"And why? said I," continued the vagrant, "why, said I, should I not do
for this service as well as another? for many and many had been the
corpse which I had streaked; so she accepted my offer, and took me up to
the chamber of death, and I streaked the body, and a noble corpse it
was. The dame had been a comely one, as tall as that lady," pointing to
Dymock's aunt, "and not unlike her."
"Ah!" exclaimed Mrs. Margaret, smiling, "I understand it now;" but
Dymock bade her be silent, and the vagrant went on.
"So," said she, "when I had streaked the body, I said to Rebecca we
must have a silver plate, for pewter will not answer the purpose."
"What for?" said she.
"'To fill with salt,' I answered, 'and set upon the breast.'
"So she fetched me a silver plate half filled with salt, and I laid it
on the corpse; 'and now,' I said, 'we must have rue and marjoram, run
down and get me some;' and then I frightened her, poor fool as she was,
by telling her that by the limpness of the hand of the corpse, I augured
another death very soon in the house."
"When I told this to Rebecca, the creature was so frightened, that away
she ran, leaving me in the room with the body. Swift as thought,"
continued the woman, "I caught the silver dish, and was running down
stairs,--it was gloaming--when I saw a door open opposite the chamber of
death, and there, in the glimmering, I saw the child of the family
asleep in a little crib.
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