But I must see first
whether you will do as I tell you.'

'That I will!' said Curdie. 'What is it, ma'am?'

'Only something not to do,' answered the old lady; 'if you should hear
anyone speak about me, never to laugh or make fun of me.'

'Oh, ma'am!' exclaimed Curdie, shocked that she should think such a
request needful.

'Stop, stop,' she went on. 'People hereabout sometimes tell very odd
and in fact ridiculous stories of an old woman who watches what is
going on, and occasionally interferes. They mean me, though what they
say is often great nonsense. Now what I want of you is not to laugh,
or side with them in any way; because they will take that to mean that
you don't believe there is any such person a bit more than they do.
Now that would not be the case--would it, Curdie?'

'No, indeed, ma'am. I've seen you.'

The old woman smiled very oddly.

'Yes, you've seen me,' she said. 'But mind,' she continued, 'I don't
want you to say anything--only to hold your tongue, and not seem to
side with them.'

'That will be easy,'said Curdie,'now that I've seen you with my very
own eyes, ma'am.'

'Not so easy as you think, perhaps,' said the old lady, with another
curious smile. 'I want to be your friend,' she added after a little
pause, 'but I don't quite know yet whether you will let me.'

'Indeed I will, ma'am,' said Curdie.

'That is for me to find out,' she rejoined, with yet another strange
smile. 'In the meantime all I can say is, come to me again when you
find yourself in any trouble, and I will see what I can do for
you--only the canning depends on yourself. I am greatly pleased with
you for bringing me my pigeon, doing your best to set right what you
had set wrong.'

As she spoke she held out her hand to him, and when he took it she made
use of his to help herself up from her stool, and--when or how it came
about, Curdie could not tell--the same instant she stood before him a
tall, strong woman--plainly very old, but as grand as she was old, and
only rather severe-looking. Every trace of the decrepitude and
witheredness she showed as she hovered like a film about her wheel, had
vanished. Her hair was very white, but it hung about her head in great
plenty, and shone like silver in the moonlight. Straight as a pillar
she stood before the astonished boy, and the wounded bird had now
spread out both its wings across her bosom, like some great mystical
ornament of frosted silver.

'Oh, now I ca