KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Sir Walter Scottassuredly there is little wisdom in taking counsel or receivingaid from one who is but too plainly in league with the authorof evil.”“I must take my chance of that, good Master Holiday,”said Tressilian, rising; “and as my horse must now have eatenhis provender, I must needs thank you for your good cheer,and pray you to show me this man’s residence, that I mayhave the means of proceeding on my journey.”“Ay, ay, do ye show him, Master Herasmus,” said the olddame, who was, perhaps, desirous to get her house freed ofher guest; “a’ must needs go when the devil drives.”“Do manus,” said the Magister, “I submit—taking the worldto witness, that I have possessed this honourable gentlemanwith the full injustice which he has done and shall do to hisown soul, if he becomes thus a trinketer with Satan. Neitherwill I go forth with our guest myself, but rather send mypupil.—Ricarde! Adsis, nebulo.”“Under your favour, not so,” answered the old woman; “youmay peril your own soul, if you list, but my son shall budgeon no such errand. And I wonder at you, Dominie Doctor, topropose such a piece of service for little Dickie.”“Nay, my good Gammer Sludge,” answered the preceptor,“Ricardus shall go but to the top of the hill, and indicate withhis digit to the stranger the dwelling of Wayland Smith. Believenot that any evil can come to him, he having read thismorning, fasting, a chapter of the Septuagint, and, moreover,having had his lesson in the Greek Testament.”“Ay,” said his mother, “and I have sewn a sprig of witch’selm in the neck of un’s doublet, ever since that foul thief hasbegun his practices on man and beast in these parts.”“And as he goes oft (as I hugely suspect) towards this conjurerfor his own pastime, he may for once go thither, or nearit, to pleasure us, and to assist this stranger.—Ergo, heus ricarde!Adsis, quaeso, mi didascule.”The pupil, thus affectionately invoked, at length came stumblinginto the room; a queer, shambling, ill-made urchin, who,by his stunted growth, seemed about twelve or thirteen yearsold, though he was probably, in reality, a year or two older,with a carroty pate in huge disorder, a freckled, sunburnt visage,with a snub nose, a long chin, and two peery grey eyes,which had a droll obliquity of vision, approaching to a squint,though perhaps not a decided one. It was impossible to look117