thrashed if I were to go to the people and say, ‘Look, yonder goes a Will-o’-
the-Wisp in his best clothes!’”
“They also go in undress,” replied the woman. “The Will-o’-the-Wisp can
assume all kinds of forms, and appear in every place. He goes into the
church, but not for the sake of the service; and perhaps he may enter into
one or other of the priests. He speaks in the Parliament, not for the benefit
of the country, but only for himself. He’s an artist with the color-pot as well
as in the theatre; but when he gets all the power into his own hands, then the
pot’s empty! I chatter and chatter, but it must come out, what’s sticking in
my throat, to the disadvantage of my own family. But I must now be the
woman that will save a good many people. It is not done with my good will,
or for the sake of a medal. I do the most insane things I possibly can, and
then I tell a poet about it, and thus the whole town gets to know of it
directly.”
“The town will not take that to heart,” observed the man; “that will not
disturb a single person; for they will all think I’m only telling them a story
if I say, ‘The Will-o’-the-Wisp is in the town, says the Moor-woman. Take
care of yourselves!’”
