OCTOBER 237 



" The evil ee," said John, in low tones. 



I was too much astonished to speak. 



A greenkeeper with the evil eye ! 



It was true that after a three -years 

 residence in the Highlands it had become 

 difficult to remain absolutely certain that 

 the invisible veil between this world and 

 its life and some other world and its 

 activities was never rent. Considerations 

 that had sapped incredulity crowded into 

 mind. There was, for example, what 

 Winsome and I had been told one day 

 when, taking a walk towards Ballinluig, 

 we had been hospitably hailed into a 

 farmhouse near Dalguise. It was the 

 13th of January, which is still New 

 Year's Day in parts of the Highlands, and 

 the household were making merry with 

 cake and wine. The farmer's daughter 

 was vexed that she could not give us any 

 butter to carry away. She had been 

 trying to make butter that morning ; but 

 a certain neighbour had come in, and had 

 cast the evil eye upon the churn. The 

 butter would not make. This had been 



