you!" said the beldame, in an awful voice.

Capitola's eyes flashed! She advanced her horse a step or two nearer
the witch and raised her riding whip, saying:

"I protest! If you were only a man I should lay this ash over your
wicked shoulders until my arms ached! How dare you? Faith, I don't
wonder that in the honest old times such pests as you were cooled in
the ducking pond! Good gracious, that must have made a hissing and
spluttering in the water, though!"

"Blasphemer, pay me and begone!"

"Pay you? I tell you I would if you were only a man; but it would be
sinful to pay a wretched old witch in the only way you deserve to be
paid!" said Cap, flourishing her riding whip before a creature tall
enough and strong enough to have doubled up her slight form together
and hurled it into the abyss.

"Gold! gold!" said the hag curtly, holding out black and talon-like
fingers, which she worked convulsively.

"Gold! gold, indeed! for such a wicked fortune! Not a penny!" said
Cap.

"Ho! you're stingy; you do not like to part with the yellow demon
that has bought the souls of all your house!"

"Don't I? You shall see! There! If you want gold, go fish it from
the depth of the whirlpool," said Cap, taking her purse and casting