The Wildfire Club - The Emma Hardinge Britten Archive

OR THE LAST TENANT. :>9
with the air, fol' no one was ever seen with her, yet ahe
seemed to be holding conversations with some one.
"\Vith herself, you mean," cried Mr. Rookwood; .. there
is nothing very unusual in that, is there ? "
The matron pshawed and pshawed; no, it was not with
herself, for she had been known to ask que!!tions, and wait
and listen as if for an answer; and yet always denied it
when detected and questioned; but worse still, she predicted
every thing that happened.
. .. 'Worse! Excellent, you mean," replied her patroll;
.. she shall set to work and write an almanac."
But, above all, her greatest delinquency was a horrible
power which she possessed of turning people almost to
stone; for one day the matron had entered the ward unexpectedly,
and found twelve of her young companions
ranged up against the wall in a row, all fast asleep; 80
fast indeed, that she, the matron, could not wake them
with all her scolding and shaking; and the tE'rrible little
witch had to run from one to the other, making mysterious
signs, ere they all woke up; when they declared they had
seen beautiful sights - of fields, and gardens, and fountains
- and been so happy that they had even forgotten
they were parish charges, and were hungry, cold, and
miserable.
Despite all these abominable accusations, Mr. Rookwood,
being a bold man, took the little mystic into his
nouse, gave her good clothes, kind advice, and a fair
schooling; let her wait upon his daughter, a child a year
younger than herself, and found in her the loveliest, kindest,
most intelligent and affectionate little handmaid that
ever tended upon princess in a fairy tale.
Years rolled on, and though Hannah Morrison's eccentricities
were confirmed facts, her amiability, her beauty,