Seven Sisters. If you count carefully 

 you will see that there are but six, 

 and this is because poor Merope, the 

 brightest of all these bright sisters, 

 fell from her high estate. One day, 

 as Merope trimmed her torch so that 

 it should burn brilliantly at night, she 

 said to Alcyone, her best-loved sister : 



"What is there over beyond the 

 edge of the sky ? " 



" Indeed, sister," answered Alcyone, 

 " how should I know ? " 



"This very night 1 shall look down," 

 said Merope; "one grows weary of 

 holding for ever a torch." 



Alcyone protested, but wayward 

 Merope had her will, and that night 

 leaned far over the edge of heaven to 

 see what was beneath. She beheld 

 the earth slowly turning about, and as 

 she watched, strange sights passed be- 

 fore her eyes. She saw men swayed 

 by hate and greed, she saw women 

 8i 



