“What is that for?”
“It’s a love charm,” said Old Kelly mysteriously. “Put a li’l smootch on his eyelids and he’s yourn for life with never a squint at any other gurrl.”
“It doesn’t sound very nice,” said Emily. “How do you make it?”
“You bile four toads alive till they’re good and soft and then mash—”
“Oh, stop, stop!” implored Emily, putting her hands to her ears. “I don’t want to hear any more—you couldn’t be so cruel!”
“Cruel is it? You were after eating lobsters this day that were biled alive—”
“I don’t believe it. I don’t. If it’s true I’ll never, never eat one again. Oh, Mr. Kelly, I thought you were a nice kind man—but those poor toads!”
“Gurrl dear, it was only me joke. An’ you won’t be nading toad ointment to win your lad’s love. Wait you now—I’ve something in the till behind me for a prisent for you.”
Old Kelly fished out a box which he put into Emily’s lap. She found a dainty little hairbrush in it.
“Look at the back av it,” said Old Kelly. “You’ll see something handsome—all the love charm ye’ll ever nade.”
Emily turned it over. Her own face looked back at her from a little inset mirror surrounded by a scroll of painted roses.
“Oh, Mr. Kelly—how pretty—I mean the roses and the glass,” she cried. “Is it really for me? Oh, thank you, thank you! Now, I can have Emily-in-the-glass whenever I want her. Why, I can carry her round with me. And you were really only in fun about the toads!”
“Av coorse. Get up, my nag, get up. An’ so ye’re going to visit the ould lady over at Praste Pond? Ever been there?”
