The mention of "witch" brought something to the Queen's mind.
"There used to be a horrible old woman who lived here with a great black
cat," she said. "Perhaps _she_ was Mrs. Hexer; but she disappeared some
time ago."
"That must have been her," the prince said.
And the shepherd continued, "Ah, if you would let us sit for a while on
the coping of your well, or even give us a draught of its water, we
should be infinitely obliged to you."
The Queen said, "Oh, you're very welcome," and turned into the house to
get her bucket, when she was astonished to see a coal-black thing with
horns and a long tail sitting in the very middle of her fire.
She rubbed her eyes in surprise, and when she looked again there was
only a gentleman, clad in an elegant suit of black, with his coal-black
hair carefully parted in the middle and falling in sinuous lines on
either side of his forehead. He held his hat in one hand, and in the
other a black bag and long narrow book.
"Oh, good morning, Mrs. Hexer," he said. "You will excuse my liberty;
but I saw you were agreeably engaged, and so I took the opportunity of
slipping in by the back way."
"I didn't know there was a back way," the Queen said.
"The chimney, I should have said, Mrs. Hexer," the gentleman said.
"But I'm not Mrs. Hexer," the Queen replied.
"No, indeed," the gentleman answered. "The elixir has had a most
remarkable success in your case. A photograph of you now would be a
most valuable advertisement--before taking and after. I suppose you
haven't got one of your former state?"
"But I tell you I'm not Mrs. Hexer," the Queen said.
Whereupon the gentleman became a shade more serious.
"You have exactly five minutes more life," he said, after having
consulted one of those keyless watches that never seem to have had
enough winding. He laid down his hat and bag, and looked carefully in
his book. "Is this not your signature?"
The Queen said, "Good gracious, no; and I'm not going to sign anything
more."
"You've signed quite enough in this," the gentleman said.
"But I tell you I never signed it," the Queen replied.
"Oh, nonsense, Mrs. Hexer," the gentleman said. "Come, your time is
nearly at hand."
"It's nothing of the sort," the Queen said.
And the gentleman bowed. "You know best, Mrs. Hexer," he said.
"There's one more minute."
The Queen waited to see what would happen.
The seconds passed by, and the Queen's heart beat. Then the gentleman
tore the page out of his book, at the dotted line, and put the book in
the bag.
"By-the-bye," he said, "what's become of the cat?"