Hobden broke open the potato and ate it with the curious neatness of men who make most of their meals in the blowy open . ` She growed to be quite reasonable-like after livin ' in the Weald awhile , but our first twenty year or two she was odd-fashioned , no bounds . And she was a won ` erful hand with bees . ' He cut away a little piece of potato and threw it out to the door . ` Ah ! I 've heard say the Whitgifts could see further through a millstone than most , ' said Shoesmith . ` Did she , now ? ' ` She was honest-innocent of any nigromancin ' , ' said Hobden . ` Only she 'd read signs and sinnifications out o ' birds flyin ' , stars fallin ' , bees hivin ' , and such . An , she 'd lie awake -- listenin ' for calls , she said . ' ` That do n't prove naught , ' said Tom . ` All Marsh folk has been smugglers since time everlastin ' . ` Twould be in her blood to listen out o ' nights . ' ` Nature-ally , ' old Hobden replied , smiling . ' I mind when there was smugglin ' a sight nearer us than what the Marsh be . But that was n't my woman 's trouble . 'T was a passel o ' no-sense talk ' -- he dropped his voice -- ` about Pharisees . ' ` Yes . I 've heard Marsh men belieft in 'em . ' Tom looked straight at the wide-eyed children beside Bess .
` XXXXX , ' cried Una .
Pharisees Shoesmith Tom Whitgifts belieft everlastin nights nigromancin sinnifications year