The Guardians of the Door 141

“Tt is a lonely place for a child to live in
by herself,” he thought.

At last he perceived the outline of the old
hovel, among the gorse and broom, and the
next moment he stopped suddenly, for there,
as he had been told, a thread of bright light
came streaming through the shutters of the
small window. He drew his lantern under
his cloak, and approached cautiously. The
road where he stood was now dim, but by
the faint glimmer of the stars he was able to
make out that there were several persons
standing under the eaves, and apparently
whispering together.

The Vicar’s good old heart was filled with
surprise and sorrow. Then it suddenly grew
hot with anger, and throwing aside his cloak
and lifting up the lantern he advanced boldly
to confront the intruders. But they were
not at all alarmed, and they did not make
any attempt to escape him. Then, as the
light fell upon their forms and faces, who but
the Vicar was struck with awe and amaze-
ment, and stood gazing as still as a stone!

The people under the eaves were men of
another age and another world, strangely
clothed in long garments, and majestic in