to lament that she might not see, and converse with, her dear sisters. So great was her trouble that she neither ate, nor drank, nor entered into the bath, but wept bitterly throughout the live-long day, till the hour arrived for her to go to bed. Then came her husband, and finding her in tears, he tenderly reproached her, saying, "Is it thus you keep your promise, my dear Psyche? Go to then; do as you list; obey the impulse that is leading you to destruction, but when it is too late remember you of my words." But Psyche would not be persuaded, and ceased not from her entreaties till she had wrung from him permission to see her sisters. Unwillingly as he yielded this consent, his reluctance it was plain proceeded but from excess of love, for at the same time he permitted her to lavish whatever she pleased of gold and jewels upon her sisters, only cautioning her not to be led by their evil counsels into the attempt to see his form ;* if she failed in her obedience as to this, great misfortune would fall upon her, and she would lose him for ever. Psyche, as

* It is not a little singular that the same idea should pervade so many of the German elf-stories. Thus we find that Hinzelman, the Puck of our Teutonic neighbours, had always a particular aversion to being seen, and this forms the basis of several tales; but one will be sufficient to show the nature of the humorous goblin-A cook who was on terms of great intimacy with him, thought that she might venture to make a request of him, though another might not, and as she felt a strong desire to see Hinzelman bodily whom she heard talking every day, and whom she supplied with meat and drink, she prayed him earnestly to grant her that favour; but he would not, and said that this was not the right time, but that when it was proper he would let himself be seen by any person. This refusal only stimulated her curiosity, and she pressed him more and more to grant her request. He said she would repent if she would not give up her importunity; and when all his representations were to no purpose, he at last said to her, come to-morrow morning before sunrise into the cellar, and carry in each hand a pail full of water, and your request shall be complied with." The maid enquired what the water was for. "That

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before, was ready enough with her promises, protesting that she would rather undergo a thousand deaths than forfeit his affection, and beseeching as a farther boon that he would allow Zephyrus to fetch her sisters from the mountain into the valley. To this also the enamoured husband assented, and with morning went away as usual.

The sisters had now arrived at the summit of the rock, and finding it impossible to go any farther began afresh to lament for Psyche as one who was for ever lost to them, when suddenly she appeared in the valley below and wishing them to be of good cheer, bade Zephyrus waft them gently down to her. Hereupon the West Wind took them upon his wings and laid them beside her on the green-sward.

you will learn," answered he; "without it the sight of me might be injurious to you.”

Next morning the cook was ready at peep of dawn, took in each hand a pail of water, and went down to the cellar. She looked about her without seeing any thing; but as she cast her eyes on the ground she perceived a tray on which was lying a naked child apparently three years old, and two knives sticking crosswise in his heart, and his whole body streaming with blood. The maid was terrified at this sight to such a degree that she lost her senses and fell in a faint on the ground. The spirit immediately took the water that she had brought with her, and poured it all over her head, by which means she came to herself again. She looked about for the tray, but all had vanished, and she only heard the voice of Hinzelman, who said, “you see now how needful the water was; if it had not been at hand, you had died here in the cellar. I hope your burning desire to see me is now pretty well cooled."

In the same way the beautiful fairy PREUSSINE (Histoire de Melusine, tirée des Chroniques de Poitou, Paris 1698. Dobenek,) stipulates with her husband that he shall never visit her in her lyings-in, and when he fails in this condition flies from him with her three daughters. So too, Melusine, when giving her hand to Count Raymond, bargains that he shall never desire to see her on a Saturday, and a similar infraction of the word plighted brings with it a similar punishment.

It is needless to relate the joy that followed, or the admiration of the sisters at all the treasures shown to them by the gratified Psyche. When however they had grown weary of wondering, and had moreover satisfied themselves at a princely banquet, they began with female curiosity to enquire about her husband. But Psyche, mindful of his admonitions, pretended that he was a handsome young man, with light hair, who was much addicted to sport amongst the mountains, and, that she might not be caught tripping, turned the discourse by filling their laps with gold and jewels, and again dismissed them on the wings of Zephyrus.

