Ghost-lore. 97 



which reveals the state of the atmosphere. And the 

 cottage astrologer has a whole table of the quarters' 

 aspects, and so on, and laj's much stress upon the 

 day and hour of the change : indeed, it is a very- 

 complicated business to understand the moon. 



The belief in the power of certain persons to ' rule 

 the planets ' is profound ; so profound that neither 

 ridicule, argument, nor authority will shake it in the 

 minds of the hamlet girls, and it abides with them 

 even when they are placed amidst the disenchanting 

 realities of town life. When 'in service,' the}' buy 

 dream-books, and consult fortune-tellers. The gip- 

 sies, in passing through the countr^^ choose the by- 

 ways and lanes ; they thus avoid the tolls, have a 

 chance of poaching, and find waste places to camp 

 in, though possibly something of the true nomadic 

 instinct may urge them to leave the beaten tracks 

 and wander over lonely regions. They camp near 

 the hamlet as they travel to and from the great sheep- 

 fairs which are held upon the hills, and perhaps stay 

 a few days ; and by them, to some extent, the belief 

 in astrology and palmistry is strengthened. 



The carters, who have to spend some considerable 

 time" every day with their hoi'ses in the stable, still 

 retain a large repertory of legendary ghost-lore. 

 They know the exact spot in the lane where, at a 

 certain hour of the night, the white spectre of a 

 headless horse, rushing past with incredible swift- 

 ness and without the sound of a hoof, brushes the 

 very coat of the traveller, and immediately disappears 

 in the darkness. Another lane is haunted by a white 

 woman, whose spectre crosses it in front of the spec- 

 tator and then appears behind him. If he turns his 

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