men--one of them being Konar the hunter.
Brownie was also an important member of the party, for his master hoped
much from his power of scent.

Meanwhile Cormac--alias Branwen, _alias_ the little old woman--forsook
the refuge of the Hebrew's house, and, in her antique capacity, paid a
visit one afternoon to the palace of Hudibras.

"Here comes that deaf old witch again," said the domestic who had
formerly threatened to set the dogs at her.

"Yes," remarked the old woman when she came up to the door, "and the old
witch has got her hearing again, my sweet-faced young man--got it back
in a way, too, that, if you only heard how, would make your hair stand
on end, your eyes turn round, and the very marrow in your spine shrivel
up. Go and tell the princess I want to see her."

"Oh!" replied the domestic with a faint effort at a sneer, for he was a
bold man, though slightly superstitious.

"Oh!" echoed the old woman. "Yes, and tell her that if she keeps me
waiting I'll bring the black cloud of the Boong-jee-gop over the palace,
and that will bring you all to the condition of wishing that your
grandmothers had never been born. Young man--go!"

This was too much for that domestic. The unheard-of horrors of the
Boong-jee-gop, coupled with the tremendous energy of the final "go!" was
more than he could stand. He went--meekly.

"Send her to me directly," said Hafrydda, and the humiliated servitor
obeyed.

"Dearest Branwen!" exclaimed the princess, throwing back the old woman's
shawl, straightening her up, and hugging her when they were alone, "how
long you have been coming! Where have you been? Why have you forsaken
me? And _I_ have such quantities of news to tell you--but, what has
become of your hair?"

"I cut it short after I fell into the hands of robbers--"

"Robbers!" exclaimed the princess.

"Yes--I shall tell you all about my adventures presently--and you have
no idea what difficulty I had in cutting it, for the knife was so blunt
that I had to cut and pull at it a whole afternoon. But it had to be
done, for I meant to personate a boy--having stolen a boy's hunting
dress for that purpose. Wasn't it fun to rob the robbers? And then--
and then--I found your brother--"

"_You_ found Bladud?"

"Yes, and--and--but I'll tell you all about that too presently. It is
enough to say that he is alive and well--sickness almost, if not quite,
gone. I _was_ so sorry for him."

"Dear Branwen!" said the prince