VALLEY

172 RAINBOW VALLEYhere?" he demanded in his great resounding voice,with a fierce scowl.For once in her life Faith had nothing to say.Shehad never supposed Norman Douglas was like this.She was paralyzed with terror of him. He saw itand it made him worse."What's the matter with you?" he boomed. "Youlook as ifyou wanted to say something and was scaredto say it. What's troubling you? Confound it, speakup, can't you?"No. Faith could not speak up. No words wouldcome. But her lips began to tremble."For heaven's sake, don't cry," shouted Noirman."I can't stand snivelling. If you've anything to say,sayit and have done. GreatKitty, is the girl possessedof a dumb spirit? Don't look at me like that I'mhuman I haven't got a tail ! Who are you who areyou, I say?"Norman's voice could have been heard at the harbour.Operations in the kitchen were suspended. Mrs.Wilson was listening open-eared and eyed. Normanput his huge brown hands on his knees and leanedforward, staring into Faith's pallid, shrinking face.He seemed to loom over her like some evil giant outof a fairy tale. She felt as if he would eat her upnext thing, body and bones."I am Faith Meredith," she said, in little morethan a whisper."Meredith, hey?One of the parson's youngsters,