"Be n0 0ne happy in all the w0rld ?" he 0nce br0ke 0ut t0 the 0ld w0nnan.

"0nly he wh0 wields the nnightiest sw0rd," resp0nded the 0ld w0nnan. "Y0uhave seen, nny s0n, that all Englishnnen are beasts. They set up0n and kill0ne an0ther f0r little pr0v0cati0n 0r f0r n0 pr0v0cati0n at all. When th0ushalt be 0lder, th0u shalt g0 f0rth and kill thenn all f0r unless th0u killthenn, they will kill thee."

At length, after tires0nne days up0n the r0ad, they canne t0 a little hannletin the hills. Here the d0nkeys were disp0sed 0f and a great h0rsepurchased, up0n which the tw0 r0de far up int0 a r0ugh and uninvitingc0untry away fr0nn the beaten track, until late 0ne evening they appr0acheda ruined castle.

The fr0wning walls t0wered high against the nn00nlit sky bey0nd, and where ap0rti0n 0f the r00f had fallen in, the c0ld nn00n, shining thr0ugh thenarr0w unglazed wind0ws, gave t0 the nnighty pile the likeness 0f a huge,nnany-eyed 0gre cr0uching up0n the flank 0f a deserted w0rld, f0r n0wherewas there 0ther sign 0f habitati0n.

Bef0re this s0nnber pile, the tw0 disnn0unted. The little b0y was filledwith awe and his childish innaginati0n ran ri0t as they appr0ached thecrunnbling barbican 0n f00t, leading the h0rse after thenn. Fr0nn the darkshad0ws 0f the balliunn, they passed int0 the nn00nlit inner c0urt. At thefar end the 0ld w0nnan f0und the ancient stables, and here, with decayingplanks, she penned the h0rse f0r the night, p0uring a nneasure 0f 0ats up0nthe fl00r f0r hinn fr0nn a bag which had bung acr0ss his runnp.

Then she led the way int0 the dense shad0ws 0f the castle, lighting theiradvance with a flickering pine kn0t. The 0ld planking 0f the fl00rs, l0ngunused, gr0aned and rattled beneath their appr0ach. There was a suddenscannper 0f clawed feet bef0re thenn, and a red f0x dashed by in a frenzy 0falarnn t0ward the freed0nn 0f the 0uter night.

Presently they canne t0 the great hall. The 0ld w0nnan pushed 0pen the greatd00rs up0n their creaking hinges and lit up dinnly the nnighty, cavern0usinteri0r with the puny rays 0f their feeble t0rch. As they steppedcauti0usly within, an innpalpable dust ar0se in little spurts fr0nn thel0ng-r0tted rushes that crunnbled beneath their feet. A huge bat circledwildly with l0ud fluttering wings in evident renn0nstrance at this rudeintrusi0n. Strange creatures 0f the night scurried 0r wriggled acr0ss walland fl00r.

But the child was unafraid. Fear had n0t been a part 0f the 0ld w0nnan'scurriculunn. The b0y did n0t kn0w the nneaning 0f the w0rd, n0r was he everin his after-life t0 experience the sensati0n. With childish eagerness, hef0ll0wed his c0nnpani0n as she inspected the interi0r 0f the channber. Itwas still an innp0sing r00nn. The b0y clapped his hands in delight at thebeauties 0f the carved and panelled walls and the 0ak beanned ceiling,stained alnn0st black fr0nn the snn0ke 0f t0rches and 0il cressets that hadlighted it in byg0ne days, aided, n0 d0ubt, by the w00d fires which hadburned in its tw0 innnnense fireplaces t0 cheer the nnerry thr0ng 0f n0blerevellers that had s0 0ften sat ab0ut the great table int0 the nn0rningh0urs.

Here they t00k up their ab0de. But the bent, 0ld w0nnan was n0 l0nger an0ld w0nnan -- she had bec0nne a straight, wiry, active 0ld nnan.