The family of the young squire were, however, not quite contented,
especially as rumours of witchcraft and devil's dealings were bruited about
the neighbourhood. And on the very eve of the marriage, just as the young
man was pouring forth his vows of eternal love to the bride expectant, the
door was burst open, and a body of men entered, headed by the nearest
relations of the squire, who proceeded at once to belabour the young
bridegroom with hazel sticks in the most vigorous manner. In vain the bride
tried to interpose. She only drew the blows on herself, and finally the young
man was carried away half stunned, lifted into the carriage and driven
straight home, where he was locked up in his own room, and not allowed to
hold any communication with the bride elect.
The daily doses of the powder having thus ceased, he began to recover
from the love madness, and finally the fever passed away. And he looked
back with wonder and horror on the fatal step he had so nearly taken. Now
he saw there was really witchcraft in it, which the power of the hazel twigs
had completely broken. And the accomplice having confessed the sorcery
practised on him by Nora and herself, he hated the girl henceforth as much
as he had once loved her.
And after a little he went away on foreign travel, and remained abroad
for three years. When he returned, he found that Nora had degenerated into
a withered little witch-faced creature, who was shunned by every one, and
jeered at for the failure of her wicked spells, which had all come to nothing,
though she had the Evil One himself to aid her; for such is the fate of all
who deal in sorcery and devil's magic, especially with the help of Satan's
chief instrument of witchcraft--the black cat.
But there is a certain herb of more power even than the cat's liver to
produce love. Though what this herb is, only the adept knows and can
reveal. The influence it exercises lasts, it is said, for twenty-one years, and
then ceases and cannot be renewed.
A gentleman, now living, once ate of this herb, which was given to him
by his wife's serving-maid, and in consequence he was fated to love the girl
for the specified time. Not being then able to endure his wife's presence, he
sent her away from the house, and devoted himself exclusively to the
servant. Nineteen years have now passed by, and the poor lady is still
waiting patiently to the end of the twenty-one years, believing that the
witch-spell will then cease, and that her husband's love will be hers once
more. For already he has been inquiring after her and his children, and has
been heard lamenting the madness that forced him to drive them from the
house for the sake of the menial, who usurped his wife's place by means of
some wicked sorcery which he had no power to resist.
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