So she took up the pomegranate, and applied
it to her nose; and, somehow or other, being in
such close neighborhood to her mouth, the fruit
found its way into that little red cave. Dear
me! what an everlasting pity! Before Proser-
pina knew what she was about, her teeth had
actually bitten it, of their own accord. Just as
this fatal deed was done, the door of the apart-
ment opened, and in came King Pluto, followed
by Quicksilver, who had been urging him to let
his little prisoner go. At the first noise of their
entrance, Proserpina withdrew the pomegranate
from her mouth. But Quicksilver (whose eyes
were very keen, and his wits the sharpest that
ever any body had) perceived that the child was
a little confused; and seeing the empty salver,
he suspected that she had been taking a sly
nibble of something or other. As for honest
Pluto, he never guessed at the secret.

"My little Proserpina," said the king, sitting
down, and affectionately drawing her between
his knees, "here is Quicksilver, who tells me
that a great many misfortunes have befallen in-
nocent people on account of my detaining you
in my dominions. To confess the truth, I my-

[[265]]

p264 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p265w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p266

v?