Page:Tanglewood tales (Dulac).djvu/230

 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 innocent people on account of my detaining you in my dominions. To confess the truth, I myself had already reflected that it was an unjustifiable act to take you away from your good mother. But, then, you must consider, my dear child, that this vast palace is apt to be gloomy (although the precious stones certainly shine very bright), and that I am not of the most cheerful disposition, and that therefore it was a natural thing enough to seek for the society of some merrier creature than myself. I hoped you would take my crown for a plaything, and me—ah, you laugh, naughty Proserpina—me, grim as I am, for a playmate. It was a silly expectation.'

'Not so extremely silly,' whispered Proserpina. 'You have really amused me very much, sometimes.'

'Thank you,' said King Pluto, rather dryly. 'But I can see, plainly enough, that you think my palace a dusky prison, and me the iron-hearted keeper of it. And an iron heart I should surely have, if I could detain you here any longer, my poor child, when it is now six months since you tasted food. I give you your liberty. Go with Quicksilver. Hasten home to your dear mother.'

Now, although you may not have supposed it, Proserpina found it impossible to take leave of poor King 192