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257
Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
134
Conjuration,
sleight
of
hand,
magic,
witchcraft,
were
the
subjects
of
the
evening.
Miss
Pole
was
slightly
sceptical,
and
inclined
to
think
there
might
be
a
scientific
solution
found
for
even
the
proceedings
of
the
Witch
of
Endor.
Mrs
Forrester
believed
everything,
from
ghosts
to
death-watches.
Miss
Matty
ranged
between
the
two—
always
convinced
by
the
last
speaker.
I
think
she
was
naturally
more
inclined
to
Mrs
Forrester’s
side,
but
a
desire
of
proving
herself
a
worthy
sister
to
Miss
Jenkyns
kept
her
equally
balanced—
Miss
Jenkyns,
who
would
never
allow
a
servant
to
call
the
little
rolls
of
tallow
that
formed
themselves
round
candles
“winding-sheets,”
but
insisted
on
their
being
spoken
of
as
“roley-poleys!”
A
sister
of
hers
to
be
superstitious!
It
would
never
do.
After
tea,
I
was
despatched
downstairs
into
the
dining-parlour
for
that
volume
of
the
old
Encyclopædia
which
contained
the
nouns
beginning
with
C,
in
order
that
Miss
Pole
might
prime
herself
with
scientific
explanations
for
the
tricks
of
the
following
evening.
It
spoilt
the
pool
at
Preference
which
Miss
Matty
and
Mrs
Forrester
had
been
looking
forward
to,
for
Miss
Pole
became
so
much
absorbed
in
her
subject,
and
the
plates
by
which
it
was
illustrated,
that
we
felt
it
would
be
cruel
to
disturb
her
otherwise
than
by
one
or
two
well-timed
yawns,
which
I
threw
in
now
and
then,
for
I
was
really
touched
by
the
meek
way
in
which
the
two
ladies
were
bearing
their
disappointment.
But
Miss
Pole
only
read
the
more
zealously,
imparting
to
us
no
more
information
than
this—
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