prevent your being perfectly happy in my palace.
I will send for some, in a golden goblet, the
moment we arrive."

"O, no, no, no!" cried Proserpina, weeping
afresh. "I had a thousand times rather be
miserable with remembering my mother, than
be happy in forgetting her. That dear, dear
mother! I never, never will forget her."

"We shall see," said King Pluto. "You do
not know what fine times we will have in my
palace. Here we are just at the portal. These
pillars are solid gold, I assure you."

He alighted from the chariot, and taking Pro-
serpina in his arms, carried her up a lofty flight
of steps into the great hall of the palace. It was
splendidly illuminated by means of large precious
Btones, of various hues, which seemed to burn
like so many lamps, and glowed with a hundred
fold radiance all through the vast apartment.
And yet there was a kind of gloom in the midst
of this enchanted light; nor was there a single
object in the? hall that was really agreeable to
behold, except the little Proserpina herself, a
lovely child, with one earthly flower which she
had not let fall from her hand. It is my opinion

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p228 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p229w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p230

v?