"You see that Aunt Bets knows life," remarked Lillian to her cousin.
"I ha' lived long and I ha' seen a deal. I see a young Spaniard once, but ye never could ha' told by his speech or looks that he was furrin. He come wid a friend who was sho'in' him the sights o' the town." Her mind reverted to Anita's Spanish ancestry. "It must be a quare pleece that Spain, all mountains and skeerce a tree they tell me."
"Oh, but it is not all like that," Anita assured her. "Some of it is as green and lovely as England."
Aunt Bets looked as if she thought that was all talk. She had heard about Spain and the report did not coincide with Anita's tale which probably was merely a boastful one.
Then it came time to go and they left the little toy house and the queer old woman who stood in her door peering after them like some old witch herself.
"Never in all my lifetime did I ever hear such a lot of queer superstitions," declared Anita when they had turned out of the courtyard. "She is positively uncanny. I have heard the negroes at home tell queer things, but I didn't know anyone else believed in witches nowadays."
"Aunt Bets isn't the only one," responded Lillian. "I think Tibbie half believes in them, and if not in them in a number of other strange things. Most of the country people do. I didn't like what she said about the war. I wish I hadn't asked her. She is a great one for telling you what the Bible prophesies. She pores over it. I don't think she reads anything else except a daily paper, which some one lets her have when it is a day old. She can prove almost anything by the prophecies and it is funny how she applies them to such very commonplace things. Granny will be amused when we give her an account of our visit."
"How did you discover her?"
"She is a protégé of Mr. Kirkby's. It is practically through his influence that she has that cozy little place for the rest of her days. He interested friends of his who had influence and in that way she was allowed the home. Mr. Kirkby always goes to see her when he is in Chichester, and they have long talks upon the Bible. I think he quite enjoys her odd points of view."
"How did he happen to come across her?"