Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/99

Rh down on the low roof great was his surprise to find, instead of the ugly old woman he had thrown out of window the night before, a most beautiful maiden hanging from the low roof.

Bewildered and delighted at the discovery, he ran to bring her in, whilst he made many apologies for what he had done, saying that he must have been blind when he threw her out. The wife heard all his excuses without saying a word, nor did she upbraid him for his inhuman conduct, fearing from past experience what might again happen to her at his hands. Her sister, seeing her looking so much altered for the better, asked her what she had done to become so beautiful. But her husband being present, she was afraid to tell her what had occurred, but said in a whisper: "A witch enchanted me; but don't say a word."

The sister, who was deaf and could hardly hear what was said to her, repeated the question: "Tell me quick, what have you done to become so charming?"

"A witch has enchanted me," said she, still in a whisper.

The deaf old woman understood her sister to say that she had had her skin peeled off, so she sent for the barber and asked him to do the same to her. One arm had hardly been skinned when the foolish old woman died from the effects, and the barber, much alarmed, sent for her sister, and told her what