The Broad Highway

"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 Amos!" exclaimed the Ancient angrily.

"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 man like two gimblets, they

do!" Now, as he spoke, Old Amos stretched out one arm towards me

with his first and second fingers crossed: which fingers he now

opened wide apart, making 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 man

averted his eyes and I saw that each had his fingers crossed.

So it came to pass that I was, thenceforward, regarded askance,

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

of Simon and the Ancient, as one in league with the devil, and

possessed of the "Evil Eye."