gnome；　the　one…eyed　wine…seller；



Bernardino。　　Why！　　These　two　unspeakable　frights　must　be　that　man's



aunts　…　affiliated　to　the　devil。







Whatever　they　had　been　once　it　was　impossible　to　imagine　what　use



such　feeble　creatures　could　be　to　the　devil；　now；　in　the　world　of



the　living。　　Which　was　Lucilla　and　which　was　Erminia？　　They　were



now　things　without　a　name。　　A　moment　of　suspended　animation



followed　Byrne's　words。　　The　sorceress　with　the　spoon　ceased



stirring　the　mess　in　the　iron　pot；　the　very　trembling　of　the



other's　head　stopped　for　the　space　of　breath。　　In　this



infinitesimal　fraction　of　a　second　Byrne　had　the　sense　of　being



really　on　his　quest；　of　having　reached　the　turn　of　the　path；　almost



within　hail　of　Tom。







〃They　have　seen　him；〃　he　thought　with　conviction。　　Here　was　at　last



somebody　who　had　seen　him。　　He　made　sure　they　would　deny　all



knowledge　of　the　Ingles；　but　on　the　contrary　they　were　eager　to



tell　him　that　he　had　eaten　and　slept　the　night　in　the　house。　　They



both　started　talking　together；　describing　his　appearance　and



behaviour。　　An　excitement　quite　fierce　in　its　feebleness　possessed



them。　　The　doubled…up　sorceress　flourished　aloft　her　wooden　spoon；



the　puffy　monster　got　off　her　stool　and　screeched；　stepping　from



one　foot　to　the　other；　while　the　trembling　of　her　head　was



accelerated　to　positive　vibration。　　Byrne　was　quite　disconcerted　by



their　excited　behaviour。　。　。　Yes！　　The　big；　fierce　Ingles　went　away



in　the　morning；　after　eating　a　piece　of　bread　and　drinking　some



wine。　　And　if　the　caballero　wished　to　follow　the　same　path　nothing



could　be　easier　…　in　the　morning。







〃You　will　give　me　somebody　to　show　me　the　way？〃　said　Byrne。







〃Si；　senor。　　A　proper　youth。　　The　man　the　caballero　saw　going　out。〃







〃But　he　was　knocking　at　the　door；〃　protested　Byrne。　　〃He　only



bolted　when　he　saw　me。　　He　was　coming　in。〃







〃No！　　No！〃　the　two　horrid　witches　screamed　out　together。　　〃Going



out。　Going　out！〃







After　all　it　may　have　been　true。　The　sound　of　knocking　had　been



faint；　elusive；　reflected　Byrne。　　Perhaps　only　the　effect　of　his



fancy。