Perseus looked earnestly through the dusk of the evening , and there , sure enough , at no great distance off , he descried the Three Gray Women . The light being so faint , he could not well make out what sort of figures they were ; only he discovered that they had long gray hair ; and , as they came nearer , he saw that two of them had but the empty socket of an eye , in the middle of their foreheads . But , in the middle of the third sister 's forehead , there was a very large , bright , and piercing eye , which sparkled like a great diamond in a ring ; and so penetrating did it seem to be , that Perseus could not help thinking it must possess the gift of seeing in the darkest midnight just as perfectly as at noonday . The sight of three persons ' eyes was melted and collected into that single one . Thus the three old dames got along about as comfortably , upon the whole , as if they could all see at once . She who chanced to have the eye in her forehead led the other two by the hands , peeping sharply about her , all the while ; insomuch that Perseus dreaded lest she should see right through the thick clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had hidden themselves . My stars ! it was positively terrible to be within reach of so very sharp an eye ! But , before they reached the clump of bushes , one of the Three Gray Women spoke . `` Sister ! Sister Scarecrow ! '' cried she , `` you have had the eye long enough . It is my turn now ! '' `` Let me keep it a moment longer , Sister Nightmare , '' answered Scarecrow . `` I thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush . '' `` Well , and what of that ? '' retorted Nightmare , peevishly . `` Ca n't I see into a thick bush as easily as yourself ? The eye is mine , as well as yours ; and I know the use of it as well as you , or may be a little better . I insist upon taking a peep immediately ! ''
But here the third sister , whose name was Shakejoint , began XXXXX complain , and said that it was her turn to have the eye , and that Scarecrow and Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves .
along as at before into lest like nearer through to