The smith took Nancy into his shop, and he soon aroused some of his neighbours, who took the poor girl back to Alsia.  Her parents laid her on her bed.  She spoke no word, but to ask for her child, to request her mother to give up her child to Lenine’s parents, and her desire to be buried in his grave.  Before the morning light fell on the world Nancy had breathed her last breath.

A horse was seen that night to pass through the Church-town like a ball from a musket, and in the morning Lenine’s colt was found dead in Bernowhall Cliff, covered with foam, its eyes forced from its head, and its swollen tongue hanging out of its mouth.  On Lenine’s grave was found the piece of Nancy’s dress which was left in the spirit’s hand when the smith burnt her from his grasp.

It is said that one or two of the sailors who survived the wreck related after the funeral, how, on the 30th of October, at night, Lenine was like one mad; they could scarcely keep him in the ship.  He seemed more asleep than awake, and, after great excitement, he fell as if dead upon the deck, and lay so for hours.  When he came to himself, he told them that he had been taken to the village of Kimyall, and that if he ever married the woman who had cast the spell, he would make her suffer the longest day she had to live for drawing his soul out of his body.

Poor Nancy was buried in Lenine’s grave, and her companion in sowing hemp-seed, who saw the white coffin, slept beside her within the year.

XIV

THE POOL IN THE GRAVEYARD

By GREVILLE MACDONALD[5]

By this corner of the graveyard the red dawn discovered to Jonas a little pool of clear water, with mosses and parsley-ferns all around it, and so clear and cool-looking that he must drink.  The larger part of it was still shadowed by the wall.  On knees and hands, he put his lips to it and drank.  The refreshment was wonderful.  He rose with a sense that he should find the lost sheep yet and bring her home.  He looked down once more into the clear pool.  It was wider than he had thought—­indeed, he had been mistaken; it was a great tarn on the mountain-side!  Then he saw that wonderful things were happening on the face of and all round the water.  What appeared to be little glow-worms were lying motionless in groups on the mosses in a still-shadowed region by the side of the water.  From beneath a low arch in the wall, where the water was slowly flowing away in a river, there came, against stream and wave and wind, a fishing-boat.  Its great red sail was spread, and its pennant shone silvery blue in the sun.  It came alongside a pier of mossy stones, and cast anchor.  From it leapt twelve strong young fishermen, all with bright faces.  They took up the little creatures with the glowing lights, and carried them aboard; then back again to other groups, until all were gathered in.  For they were all sleeping human forms, close-wrapped in grave-clothes, but with their light still living, as might be seen by anyone who had suffered.  When all were safe aboard, the men cast off and the boat disappeared under the arch.