THE WITCH OF SMOKY HOLLOW 157 
anxious not to lose one shred. Then he filled his 
precious nose-warmer of a pipe, very lovingly patted 
it on the top, and began to fumble for a lucifer. 
' Thank 'ee, 'tis real kind on ye,' he said, as I held 
him one ready lighted ; and, dropping his stick, he 
seated himself on the bank beside me, for the day 
was warm and dry, and began whiffing away in the 
peculiar manner of a hardened old smoker ; not 
hastily, but making the very most of every whiff. It 
would have been positive cruelty to have disturbed 
the feeling of supreme content which his countenance 
expressed. Presently he informed me that he 'ain't 
had a bit o' baccer like this 'ere, never in his martal 
life afore.' When I told him I had been down in the 
hollow by the old house, he said he had heard ' as 
how the inside o' that 'ere place was kep zackly as 
'twas when the furrin lady died. There be martal 
strange tales 'bout that place,' he added. By degrees 
I got from his lips the following story, which I found 
aftenvards was correct in the main points. I give it 
in his own dialect. 
* The squire as owned the land about here was 
'bliged to marry somebody as he didn't care a rap 
fur. 'Twas a matter o' jining two properties, so far 
as I could mek out. He was a fine feller, so I've 
heard, an 1 the lady as he did marry raly was fond o' 
