THE GORGON’S HEAD. 93

bargain), that Perseus could not help feeling his spirits
grow livelier, as he gazed at him. Besides, being really
a courageous youth, he felt greatly ashamed that any-
body should have found him with tears in his eyes, like
a timid little school-boy, when, after all, there might be
no oceasion for despair. So Perseus wiped his eyes, and
answered the stranger pretty briskly, putting on as brave
a look as he could.

“T am not so very sad,” said he; ‘only thoughtful
about an adventure that I have undertaken.”

“Oho!” answered the stranger. ‘‘ Well, tell me all
about it, and possibly I may be of service to you. I have
helped a good many young men through adventures that
looked d:fficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may
have heard of me. J have more names than one; but
the name of Quicksilver suits me as well as any other.
Tell me what your trouble is, and we will talk the matter
over, and see what can be done.”

The stranger’s words and manner put Perseus into quite
a different mood from his former one. He resolved to tell
Quicksilver all his difficulties, since he could not easily
be worse off than he already was, and, very possibly, his
new friend might give him some advice that would turn
out well in the end. So he let the stranger know, in few
words, precisely what the case was ; — how that King
Polydectes wanted the head of Medusa with the snaky
locks as a bridal gift for the beautiful Prmcess Hippo-
damia, and how that he had undertaken to get it for him,
but was afraid of being turned into stone.

“ And that would be a great pity,” said Quicksilver,