Sally James by A Clandestine Affair

Author:A Clandestine Affair
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Teresa, unlike the high spirited Belinda, was sulking, apparently because of her cousin’s presence, and responding shortly to Mr Morris’s valiant attempts to converse with her.

Mary had been surprised at Mr Morris’s unexpected ability as a horseman. He had appeared, exceedingly elegantly attired, mounted on a nervy chestnut which had sidled and fretted restlessly as they had negotiated the town. Mr Morris had been unperturbed, paying the animal no more than the minimum of attention, and yet controlling it where many other riders would have been defeated. Once out of the town he had led them in an exhilarating gallop, and Mary had further admired his masterly control over the animal.

Matthew was carefully avoiding Teresa, and his prudence no doubt contributed to her peevishness. He came to ride beside Mary and Caroline, and Mary tried to distract his attention by commenting on the scenery and asking what he knew of the caves they planned to visit. He was exceedingly well informed.

“They have been worn hollow by the river which runs through them. Men are supposed to have lived in them many hundreds of years ago, and skeletons have been found, as well as pottery and tools and jewelry. There are huge stalagmites and stalactites, and one of them is called the Witch of Wookey.”

“What a peculiar idea,” Caroline commented.

“I suppose it is because long ago there was a witch who lived in the caves, and the local people had to ask the Abbot of Glastonbury to aid them in getting rid of her. I do not think it is known what he did, but she apparently disappeared and people may have thought she had been turned into this stalagmite.”

The party had set out very early, but it was well into the afternoon before they had covered the eighteen or so miles to the caves. Leaving their horses at an inn some way from the entrance, they walked upwards through the valley, exclaiming at the magnificence of the tumbling river gushing along its rocky bed, with the overhanging trees crowded into the narrow defile.

The interior of the caves was quite as impressive as Mary had anticipated. They clambered down steep, uneven steps, through lofty chambers where the light from the lanterns their guides carried did not penetrate to the roof, and along mysterious passages hewn out of the rocks in the years gone by as the river had forced its way.

The river was still there, deep and quiet in places, rushing and gurgling in others as it fell to a new level, and the sound seemed to pervade the whole place. The guides pointed out the features of the caves, and Mary smiled when she saw the stalagmite named for the witch, for one could easily imagine the shape of it to be that of a bent old woman with a great hooked nose, and when the guide held up his lantern, the shadow cast on the wall behind was frighteningly realistic.

They explored as far as a deep, wide cavern, where

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