She rose slowly, never taking her eyes from me, and hugging the child closer backed away from me, and suddenly turned and fled from the room. I smiled to myself at the whimsical nature of women. It was a long time before she would speak to me; and although I did not permit this to ruffle me, I waited with some impatience for her explanation. I was of course reluctant to blame her too much without giving her an opportunity of explaining her conduct. I was accordingly pleased when she took me aside one day and asked to speak with me in private. She sat down before me in her room and looked me steadily in the eyes. _The Princess Finds Her Husband Bewitched_ “Alb,” said she, “this can go on no longer. You are bewitched.” I smiled indulgently. “I am not aware of it,” I said. “Tell me,” she said, earnestly, “what are those three black hairs in your head?” “Oh, those! They are nothing. I found them there after the old beggar had pretended to grant me a wish, long ago.” “What old beggar? Now I am learning something! Tell me about the old beggar and the wish!” “What does it matter? He was a ragged old fellow, with shaggy eyebrows, carrying a yardstick and tailor’s shears, and I sold him a fine gold chain for a wish, and right angry my father was, too. But I was only twelve years old, you know.” “Why have you never told me this before? What was the wish?” “The wish? Oh, I wished--I wished I might be perfectly happy, always;--always happy;--a pretty good wish, I think.” “A terrible wish! A frightful wish! Tell me--tell me--have you ever wept since you were twelve years old?” “Of course not. How absurd. There has never been anything for me to weep about.” “That’s it! That’s it! That’s the curse! You can’t weep! You’ve got to be cured of happiness! Cured of happiness!” This idea was so preposterous that I laughed loud and long; but while I was still laughing she took me by the hand and led me into a distant part of the castle, where I had never been before, until we came to the foot of a narrow, winding stair in a tall tower. We climbed the stairs, and stopped at last, panting, on a little landing before a door. The Princess knocked, and without waiting for an answer opened the door and drew me in after her. We were in a small, circular room, evidently at the very top of the tower, from the windows of which I could see far across the city and beyond the distant mountains to the Great Sea. _Alb and the Princess Visit the One-Armed Sorcerer_