“Oh, yes, it’s well enough to say it slipped his mind a bit to-day and in an absent sort of way He slew my darling daughter; But that will hardly, hardly do, I really can’t agree with you, it’s simply from my point of view A case of plain manslaughter.” “Oh, sister! sister!” cried the nine maidens. “Isn’t it terrible? It’s too terrible! It is terrible, isn’t it?” “Let me go!” screamed the witch, struggling in the hand of the genie. _He Sees the Highwayman’s Tenth Daughter_ I pushed into the group around the elderly Highwayman, and there at his feet I saw what made my heart stand still with grief and remorse. On the ground was lying a maiden, far lovelier than any of the others; and she was dead. Her eyes were closed, her face was pale, she did not breathe; and her hair lay about her like a shower of gold. Alas, that my carelessness had brought her to this sorrowful end! If she had only lived! How I should have rejoiced to be her friend, and in the course of time, perhaps, persuade her to smile upon me--Alas! alas! At that moment, if she could but have cast one look upon me, I would have laid at her feet all that I-- I knelt beside her and took her cold hand in mine. I stooped over her, and in an excess of pity, and of more, far more than pity, I kissed her softly on the lips. Oh, wonderful! Her eyelids quivered. A faint flush came into her cheeks. Her eyes opened, and she looked straight into my own. She smiled, and it was like the evening sky after rain. I put my arm beneath her shoulder, and helped her to stand up. She rubbed her eyes and swayed a little, and I kept my arm about her. We gazed at each other, smiling. “Is it--?” said she. “It is, beloved!” I cried, and folded her, unresisting, to my heart. “Oh, isn’t it just too perfectly sweet?” cried her nine sisters, clapping their hands and laughing merrily, all together. “It is sweet, isn’t it? It’s love at first sight! It’s just the sweetest thing ever! _Isn’t_ it just too sweet for _anything_, though?” But while they were still running on in this fashion, and the elderly Highwayman was cheering faintly and the one-armed young man was cheering lustily, a loud roar came from the genie, and we saw that the witch had slipped from his grasp and was even now dashing in at the door of the hut. She shut it behind her with a bang, and the one-armed youth pounded against it in vain. “The stolen hair!” he cried. “The genie’s hair which she stole from me! I must get it back! Don’t let her get away!” _The Genie Breathes Fire Upon the Witch’s Hut_