strengthen thy memory? Shall the water make thee invisible? or remove
the 6th toe from thy left foot?"

"You know me?" asked Paaker.

"How should I?" said the old woman, "but my eyes are sharp, and I can
prepare good waters for great and small."

"Mere babble!" exclaimed Paaker, impatiently clutching at the whip in
his girdle; "make haste, for the lady for whom--"

"Dost thou want the water for a lady?" interrupted the old woman. "Who
would have thought it?--old men certainly ask for my philters much
oftener than young ones--but I can serve thee."

With these words the old woman went into the cave, and soon returned with
a thin cylindrical flask of alabaster in her hand.

"This is the drink," she said, giving the phial to Paaker. "Pour half
into water, and offer it to the lady. If it does not succeed at first,
it is certain the second time. A child may drink the water and it will
not hurt him, or if an old man takes it, it makes him gay. Ah, I know
the taste of it!" and she moistened her lips with the white fluid.
"It can hurt no one, but I will take no more of it, or old Hekt will be
tormented with love and longing for thee; and that would ill please the
rich young lord, ha! ha! If the drink is in vain I am paid enough, if it
takes effect thou shalt bring me three more gold rings; and thou wilt
return, I know it well."

Paaker had listened motionless to the old woman, and siezed the flask