Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall

CONTENTS

Page

A TOUCH OF BLACK MAGIC 1

CHAPTER
I. I RIDE SOWN TO HADDON 3
II. THE IRON, THE SEED, THE CLOUD, AND THE RAIN 19
III. THE PITCHER GOES TO THE WELL 35
IV. THE GOLDEN HEART 62
V. MINE ENEMY'S ROOF-TREE 91
VI. A DANGEROUS TRIP TO DERBY-TOWN 108
VII. TRIBULATION IN HADDON 130
VIII. MALCOLM NO. 2 163
IX. A TRYST AT BOWLING GREEN GATE 181
X. THOMAS THE MAN-SERVANT 211
XI. THE COST MARK OF JOY 239
XII. THE LEICESTER POSSIBILITY 260
XIII. PROUD DAYS FOR THE OLD HALL 281
XIV. MARY STUART 302
XV. LIGHT 333
XVI. LEICESTER WAITS AT THE STILE 360





A TOUCH OF BLACK MAGIC


I draw the wizard's circle upon the sands, and blue flames spring from its
circumference. I describe an inner circle, and green flames come
responsive to my words of magic. I touch the common centre of both with my
wand, and red flames, like adders' tongues, leap from the earth. Over
these flames I place my caldron filled with the blood of a new-killed doe,
and as it boils I speak my incantations and make my mystic signs and
passes, watching the blood-red mist as it rises to meet the spirits of
Air. I chant my conjurations as I learned them from the Great Key of
Solomon, and while I speak, the ruddy fumes take human forms. Out of the
dark, fathomless Past--the Past of near four hundred years ago--comes a
goodly company of simple, pompous folk all having a touch of childish
savagery which shows itself in the fierceness of their love and of their
hate.