214 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND, [iv.

Yh
of the law to enforce their rights, and she would have
thought that they would naturally have steered as
clear of it as they could. When she read the second
notice she gave a heavy sigh.

“Ay, she said, ‘ sure enough, man-traps there be,
for my John has been caught here; but for all that
T’'ll get him back. Law orno law, I must search till I
find my man!’ and again she loudly shouted, ‘John !
John Goodchild!’ at the top of her voice.

This time she was not left without an answer.
‘There he is!’ cried a voice apparently a little way in
front of her. She moved hastily forward. ‘ Here he
is!’ called out another voice which seemed to come
from behind her; and similar voices gave utterance to
the same words on her right hand and on her left.

‘Where ?’ exclaimed Molly. ‘Where is he?
Where are you, John ?’ ¥

‘Here!’ ‘Here!’ ‘Here!’ cried the voices again
from all quarters, and then peals of wild, mocking
laughter rang through the air, and all was again silent.

As may be easily imagined, Molly felt entirely be-
wildered, and, moreover, a sensation akin to fear stole
over her when she heard these unearthly sounds. But
she summoned up all her courage, and took several
steps forward, exclaiming as she did so, ‘John! John!
’Tis I, your own wife Molly. Come to I!’ Again the
same wild laughter sounded in her ears, but she saw
nothing, and began to despair of succeeding in her
mission.

At that moment, however, she heard a fluttering
of wings almost close to her, and before she had time
to turn round, a bat flew quickly past her, dropping