child, you may rest assured. As well as I could
judge, a dragon, or some other cruel monster,
was carrying her away."

"You kill me by saying so," cried Ceres,
almost ready to faint. "Where was the sound,
and which way did it seem to go?"

"It passed very swiftly along," said Hecate,
"and, at the same time, there was a heavy rum-
bling of wheels towards the eastward. I can
tell you nothing more, except that, in my honest
opinion, you will never see your daughter again.
The best advice I can give you is, to take up
your abode in this cavern, where we will be the
two most wretched women in the world?"

"Not yet, dark Hecate," replied Ceres- "But
do you first come with your torch, and help me
to seek for my lost child. And when there
shall be no more hope of finding her, (if that
black day is ordained to come,) then, if you will
give me room to fling myself down, either on
these withered leaves or on the naked rock, I
will show you what it is to be miserable. But,
until I know that she has perished from the
face of the earth, I will not allow myself ??s
even to grieve."

[[242]]

p241 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p242w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p243

v?