No sooner were the sisters safely landed upon the rock than they began to give vent to the envy that filled their bosoms. "Saw you not," said one, "what was in the house? what gold! what jewels! if her husband be as handsome as she affirms, there is no happiness on earth that can compare to hers; he may be a god and perhaps make a goddess of her, as already she is served by voices, and commands the winds." To this the other assented, and, taking counsel together, they agreed to destroy her if possible,* but in the meanwhile to conceal from their parents the story of her good fortune.

It would be long to relate how, when months had passed, her unseen husband again in the most pathetic terms warned Psyche against her envious sisters, saying that they would never rest till they had caused her to break her vow, but that when she had once looked upon his face, she would never see it again. With tears and sad forebodings he departed in the morning, and scarcely had he gone than the unwelcome guests making their appear

*Here again it is easy to to detect a family likeness to the story of the envious sisters in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, which has re-appeared with little variation in "Cherry and Fire-Star," and is also to be found in the Gesta Romanorum.

F

ance they were welcomed as usual by the innocent Psyche. Then fell the conversation upon her husband, and, forgetful of the tale she had told before, she now said that he was a merchant, of a (middle age, who was forced by his business to be absent. Upon this the sisters, perceiving how she had deceived them, pretended that in their great regard for her they had sought about and discovered her husband was a serpent, who only waited for the time of her delivery to devour both her and her infant; in confirmation of which they reminded her of the oracle. Poor Psyche was moved by their words, and confessed that she had never seen her husband, who, as he always kept himself invisible, was likely enough to be a monster. This was precisely what they wanted to know, and having got to the bottom of the mystery they now advised her that she should put a knife under her pillow, hide a lamp behind the hangings, and when her husband was fast asleep creep out of bed on bare feet and cut off his head. With this treacherous counsel they took themselves off as quickly as possible, lest they should be detected and punished, and Psyche being left to herself was tormented by a thousand doubts. One moment she will, the next she will not; now mistrust has the mastery, and then again love and confidence possess her. As usual the worser motive prevails; her husband sleeps; she arms herself with the knife, and taking up the lamp approaches the bed, when, O wonder !-before her lay Cupid, the God of Love, in the light of whose wondrous beauty the flame itself grew brighter and the steel received a keener edge. Overwhelmed with a sweet terror, she sought to hide the knife-even in her own bosom-but it dropt from her hand and she fell upon her knees. With what awe, and love, and admiration, did she gaze upon the sleeper! And well she might, for his golden locks poured forth ambrosia, and hung down

in waving ringlets about his rosy cheeks and snowy neck; the dewy pinions upon his shoulders were white like some shining flower, and although the wings were still the soft plumage at their ends shook tremulously with an amorous motion; the rest of his form was exquisitely fair and delicate, and such as Venus herself could not shame to have brought forth. At the foot of the bed lay his bows and quiver, and the natural curiosity of her sex being now fully awakened Psyche fell to examining the arrows, when, as she tried the point of one upon her trembling finger, it pierced the flesh so that the blood began to flow. Hereupon the weapon produced its wonted effect; her love, great as it had been before, was now yet more inflamed; she gazed on him tenderly, but while her heart beat and her hand trembled, there fell from the lamp a drop of burning oil on his left shoulder and he awoke. Filled with wrath at her transgression he would have fled in silence, but she caught hold of his foot and was borne aloft with him to the clouds, when, from fright and weariness, she again dropped to earth, and the god alighting on a near cypress tree, thus addressed her: "Oh, foolish Psyche, have I not for thee forgotten the hests of my mother Venus, and would you in requital of so much love take away my life? But thy faithless counsellors shall dearly abye their machinations. As for thee, thy punishment will be great enough in that I now abandon thee for ever."

Stretched upon the earth Psyche followed him with her eyes so long as he was still in sight; but when she could no longer see him, despair possessed her, and she flung herself into the next river. The gentle stream, however, that loved and feared the god who burns up even water, refused to let her sink, and cast her back again upon the shore. Then Pan, who was sitting close by, teaching the goddess Syrinx the sweetest melodies, or, in yet plainer