“Your sister?” repeated Perseus.

“Yes, my sister,” said the stranger.  “She is very wise, I promise you; and as for myself, I generally have all my wits about me, such as they are.  If you show yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you need not fear being a stone image yet awhile.  But, first of all, you must polish your shield, till you can see your face in it as distinctly as in a mirror.”

This seemed to Perseus rather an odd beginning of the adventure; for he thought it of far more consequence that the shield should be strong enough to defend him from the Gorgon’s brazen claws, than that it should be bright enough to show him the reflection of his face.  However, concluding that Quicksilver knew better than himself, he immediately set to work, and scrubbed the shield with so much diligence and good-will, that it very quickly shone like the moon at harvest time.  Quicksilver looked at it with a smile, and nodded his approbation.  Then, taking off his own short and crooked sword, he girded it about Perseus, instead of the one which he had before worn.

“No sword but mine will answer your purpose,” observed he; “the blade has a most excellent temper, and will cut through iron and brass as easily as through the slenderest twig.  And now we will set out.  The next thing is to find the Three Gray Women, who will tell us where to find the Nymphs.”

“The Three Gray Women!” cried Perseus, to whom this seemed only a new difficulty in the path of his adventure; “pray who may the Three Gray Women be?  I never heard of them before.”

“They are three very strange old ladies,” said Quicksilver, laughing.  “They have but one eye among them, and only one tooth.  Moreover, you must find them out by starlight, or in the dusk of the evening; for they never show themselves by the light either of the sun or moon.”

“But,” said Perseus, “why should I waste my time with these Three Gray Women?  Would it not be better to set out at once in search of the terrible Gorgons?”

“No, no,” answered his friend.  “There are other things to be done, before you can find your way to the Gorgons.  There is nothing for it but to hunt up these old ladies; and when we meet with them, you may be sure that the Gorgons are not a great way off.  Come, let us be stirring!”

Perseus, by this time, felt so much confidence in his companion’s sagacity, that he made no more objections, and professed himself ready to begin the adventure immediately.  They accordingly set out, and walked at a pretty brisk pace; so brisk, indeed, that Perseus found it rather difficult to keep up with his nimble friend Quicksilver.  To say the truth, he had a singular idea that Quicksilver was furnished with a pair of winged shoes, which, of course, helped him along marvellously.  And then, too, when Perseus looked sideways at him out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see wings on the side of his head; although, if he turned a full gaze, there were no such things to be perceived, but only an odd kind of cap.  But, at all events, the twisted staff was evidently a great convenience to Quicksilver, and enabled him to proceed so fast, that Perseus, though a remarkably active young man, began to be out of breath.