Page:Gothic Stories.djvu/34

 avages was alo black; they eated themelves on the blocks of the tone, from which their entrance had drove the king and Edmund.

Slowly, in a kind of meaured tep, the three hags advanced backward to the fire, which when they reached, they bent three times each knee to the ground; nine times, with olemn and flow pace, hand in hand, they went round the fire, repeating, in meaured cadences, words which neither James or his friend understood, except that their own names were oft repeated; three times they everally poured ome of the liquid their horns contained into the fire, which blazed fiercely, diffuing a trong aromatic perfume.

Silently had the wondering mortals beheld thee trange figures perform their odd devotions, if uch they might be deemed; nor had they as yet appeared to have attracted their attention; but Edmund could no longer contain himelf; and drawing his dagger, advanced, and tood before them.

The three women, if uch they were, turned toward him; one touched the arm of the intrepid youth with her wand, and the dagger dropped from his hand, which was uddenly benumbed.

The imperfect accent died on his tongue.

“What wouldetwouldst [sic] thou attempt, rah youth?” he cried; “know, no human hearts are lodged in our breats; thou wihet to understand what is our nature; peak, dot thou not? Take up thy ueles weapon; whet it here on my ide, if thou liket; that may uffice thee to learn our ubtance is not, like thine, ubject to wounds or dieae.”

Edmund retreated ome paces; then cried, “I am anwered; thou divined truly, I wihed to learn who or what ye are, who thus, dwelling in this place, replete with wonders, practie ceremonies, of which I am now satisfied I had better remain ignorant; all I ak, is liberty for my friend and elf; for that we depart not hence without your leave, I feel now mot thoroughly convinced.”

“Ere the un ries on this middle world, your