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pretty, that’s right now. You hear what old Mother Lee will tell you.”
    Ellie drew off her glove and laid her small delicate palm in the old woman’s hand. She looked down at it, muttering to herself. “What do I see now? What do I see?”
    Suddenly she dropped Ellie’s hand abruptly.
    â€œI’d go away from here if I were you. Go—and don’t come back! That’s what I told you just now and it’s true. I’ve seen it again in your palm. Forget Gipsy’s Acre, forget you ever saw it. And it’s not just the ruined house up there, it’s the land itself that’s cursed.”
    â€œYou’ve got a mania about that,” I said roughly. “Anyway the young lady has nothing to do with the land here. She’s only here for a walk today, she’s nothing to do with the neighbourhood.”
    The old woman paid no attention to me. She said dourly:
    â€œI’m telling you, my pretty. I’m warning you. You can have a happy life—but you must avoid danger. Don’t come to a place where there’s danger or where there’s a curse. Go away where you’re loved and taken care of and looked after. You’ve got to keep yourself safe. Remember that. Otherwise—otherwise—” she gave a short shiver. “I don’t like to see it, I don’t like to see what’s in your hand.”
    Suddenly with a queer brisk gesture she pushed back the two half crowns into Ellie’s palm, mumbling something we could hardlyhear. It sounded like “It’s cruel. It’s cruel, what’s going to happen.” Turning, she stalked away at a rapid pace.
    â€œWhat a—what a frightening woman,” said Ellie.
    â€œPay no attention to her,” I said gruffly. “I think she’s half off her head anyway. She just wants to frighten you off. They’ve got a sort of feeling, I think, about this particular piece of land.”
    â€œHave there been accidents here? Have bad things happened?”
    â€œBound to be accidents. Look at the curve and the narrowness of the road. The Town Council ought to be shot for not doing something about it. Of course there’ll be accidents here. There aren’t enough signs warning you.”
    â€œOnly accidents—or other things?”
    â€œLook here,” I said, “people like to collect disasters. There are plenty of disasters always to collect. That’s the way stories build themselves up about a place.”
    â€œIs that one of the reasons why they say this property which is being sold will go cheap?”
    â€œWell, it may be, I suppose. Locally, that is. But I don’t suppose it’ll be sold locally. I expect it’ll be bought for developing. You’re shivering,” I said. “Don’t shiver. Come on, we’ll walk fast.” I added, “Would you rather I left you before you got back into the town?”
    â€œNo. Of course not. Why should I?”
    I made a desperate plunge.
    â€œLook here,” I said, “I shall be in Market Chadwell tomorrow. I—I suppose—I don’t know whether you’ll still be there…I mean, would there be any chance of—seeing you?” I shuffled my feet and turned my head away. I got rather red, I think. But if I didn’t say something now, how was I going to go on with this?
    â€œOh yes,” she said, “I shan’t be going back to London until the evening.”
    â€œThen perhaps—would you—I mean, I suppose it’s rather cheek—”
    â€œNo, it isn’t.”
    â€œWell, perhaps you’d come and have tea at a café—the Blue Dog I think it’s called. It’s quite nice,” I said. “It’s—I mean, it’s—” I couldn’t get hold of the word I wanted and I used the word that I’d heard my mother use once or twice—“it’s quite ladylike,” I said anxiously.
    Then Ellie