“Tell them,” whispered Quicksilver to Perseus, “that they shall have back the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who have the flying slippers, the magic wallet, and the helmet of darkness.”

“My dear, good, admirable old ladies,” said Perseus, addressing the Gray Women, “there is no occasion for putting yourselves into such a fright.  I am by no means a bad young man.  You shall have back your eye, safe and sound, and as bright as ever, the moment you tell me where to find the Nymphs.”

“The Nymphs!  Goodness me! sisters, what Nymphs does he mean?” screamed Scarecrow.  “There are a great many Nymphs, people say; some that go a hunting in the woods, and some that live inside of trees, and some that have a comfortable home in fountains of water.  We know nothing at all about them.  We are three unfortunate old souls, that go wandering about in the dusk, and never had but one eye amongst us, and that one you have stolen away.  Oh, give it back, good stranger!—­whoever you are, give it back!”

All this while the Three Gray Women were groping with their outstretched hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of Perseus.  But he took good care to keep out of their reach.

“My respectable dames,” said he—­for his mother had taught him always to use the greatest civility—­“I hold your eye fast in my hand, and shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where to find these Nymphs.  The Nymphs, I mean, who keep the enchanted wallet, the flying slippers, and the what is it?—­the helmet of invisibility.”

“Mercy on us, sisters! what is the young man talking about?” exclaimed Scarecrow, Nightmare and Shakejoint, one to another, with great appearance of astonishment.  “A pair of flying slippers, quoth he!  His heels would quickly fly higher than his head, if he was silly enough to put them on.  And a helmet of invisibility!  How could a helmet make him invisible, unless it were big enough for him to hide under it?  And an enchanted wallet!  What sort of a contrivance may that be, I wonder?  No, no, good stranger! we can tell you nothing of these marvellous things.  You have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one amongst us three.  You can find out such wonders better than three blind old creatures, like us.”

Perseus, hearing them talk in this way, began really to think that the Gray Women knew nothing of the matter; and, as it grieved him to have put them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restoring their eye and asking pardon for his rudeness in snatching it away.  But Quicksilver caught his hand.

“Don’t let them make a fool of you!” said he.  “These Three Gray Women are the only persons in the world that can tell you where to find the Nymphs; and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed in cutting off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks.  Keep fast hold of the eye, and all will go well.”