then tear down those dismal sails, and hoist
others that shall be bright as the sunshine.
Beholding them on the horizon, myself and all
the people will know that you are coming back
victorious, and will welcome you with such a
festal uproar as Athens never heard before."

Theseus promised that he would do so. Then,
going on board, the mariners trimmed the ves-
sel's black sails to the wind, which blew faintly
off the shore, being pretty much made up of
the sighs that every body kept pouring forth on
this melancholy occasion. But by and by,
when they had got fairly out to sea, there came
a stiff breeze from the north-west, and drove
them along as merrily over the white-capped
waves as if they had been going on the most
delightful errand imaginable. And though it
was a sad business enough, I rather question
whether fourteen young people, without any
old persons to keep them in order, could con-
tinue to spend the whole time of the voyage
in being miserable. There had been some few
dances upon the undulating deck, I suspect,
and some hearty bursts of laughter, and other
such unseasonable merriment among the vie-

[[46]]

p045 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p046w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p047

v?