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it will bring you and danger. Go away home across the sea and don’t come back to Gipsy’s Acre. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    “We’re doing no harm.”
    “Come now, Mrs Lee,” I said, “don’t frighten this young lady.”
    I turned in an explanatory way to Ellie.
    “Mrs Lee lives in the village. She’s got a cottage there. She tells fortunes and prophesies the future. All that, don’t you, Mrs Lee?” I spoke to her in a jocular way.
    “I’ve got the gift,” she said simply, drawing her gipsy-like figure up straighter still. “I’ve got the gift. It’s born in me. We all have it. I’ll tell your fortune, young lady. Cross my palm with silver and I’ll tell your fortune for you.”
    “I don’t think I want my fortune told.”
    “It’d be a wise thing to do. Know something about the future. Know what to avoid, know what’s coming to you if you don’t take care. Come now, there’s plenty of money in your pocket. Plenty of money. I know things it would be wise for you to know.”
    I believe the urge to have one’s fortune told is almost invariable in women. I’ve noticed it before with girls I knew. I nearly always had to pay for them to go into the fortune-tellers’ booths if I took them to a fair. Ellie opened her bag and laid two half crowns in the old woman’s hand.
    “Ah, my pretty, that’s right now. You hear what old Mother Lee will tell you.”
    Ellie drew off her glove and laid her small delicate palm in the old woman’s hand. She looked down at it, muttering to herself. “What do I see now? What do I see?”
    Suddenly she dropped Ellie’s hand abruptly.
    “I’d go away from here if I were you. Go—and don’t come back! That’s what I told you just now and it’s true. I’ve seen it again in your palm. Forget Gipsy’s Acre, forget you ever saw it. And it’s not just the ruined house up there, it’s the land itself that’s cursed.”
    “You’ve got a mania about that,” I said roughly. “Anyway the young lady has nothing to do with the land here. She’s only here for a walk today, she’s nothing to do with the neighbourhood.”
    The old woman paid no attention to me. She said dourly:
    “I’m telling you, my pretty. I’m warning you. You can have a happy life—but you must avoid danger. Don’t come to a place where there’s danger or where there’s a curse. Go away where you’re loved and taken care of and looked after. You’ve got to keep yourself safe. Remember that. Otherwise—otherwise—” she gave a short shiver. “I don’t like to see it, I don’t like to see what’s in your hand.”
    Suddenly with a queer brisk gesture she pushed back the two half crowns into Ellie’s palm, mumbling something we could hardly hear. It sounded like “It’s cruel. It’s cruel, what’s going to happen.” Turning, she stalked away at a rapid pace.
    “What a—what a frightening woman,” said Ellie.
    “Pay no attention to her,” I said gruffly. “I think she’s half off her head anyway. She just wants to frighten you off. They’ve got a sort of feeling, I think, about this particular piece of land.”
    “Have there been accidents here? Have bad things happened?”
    “Bound to be accidents. Look at the curve and the narrowness of the road. The Town Council ought to be shot for not doing something about it. Of course there’ll be accidents here. There aren’t enough signs warning you.”
    “Only accidents—or other things?”
    “Look here,” I said, “people like to collect disasters. There are plenty of disasters always to collect. That’s the way stories build themselves up about a place.”
    “Is that one of the reasons why they say this property which is being sold will go cheap?”
    “Well, it may be, I suppose. Locally, that is. But I don’t suppose it’ll be sold locally. I expect it’ll be bought for developing. You’re shivering,” I said. “Don’t shiver. Come on, we’ll walk fast.” I added, “Would you rather I left you