w inexorable.

"Never," said she. "If the earth is ever again to see any verdure, it must
first grow along the path which my daughter will tread in coming back to
me."

Finally, as there seemed to be no other remedy, our old friend Quicksilver
was sent post haste to King Pluto, in hopes that he might be persuaded to
undo the mischief he had done, and to set everything right again, by
giving up Proserpina. Quicksilver accordingly made the best of his way to
the great gate, took a flying leap right over the three-headed mastiff,
and stood at the door of the palace in an inconceivably short time. The
servants knew him both by his face and garb; for his short cloak and his
winged cap and shoes and his snaky staff had often been seen thereabouts
in times gone by. He requested to be shown immediately into the king's
presence; and Pluto, who heard his voice from the top of the stairs, and
who loved to recreate himself with Quicksilver's merry talk, called out to
him to come up. And while they settle their business together, we must
inquire what Proserpina has been doing ever since we saw her last.

The child had declared, as you may remember, that she would not taste a
mouthful of food as long as she should be compelled to remain in King
Pluto's palace. How she contrived to maintain her resolution, and at the
same time to keep herself tolerably plump and rosy, is more than I can
explain; but some young ladies, I am given to understand, possess the
faculty of living on air, and Proserpina seems to have possessed it too.
At any rate, it was now six months since she left the outside of the
earth; and not a morsel, so far as the attendants were able to testify,
had yet passed between her teeth. This was the more creditable to
Proserpina, inasmuch as King Pluto had caused her to be tempted day after
day, with all manner of sweetmeats, and richly preserved fruits, and
delicacies of every sort, such as young people are generally most fond of.
But her good mother had often told her of the hurtfulness of these things;
and for that reason alone, if there had been no other, she would have
resolutely refused to taste them.

All this time, being of a cheerful and active disposition, the little
damsel was not quite so unhappy as you may have supposed. The immense
palace had a thousand rooms, and was full of beautiful and wonderful
objects. There was a never-ceasing gloom, it is true, which half hid
itself among the innumerable pillars, g