CUT IB AND PSYCHE 315 
ward; tint into tint; till you cannot tell where the first 
blush commences; nor trace the almost imperceptible 
shades it passes through; until it settles down into a 
deeper crimson than was ever woven into those richly- 
dyed curtains which the hand of Evening draws across 
the sky when the sun has descended into his golden 
chamber beneath the ocean. Around the stems of the 
Acacias gracefully twined every variety of the Sweet; and 
Everlasting Pea; while their fragrant flowers of white; 
red; and purple; showed like thousands of winged butter- 
flies which had alighted amidst those emerald leaves and 
curled tendrils; as if to rest a while before they sallied 
forth to visit the green and flowery valleys which slept 
in the sunshine on every hand. 
Whichever way Love turned his eye; to where the green- 
sward spread; or the upland sloped downward to the edge 
of the stream; he beheld cattle browsing, and saw nymphs 
and swains attending their flocks, while their low, sweet 
pipings filled all the valleys with music. Here a beautiful 
bevy of white-footed maidens tripped lightly to the oaten 
reed of the shepherd, as he sat upon the twisted root of 
some antique oak, while his flock grazed in the distance, 
seeming to take no note of the dancers. There, half 
concealed beneath the embowering Acacias, sat two fond 
lovers, toying with each other; she timing the distant 
music with her crook idly upon the ground, whilst he was 
twisting the Sweet Pea in the clusters of her hair, or 
hanging its green tendrils here and there amongst the 
rolling folds of her down-dropping ringlets. 
Further on a group was gathered around two shepherds 
who were contending for a milk-white lamb : the prize 
stood bleating before them, garlanded with flowers; and 
the strove, like two rival nightingales, each trying to 
overwhelm the other by the power of its song, as they 
chanted aloud the happiness which abounds in pastoral 
life, and sung the praises of the beautiful nymph which 
each secretly adored. 
Love stood by unperceived and listened ; and his im- 
mortal heart glowed within him while he heard one of 
them sing the praises of Psyche — the bashful, the beau- 
tiful ; Psyche, the milk-handed — the star-eyed — the shy 
fawn; which but the sound of a footstep frightened away. 
