Whoosh!  The frigid sea wind whooshed behind the awkward girl’s back.  Maria caught the scent of a mossy redolence and a sweet perfume perfused as the sea wind passed through the overhanging wild white jasmines at the entrance of the secret chamber and brushed its mossy walls and up the slippery, mossy staircase as she made a step from the dim into the luminous cavern kitchen.              Maria had followed one of the swollen fingers which she had believed had gone ahead of her.  She had climbed the staircase and had stood in front of the trapdoor.  The kip had been pushed aside to make a way of the trapdoor that opens to the secret chamber downstairs.  The awkward girl wondered where the witch’s lookout went.  She was startled when something pulled her lengthy, red gingham skirt that made her almost jump as she had belie