back to where you came from if you wish to be safe.' And she lifted up her fist and shook it at me. She said: 'If I curse you,' she said, 'there'll be no good luck for you ever again. Buying our land and raising houses on our land. We don't want houses where tent dwellers should be.''
Greta said a lot more. Ellie said to me afterwards, frowning a little,
'It all sounded most improbable, didn't you think so, Mike?'
'I think Greta was exaggerating a bit,' I said.
'It didn't sound right somehow,' said Ellie. 'I wonder if Greta was making some of it up.'
I considered. 'Why would she want to make things up?'
Then I asked sharply, 'You haven't seen our Esther lately, have you? Not when you are out riding?'
'The gipsy woman? No.'
'You don't sound quite sure, Ellie,' I said.
'I think I've caught glimpses of her,' said Ellie. 'You know, standing among the trees peering out but never near enough for me to be sure.'
But Ellie came back from a ride one day, white and shaking.
The old woman had come out from in between the trees.
Ellie had reined up and stopped to speak to her. She said the old woman was shaking her fist and muttering under her breath. Ellie said: 'This time I was angry. I said to her: 'What do you want here? This land doesn't belong to you. It's our land and our house.''
The old woman had said then,
'It'll never be your land and it'll never belong to you. I warned you once and I've warned you twice. I shan't warn you again. It won't be long now – I can tell you that. It's death I see. There behind your left shoulder. It's death standing by you and it's death will have you. That horse you're riding has got one white foot. Don't you know that it's bad luck to ride a horse with one white foot? It's death I see and the grand house you've built falling in ruins.'
'This has got to be stopped,' I said angrily.
Ellie didn't laugh it off this time. Both she and Greta looked upset. I went straight down to the village. I went first to Mrs. Lee's cottage. I hesitated for a moment but there was no light there and I went on to the police station. I knew the Sergeant in Charge, Sergeant Keene, a square, sensible man. He listened to me, then he said:
'I'm sorry you've had this trouble. She's a very old woman and she may be getting tiresome. We've never had much real trouble with her up to now. I'll speak to her and tell her to lay off.'
'If you would,' I said.
He hesitated a minute and then said:
'I don't like to suggest things – but as far as you know, Mr. Rogers, is there anyone around here who might – perhaps for some trivial cause – have it in for you or your wife?'
'I should think it most unlikely. Why?'
'Old Mrs. Lee has been flush of money lately. I don't know where it's coming from -'
'What are you suggesting?'
'It could be someone is paying her – someone who wants you out of here. There was an incident – a good many years ago. She took money from someone in the village – to frighten a neighbour away. Doing this same sort of stuff – threats – warnings – evil eye business – village people are superstitious. You'd be surprised at the number of villages in England that have got their private witch, so to speak. She got a warning then and so far as I know she's never tried it on since – but it could be like that. She's fond of money – they'll do a lot for money.'
But I couldn't accept that idea. I pointed out to Keene that we were complete strangers here. 'We've not had time to make enemies,' I said.
I walked back to the house worried and perplexed. As I turned the corner of the terrace, I heard the faint sound of Ellie's guitar, and a tall figure, who had been standing by the window looking in, wheeled round and came towards me. For a moment I thought it was our gipsy, then I relaxed as I recognised Santonix.
'Oh,' I said with a slight gasp, 'it's you. Where have you sprung from? We've not heard from you for ages.'
He didn't answer me directly. He just caught my arm and drew me away from the window.
'So she's here!' he said. 'I'm not surprised. I thought she'd come sooner or later. Why did you let her? She's dangerous. You ought to know that.'
'You mean Ellie?'
'No, no, not Ellie. The other one! What's her name? Greta.'
I stared at him.
'Do you know what Greta's like or don't you? She's come, hasn't she? Taken possession! You won't get rid of her now. She's come to stay.'
'Ellie sprained her ankle,' I said, 'Greta came to look after her. She's – I suppose she's going soon.'
'You don't know anything of the kind. She always meant to come. I knew that. I took her measure when she came down while the house was building.'
'Ellie seems to want her,' I muttered.
'Oh yes, she's been with Ellie some time, hasn't she? She knows how to manage Ellie.'
That was what Lippincott had said. I'd seen for myself lately how true it was.
'Do you want her here, Mike?'
'I can't throw her out of the house,' I said irritably. 'She's Ellie's old friend. Her best friend. What the hell can I do about it?'
'No,' said Santonix, 'I suppose you can't do anything, can you?'
He looked at me. It was a very strange glance. Santonix was a strange man. You never knew what his words really meant.
'Do you know where you're going, Mike?' he said. 'Have you any idea? Sometimes I don't think you know anything at all.'
'Of course I know,' I said. 'I'm doing what I want to. I'm going where I wanted.'
'Are you? I wonder. I wonder if you really know what you want yourself. I'm afraid for you with Greta. She's stronger than you are, you know.'
'I don't see how you make that out. It in't a question of strength.'
'Isn't it? I think it is. She's the strong kind, the kind that always gets her way. You didn't mean to have her here. That's what you said. But here she is, and I've been watching them. She and Ellie sitting together, at home together chattering and settled in. What are you, Mike? The outsider? Or aren't you an outsider?'
'You're crazy, the things you say. What do you mean – I'm an outsider? I'm Ellie's husband, aren't I?'
'Are you Ellie's husband or is Ellie your wife?'
'You're daft,' I said. 'What's the difference?'
He sighed. Suddenly his shoulders sagged as though vigour went out of him.
'I can't reach you,' said Santonix. 'I can't make you hear me. I can't make you understand. Sometimes I think you do understand, sometimes I think you don't know anything at all about yourself or anyone else.'
'Look here,' I said, 'I'll take so much from you, Santonix. You're a wonderful architect – but -'
His face changed in the queer way it had.
'Yes,' he said, 'I'm a good architect. This house is the best thing I have done. I'm as near as possible satisfied with it. You wanted a house like this. And Ellie wanted a house like this, too, to live in with you. She's got it and you've got it. Send that other woman away, Mike, before it's too late.'
'How can I upset Ellie?'
'That woman's got you where she wants you,' said Santonix.
'Look here,' I said, 'I don't like Greta. She gets on my nerves. The other day I even had a frightful row with her. But none of it's as simple as you think.'
'No, it won't be simple with her.'
'Whoever called this place Gipsy's Acre and said it had a curse on it may have had something,' I said angrily.
'We've had gipsies who jump out from behind trees and shake fists at us and warn us that if we don't get out of here, some awful fate will happen to us. This place that ought to be good and beautiful.'
