The heat of the
flames had curled the parchment a little, and he spread it out on his
knee, conning it in the firelight.
''Tis well written,' he said, 'and good verses enough, but he who put
them together for a spell knew little how to keep off evil spirits, for
this would not keep a flea from a black cat. I could do ten times better
myself, being not without some little understanding of such things,' and
he nodded seriously; 'and though I never yet met any from the other
world, they would not take me unprepared if they should come. For I have
spent half my life in graveyard or church, and 'twould be as foolish to
move about such places and have no words to meet an evil visitor withal,
as to bear money on a lonely road without a pistol. So one day, after
Parson Glennie had preached from Habakkuk, how that "the vision is for an
appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it
tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry", I
talked with him on these matters, and got from him three or four rousing
texts such as spectres fear more than a burned child does the fire. I
will learn them all to thee some day, but for the moment take this Latin
which I got by heart: "_Abite a me in ignem etemum qui paratus est
diabolo at angelis ejus."_ Englished it means: "Depart from me into
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels," but hath at least
double that power in Latin.
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