THE COUNTRY OF THE DARK MEN. 101

“Iam not hungry,” she answered. “The only thing I feel the
least inclined for is some bread. TI see a loaf there—please give me
a slice of it.”

“You won’t like it,” said the ferryman. “It is very dry and
mouldy. It was baked a long time ago, but it has never got eaten,
for who would choose bread to eat when he can have as much cake as
he likes? Do try one of these sweet little cakes, pretty Princess ; you
will never repent of eating one, I can assure you.”

“T cannot touch it,” said Primrose. “I cannot, really. I can eat
nothing but bread. Please let me have a piece; and I am not a
Princess, you know that. I am only a poor little tired girl, who is
going on a long journey.”

The ferryman had a gentle voice, but he gave Primrose a very
fierce and wicked glance now. There were limits, however, to his
power, and as she insisted on having some of the bread, he could not
refuse to give it to her.

It was certainly very dry and mouldy looking, but the moment she
put a piece between her lips it seemed to fill her with a strange
strength. She lost the great fear which had made her almost in-
capable of thinking, and felt quite brave. She made a very earnest
little vow in her heart that, come what would, she would never take
the hat off, and that she would not leave a stone unturned to save dear
little Buttercup.

Presently the ferryman brought her up some lovely red wine, in a
little pearl-handled cup.

“Drink this,” he said, “just drink one tiny drop, and it will
sweeten the bread.”

But Primrose was just as firm in refusing the wine. The ferry-
man, who was a quick-tempered little person, suddenly lost patience
with her, and taking the cup with the ruby wine in it, dashed it into
her face. Had one drop touched her she would have been in his power,
but the brown hat seemed suddenly to get alive, for it flew down and
covered her face.

“Come away, Fungus,” called Silver-wings.

The little ferryman obeyed her at once.