In a desolate Northumbrian moor, a witch-like figure named Mother Carke lives in a dilapidated cottage. She is known for her fortune-telling and rumored witchcraft. One evening, she encounters a mysterious, gaunt man who claims to be a lord in love with a girl named Laura Silver Bell. He instructs her to summon Laura for a meeting, offering gold for her assistance. Mother Carke, wary of the man’s intentions, refuses his offer. Laura, raised by Farmer Lew after her mother died shortly after giving birth, is a beautiful girl with a mysterious past. She is known for her charm and has grown up without being baptized, which raises concerns among the locals about her safety from supernatural forces. Mother Carke warns Laura about the dangers of not being baptized and the potential consequences of interacting with dark entities. Despite the warnings, Laura becomes enchanted by the idea of the lord and is drawn to the supernatural. She recounts a previous encounter with a tall, dark figure who danced with her and expressed his love. Mother Carke urges her to stay away from such beings, warning that they could lead her to ruin. One day, while out gathering berries with a friend, Laura encounters the same dark figure again. Ignoring her friend’s warnings, she willingly crosses a stream to join him, declaring her intent to be happy. This moment marks her disappearance from the mortal world. Months pass, and Mother Carke, suspecting foul play, conducts a dark ritual to discover the source of her misfortunes. During the ritual, she is summoned by the same dark figure, who now appears as a gaunt man. He takes her to a decrepit house where she finds Laura, now transformed into a wretched creature, married to the dark figure. Laura has given birth to a grotesque child, a product of her union with the dark lord. Realizing the horror of Laura's fate, Mother Carke refuses to accept more than her rightful fee for attending the birth. The dark figure, enraged by her defiance, chases her away, but she escapes, returning to her cottage. After this encounter, she renounces her witchcraft and fortune-telling, while the fate of Laura Silver Bell remains a haunting mystery, believed to be forever lost among the fairies.
By J. Sheridan Le Fanu · First published 1879 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Fantasy, Folklore