begun to think that they meant perhaps to kill her as soon as it was dark and cut up her body for gradual cooking the suspicion crossed her that the fierce eyed old man was m fact the devil who might drop that transparent disguise at any moment and either into the grinning blacksmith or else a fiery eyed monster with s wings it was no use trying to eat the and yet the thing she most dreaded was to offend the by betraying her extremely opinion of them and she wondered with a of interest that no could have exceeded whether if the devil were really present he would know her thoughts what you don t like the smell of it my dear said the young woman observing that did not even take a of the try a bit � come no thank you said all her force for a desperate effort and to smile in a friendly way i haven t time i think � it seems getting darker i think i must go home now and come again another day and then i can bring you a basket with some jam and nice things rose from her seat as she threw out this devoutly hoping that was but her sank when the old woman said stop a bit stop a bit little lady we ll take you home all safe when we ve done supper you shall ride home like a lady sat down again with little faith in this promise though she presently saw the tall girl putting a bridle on the donkey and throwing a couple of bags on his back now then little said the younger man rising and leading the donkey forward tell us where you live � what s the name o the place is my home said eagerly my father is mr � he lives there what a big mill a little way this side o st s yes said is it far off i think i should like to walk there if you please no no it ll de getting dark we must make haste and the donkey carry you as nice as can be � you ll see he lifted as he spoke and set her on the donkey she felt relieved that it was not the old man who seemed to be going with her but she had only a trembling hope that she was really going home here s your pretty bonnet said the younger woman putting that recently despised but now welcome article of thb hill on ths tame on s head and you ll say we re been very good to you won you and what a nice little lady we said you was oh yes thank you said ma e i m very much obliged to you but i wish you d go with me too she thought any thing was better than with one of the dreadful men alone it would be more cheerful to be murdered by a larger party ah you re o me aren t you the woman but i can t go you ll go too fast for me it now appeared that the man also was to be seated on the donkey before him and she was as incapable of against this arrangement as the donkey himself though no nightmare had ever seemed to her more horrible when the woman had patted her on the back and said good by the donkey at a strong hint from the man s stick set off at a rapid walk along the lane toward the point had c from an hour ago while the tall girl and the rough also furnished with sticks escorted them for the first hundred yards with much screaming and not in that midnight excursion her phantom lover was more terrified than poor in this entirely natural ride on a short d donkey with a behind her who considered that ne was earning half a crown the red light of the setting sun seemed to have a meaning with which the alarming of the second donkey with the log on its foot must surely have some connection two low cottages the only houses they passed in this lane to add to its they had no windows to speak o and the doors were closed it was probable that they were inhabited by and it was a relief to find that the donkey did not stop there at last � oh sight of joy � this lane the longest in the world was coming to an end was opening on a broad high road where there as actually a coach passing i and there was a finger post at the comer she had surely seen that finger post before � to st s miles the really meant to take her home then he was probably a good man after all and might have been rather hurt at the thought that she didn t like coming with him alone this idea became stronger as she felt more and more certain that she knew the road quite well and she was considering how she might open a conversation with the injured and not only gratify his feelings but e ce the impression of her cowardice when as they reached a cross road caught sight of some one on a white faced horse hill on thb oh stop stop she cried out there s my father oh father father i the sudden joy was almost painful and before her father reached her she was sobbing great was mr s wonder for he had made a round from and had not yet been home why what s the meaning o this he said checking his horse while slipped from the donkey and ran to her father s the little miss lost herself i reckon said the she d come to our tent at the far end o lane and i was bringing 