218 WHISPERS FROM FAIRWLAND. [iv.

 

Oh! ’tis a beautiful island !
Pray, Molly, stay in the island.
Listen to me ;
Happy you'll be,
If only you stay in the island.

Iv.
‘But if you desire
That John should retire
And go with you back to that nigh land,
T vow and declare,
And solemnly swear,
You shan’t take him off from the island.
Oh ! ’tis a dear little island !
John is so fond of the island !
Do what you will
John stops here still,
And never goes back from our island !’

Molly listened with open ears to this song, which
plainly showed that the policy of the witches was still
the same. Evidently they intended to keep her hus-
band if they could, and were for tempting her by every
possible device from continuing her endeavours to get
him back. But two thoughts occurred to Molly as
she listened and considered the meaning of this song
and the reason of its being sung. One was that the
witches could not. really be very desirous of her
company, even if they really would treat her as kindly
as they promised. For, in the first place, had they
been of friendly disposition towards her, they would
not have carried off her husband and left her alone,
without any invitation to follow, or information as to
where they had taken him; and secondly, it struck
her, that they must know her to be under the pro-
tection of beings more powerful than themselves, and
to be worth conciliating, otherwise it was most im-