but one way to be pursued for the reversing of the spell, which required considerable courage and perseverance. "This day," said the astrologer, "is one of the four great divisions of the year, upon all of which men have power over fairies; and it is, moreover, the holy season of our Lady's Annunciation. Thou must then immediately go to those dark and marshy fields which lie to the north-east of this place in Finsbury, and prepare thee a grave; in which at night-time thou must place the changeling, repeating such a spell as I shall give thee. All this must be done alone; and alone and in silence thou must watch through the night, with thy back towards the grave. If these ceremonies be faithfully performed, when the first rays of the sun shall cast thy shadow upon the ground, look upon the grave, and thy Basil shall be restored; but if the least point be omitted, another quarter of a year must pass ere this spell can be repeated. Go now, prepare the grave, and at night come hither for thy elf-child and the spell." Fluke departed, after thanking the astrologer, and promising the strictest attention to his instructions. Having prepared the grave, he passed the remainder of the day in refreshing himself for his night's watching; and about the hour of nine he went to Horoscope's for his charge, taking with him a dark lanthorn and his cutlass. The changeling and the old mariner were soon on the road to Finsbury Fields, which at the time of this history spread in marshy wildness on either side of what is now called the Pavement, leaving only a long lane, guarded with low hedges passing between them, though the place is now occupied by splendid shops and stately dwelling-houses. Fluke's first care was to lay the elf in the grave, and much was he surprised to find him passive, and comparatively gentle to what he had formerly seen him; and then, holding up the lanthorn to Horoscope's written instructions, he read over the changeling the following spell : "Receive, O earth! O virgin earth! Throughout the night, throughout the night, Those tears, those sorrows shall relieve. 'Tis done! in darkness works the spell, Having uttered these lines, Fluke wrapped himself in his watch-coat, unsheathed his cutlass, and then, turning his back to the grave, and to the east, sat down in much anxiety of mind upon a mound of earth. The night which followed was dark, fearful, and tempestuous; the lightning, and rain, and wind were continually in motion, and with the storm there seemed to mingle shouts from the grave; and sometimes he heard, or thought he heard, several voices, with singing and with laughter. Then again it would seem as if a procession passed him on horseback, with the bridlebits and stirrups ringing loudly and merrily; but though the gloom of the midnight was too deep for discerning anything through it, the old mariner actually imagined that he saw a shadowy train ride by him, one of which bore something before him on his saddle-bow. When it had passed, a blaze of light seemed to burst out of the grave, followed by such strange sounds of mourning and shouting, that the honest sailor could scarcely refrain from turning round to look upon it; but the remembrance of Horoscope's words made him resist the temptation. Towards morning a deep sleep fell upon him, from which he awoke not till the sun's beams cast his shadow on the ground before him. He rose in a moment, and rushing to the spot where the grave was, he found instead of it a small mound of the most beautiful green turf, with little Basil Hartwell lying upon it asleep, and as lovely as when he was conveyed to Fairyland. Words cannot express Fluke's joy as he clasped the boy to his bosom, and departed. The same morning also, to increase his happiness, and set all his future fears at rest, the payment of a very large sum of prize money, which had long been litigated, put an end to his continuing a resident in the " Both ends" of Pickaxe Street. RICHARD THOMSON. MURRAY AND GIBB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM P. NIMMO, EDINBURGH, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. Nimmo's Popular Tales: A SERIES OF INTERESTING AND AMUSING STORIES NIMM BY EMINENT AUTHORS. [IMMO'S POPULAR TALES will be issued in MONTHLY VOLUMES, ONE SHILLING each, uniform with the Waverley Novels and Wilson's Tales of the Borders. Each Volume will contain about 250 pages fcap. 8vo, will be well printed on good paper, and bound in a handsome Illustrated Wrapper. Volume I., published on June 1, CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING TALES GERALD AYMER'S LOVES. A DESPERATE ACT. AN OLD REEFER'S YARN. SAISE, THE RICCAREE. THE BELLOWS - MENDER OF THE MAN WHO OWNED HE WAS A FOOL. THE DIAMOND EYES. CHARLES SEYMOUR'S JEALOUSY. ANNIE MARSHALL'S DESTINY. Volume III., to be published August 1, |