"A bargain! A bargain!" said the voice loud and clear
Of a neat little man in garb black;
"But remember, my dear, since ye've called me here,
If ye can't guess my name, I'll have 'ee in a year,"
And he brought his tail down with a rap.
"All right," said Duffy undaunted, and tossed up her head in disdain, and then fell to lolling on the wool sacks and idling and singing away the whole day. In the evening the little man in black handed to her the result of his day's spinning and she descended with it into the great hall below.
"Zounds! What a liar old Janey was," said the squire, as he viewed the fine amount of spun yarn, and casting a favouring glance on Duffy he said she was the finest spinner in Cornwall.
The next day Duffy took the yarn with her to the attic to knit the squire's hunting stockings, and the little man, true to his contract, performed the work for her and soon,——
The stockings were finished, and knit strong as leather,
Squire Lovell was filled with delight;
With dogs all together, in all sorts of weather,
His old shanks were sound in furze, brambles or heather,
Whether hunting by day or by night.
But now came a worrying time for the old squire, for the lads from the whole country around had heard of Duffy's fine spinning and were not indifferent to Duffy's charms. The squire feared that she would marry one of them and then he should lose his fine stockings, and so resolved to forestall such a dire thing by marrying Duffy himself. They were married in the old parish church before a great assemblage from far and near. The old squire's heart was full of glee as he gazed at the young, disappointed men around him. "Ha! Ha!" thought he, "she soon shall be mine." But no sooner had he thought this than there was a terrible, distinct voice echoing the same thoughts.
"Ha! Ha! She soon shall be mine!" blood curdling and dire,
Echoed a voice; the people were still,
And from window of choir gazed the black man in ire,
Yet knew that the end of his compact was nigh her,
When she must be subject to his will.
The people in the church heard the voice, but no one knew who had spoken the words. The rector was indignant that the service should be interrupted and would have had the party, then and there, up before the gentlemen at the court if he could have found him. The supposition was that some jealous suitor had spoken, and the thing was soon forgotten by everyone but Duffy, or Lady Lovell, as we must now call her. She knew and was nigh to fainting had not the squire supported her with his sturdy arm. They were happy in their married life, for the squire loved his wife and Duffy had always a secret regard for him, but there was a dread in her mind that the words of the little man in black must soon come true. The year was nigh up and she had tried all plans to discover his name, but of little avail. She was nigh in despair when a person whom she had befriended relieved her of much of her anxiety. That person was old Betty of the mill, who was commonly supposed to be something of a witch.
She carefully inquired of Lady Lovell when the squire went on his next hunting trip, and having ascertained the time to the very hour, she obtained from her a jack of the squire's best beer.
That day the squire went hunting far from home and even at nightfall returned not to Lovell Hall. As the hours of nightfall came on, the dogs, one by one, came back all lathered in foam, but no Squire Lovell. At ten o'clock came the squire and he was visibly excited and seemed bubbling over with laughter.