upon any thing that had no life in it All the time she was thus
busied, she spoke not a word to the princess, which, with the
princess, went to confirm her notion of her purposes. But whatever
she might have said would have been only perverted by the princess
into yet stronger proof of her evil designs, for a fancy in her own
head would outweigh any multitude of facts in another's. She kept
staring at the fire, and never looked round to see what the wise
woman might be doing.

By and by she came close up to the back of her chair, and said,

"Rosamond!"

But the princess had fallen into one of her sulky moods, and shut
herself up with her own ugly Somebody; so she never looked round or
even answered the wise woman.

"Rosamond," she repeated, "I am going out. If you are a good girl,
that is, if you do as I tell you, I will carry you back to your
father and mother the moment I return."

The princess did not take the least notice.

"Look at me, Rosamond," said the wise woman.

But Rosamond never moved--never even shrugged her shoulders--perhaps
because they were already up to her ears, and could go no farther.

"I want to help you to do what I tell you," said the wise woman.
"Look at me."