, "I must give you one piece of advice,
which, if you would keep your life, you must implicitly adopt. My
husband will return. Be on your guard, I bid you. He will offer you
gold, he will pour out the countless treasures he possesses before
you, he will proffer you diamonds and pearls and priceless gems,
but--heed well what I say to you--take nothing more from him than you
would from any other person. Take the exact sum you are wont to
receive on earth, and take not a kreutzer more, or your life is not
worth a moment's purchase. It is forfeit."

"He must be a cruel being, indeed," ejaculated the midwife. "God
deliver me from this dread and great danger."

"See you yon sealed vessels?" spake the lady, without seeming to heed
her fright, or hear her ejaculations.

The midwife looked, and saw ranged on an upper shelf of the apartment
about a dozen small pots, like pipkins, all fast sealed, and labelled
in unknown characters.

"These pots," pursued she, "contain the souls of those who have been,
like you, my attendants in childbirth, but who, for slighting the
advice I gave them, as I now give you, and permitting a spirit of
unjust gain to take possession of their hearts, were deprived of life
by my husband. Heed well what I say. He comes. Be silent and
discreet."

As she spake the water spirit entered. He first asked his wife how she
did, and his tones were like the rushing sound of a current heard far
off. Learning from her own lips that all was well with her, he turned
to the midwife and thanked her most graciously.

"Now, come with me," he said, "I must pay thee for thy services."

She followed him from the sick-chamber to the treasury of the palace.
It was a spacious crystal vault, lighted up, like the rest of the
palace, from without, but within it was resplendent with treasures of
all kinds. He led her to a huge heap of shining gold which ran the
whole length of the chamber.

"Here," said he, "take what you will. I put no stint upon you."

The trembling woman picked up a single piece of the smallest coin she
could find upon the heap.

"This is my fee," she spake. "I ask no more than a fair remuneration
for my labour."

The water spirit's brow blackened like a tempestuous night, and he
showed his green teeth for a moment as if in great ire, but the
feeling, whatever it was, appeared to pass away as quickly as it
came, and he led her to a huge heap of pearls.

"Here," he said, "take what you will. Perha