Iv.] THE WITCHES’ ISLAND. 175

 

tides. The road by the sea, therefore, to which I have
alluded, was not very straight or very even, and
seemed to have been constructed by some one whose
object had been to keep as close as possible to the
water’s edge, but who had been obliged. at various
places to bore through the cliff or to take a turn some
way inland in order to protect his work from the
action of the sea.

Molly Goodchild proceeded on her way for some
distance until she came to a spot at which the road
turned its back altogether on the sea and dived into
the cliff as if it had become suddenly tired of the sight
of the blue ocean. At the distance of a hundred yards
or soit came out again and faced the open air, but
the passage from one end to the other was somewhat
dark and dismal, and so Molly thought as she paused
at the entrance for a moment as if hesitating whether
to advance. She did not, however, hesitate long, for
fishermen’s wives have no time for hesitation, especi-
ally when they are hurrying home to prepare their
husband’s supper, and feel an inward consciousness
that they are a good bit behindtime. This being the
case with worthy Molly, she quickly nerved herself to
the task, and plunged boldly into the gloomy passage
before her without further delay. As she did so the
air struck keen and chill, and she wrapped her cloak
still more tightly around her, and shivered withal. She
hurried along as fast as she could until she had got
about half-way through the passage, when suddenly
she stopped as if she had been shot. A voice, soft and
gentle, but still a voice, sure enough, although the
owner thereof was nowhere visible, whispered into