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"Not in the least," said I, whereupon those nearest instinctively

shrank farther from me, while Old Amos rose and shuffled towards

the door

"I've heerd o' folk sellin' theirselves to the devil afore now"

said he

"You be a danged fule, Joel Arily

"Fule or no--I never see a chap wi' such a tur'ble dark-lookin'

face afore, an' wi' such eyes--so black, an' sharp, an' piercin'

as needles, they be--ah! goes through a imblets, they

do!" Now, as he spoke, Old Amos stretched out one arers crossed: which fingers he now

opened wide apart,what I believe is called "the horns," and

an infallible safeguard against this particular form of evil

"It's the 'Evil Eye,'" said he in a half whisper, "the 'Evil

Eye'!" and, turning about, betook himself away

One by one the others followed, and, as they passed me, each ers crossed

So it caarded askance,

if not openly avoided, by the whole village, with--the exception

of Siue with the devil, and

possessed of the "Evil Eye"