Lemuel watched breathlessly; he was not sure that
he knew what kind of fate she meant, but he thought he knew, and it
made his heart beat quick. 'Manda Grier had passed the ribbon
through the ring of the key, which was left outside of the leaves,
and now she took hold of the key with her two forefingers. "You got
to be careful not to touch the Bible with your fingers," she
explained, "or the charm won't work. Now I'll say over two verses,
't where the key's put in, and Mr. Barker, you got to repeat the
alphabet at the same time; and when it comes to the first letter of
the right name, the Bible will drop out of my fingers, all I can do.
Now then! _Set me as a seal on thine heart_--"
"A, B, C, D." began Lemuel. "Pshaw, now, 'Manda Grier, you stop!"
pleaded Statira.
"You be still! Go on, Mr. Barker!--_As a seal upon thine arm; for
love is as strong as death_--don't say the letters so fast--
_jealousy as cruel as the grave_--don't look at S'tira; look at
me!--_the coals thereof are coals of fire_--you're sayin' it
too slow now--_which hath a most vehement flame._ I declare,
S'tira Dudley, if you joggle me!--_Many waters cannot quench love;
neither can the floods drown it_--you must put just so much time
between every letter; if you stop on every particular one, it ain't
fair--_if a man would give all the substance of his house for
love_--you stop laughin', you two!--_it would be utterly
consumed_.
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