Her horrid grin of derision brought a flush to his cheek; he faced her quite coolly.
"I'll lay you a hundred gavvos that the kettle and smoke experiment is a fake of the worst sort," he announced, after a somewhat lengthy appeal to be allowed to enter the hut as a simple seeker after knowledge.
"Have it your own way! Have it your own way!" she cackled.
"Tell you what I'll do; if I can't expose that trick in ten minutes, I'll make you a present of a hundred gavvos." She took him up like a flash, a fact which startled and disconcerted him not a little.

Her very eagerness augured ill for his proposition.

Still, he was in for it; he was determined to get inside the hut and solve the mystery, if it were possible.

Exposure of the Witch would at least attract the interest if not the approval of a certain young lady in purple and fine linen.

That was surely worth while.
With a low, mocking bow, the shrivelled hag stood aside and motioned for him to precede her into the hovel.