Page 121 - Adventures in shadow-land

This time Eva was surprised to see that the call

came from a little old woman crouched upon a
stone which rose above the water. A very ugly

old woman she was, too ; for she had a very wide
mouth and a pair of prominent, staring black eyes,

and she was wrapped in a green shawl, and talked
in an odd little croaking voice,

"W here are you going?" she asked Eva. Eva
only smiled, for she could not tell the old woman
what she did not know herself.

“ I know,” the old woman said, nodding her
head, and without waiting for a reply, “ you are

looking for Aster and his coat."
“ How do yon know?1’ Eva began; but the

old woman interrupted her :
“ Never you mind how I know it; it is enough

for you that I do know it. And if you really
want to find Aster, I can tell you where he is,

and put you in the way of finding him-”
“ If you only would,” Eva said, eagerly.
“ You must first take me into the boat, and

then give me one of your curls.”
“ No,” Eva said, remembering what the trout

had told her; “ that I cannot do.”