"No, child, not these people, of course. Why, it was hundreds and hundreds of years ago. But these are just as bad--every one of them. They would do it again if they had the chance." "Countess wouldn't, _I_ know," persisted the little one. "Why, Flemild, only last week, she caught pussy for me, and gave her to me, and she smiled so prettily. I liked her. If Mother hadn't said I must never speak to any of them, I'd have had a chat with her; but of course I couldn't, then, so I only smiled back again, and nodded for `thank you.'" "Derette!" There was genuine terror in the tone of the elder sister. "Don't you know those people are all wicked witches? Regular black witches, in league with the Devil. There isn't one of them would not cast a spell on you as soon as look at you." "What would it do to me?" inquired the startled child. "What wouldn't it do? you had better ask. Make you into a horrid black snake, or a pig, or something you would not like to be, I can tell you." "I shouldn't quite like to be a black snake," said Derette, after a minute's pause for reflection. "But I don't think I should much mind being a pig. Little, tiny pigs are rather pretty things; and when they lie and grunt, they look very comfortable." "Silly child!--you'd have no soul to be saved!" "Shouldn't I? But, Flemild, I don't quite see--if _I_ were the pig-- would that be me or the pig?" "Hi, there! Where are you going?" Flemild was not very sorry to be saved the solution of Derette's difficult problem. She turned to the youth of some fifteen years, who had hailed her from the corner of Castle Street. "Where you should have gone instead, Haimet--with the budget for water. Do go with me now." "Where on earth are you going--to Osney?" "No, stupid boy: to Plato's Well." "I'm not going there. I don't mind Saint Maudlin's, if you like." "We are out of the way to Saint Maudlin's, or else I shouldn't have minded--" "No, my lady, I rather think you wouldn't have minded the chance of a dance in Horsemonger Street. However, I'm not going to Plato's Well. If you go with me, you go to Saint Maudlin's; and if you don't, you may find your way back by yourselves, that's all." And laying his hands on the budget, Haimet transferred it from his sister's keeping to his own.