aviour, too, a tone of high breeding and of
consideration for others which was really charming; and Proserpine, who
had expected to find in her host a gloomy bigot, was quite surprised
at the truly liberal spirit with which he seemed to consider affairs in
general. Indeed this unexpected tone made so great an impression upon
her, that finding a good opportunity after dinner, when they were
sipping their coffee apart from the rest of the company, she could not
refrain from entering into some conversation with the ex-King upon the
subject, and the conversation ran thus:

'Do you know,' said Proserpine, 'that much as I have been pleased
and surprised during my visit to the realms of twilight, nothing has
pleased, and I am sure nothing has surprised me more, than to observe
the remarkably liberal spirit in which your Majesty views the affairs of
the day.'

'You give me a title, beautiful Proserpine, to which I have no claim,'
replied Saturn. 'You forget that I am now only Count Hesperus; I am no
longer a king, and believe me, I am very glad of it.'

'What a pity, my dear sir, that you would not condescend to conform to
the spirit of the age. For myself, I am quite a reformer.'

'So I have understood, beautiful Proserpine, which I confess has a
little surprised me; for to tell you the truth, I do not consider that
reform is exactly _our_ trade.'

'Affairs cannot go on as they used,' observed Proserpine, oracularly;
'we must bow to the spirit of the age.'

'And what is that?' inquired Saturn.

'I do not exactly know,' replied Proserpine, 'but one hears of it
everywhere.'

'I also heard of it a great deal,' replied Saturn, 'and was also
recommended to conform to it. Before doing so, however, I thought it as
well to ascertain its nature, and something also of its strength.'

'It is terribly strong,' observed Proserpine.

'But you think it will be stronger?' inquired the ex-King.

'Certainly; every day it is more powerful.'

'Then if, on consideration, we were to deem resistance to it advisable,
it is surely better to commence the contest at once than to postpone the
struggle.'

'It is useless to talk of resisting; one must conform.'

'I certainly should consider resistance useless,' replied Saturn, 'for I
tried it and failed; but at least one has a chance of success; and yet,
having resisted this spirit and failed, I should not consider myself
in a worse plight than you would voluntarily place yourself in by
c