"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."