and showed them the statue. The
King gazed and gazed on the beautiful statue of his dead wife, but said
nothing.

"I like your silence," said Paulina; "it the more shows off your wonder.
But speak, is it not like her?"

"It is almost herself," said the King, "and yet, Paulina, Hermione was
not so much wrinkled, nothing so old as this seems."

"Oh, not by much," said Polixenes.

"Al," said Paulina, "that is the cleverness of the carver, who shows her
to us as she would have been had she lived till now."

And still Leontes looked at the statue and could not take his eyes away.

"If I had known," said Paulina, "that this poor image would so have
stirred your grief, and love, I would not have shown it to you."

But he only answered, "Do not draw the curtain."

"No, you must not look any longer," said Paulina, "or you will think it
moves."

"Let be! let be!" said the King. "Would you not think it breathed?"

"I will draw the curtain," said Paulina; "you will think it lives
presently."

"Ah, sweet Paulina," said Leontes, "make me to think so twenty years
together."

"If you can bear it," said Paulina, "I can make the statue move, make
it come down and take you by the hand. Only you would think it was by
wicked magic."

"Whatever you can make her do, I am content to look on," said the King.

And then, all folks there admiring and beholding, the statue moved from
its pedestal, and came down the steps and put its arms round the King's
neck, and he held her face and kissed her many times, for this was
no statue, but the real living Queen Hermione herself. She had lived
hidden, by Paulina's kindness, all these years, and would not discover
herself to her husband, though she knew he had repented, because she
could not quite forgive him till she knew what had become of her little
baby.

Now that Perdita was found, she forgave her husband everything, and it
was like a new and beautiful marriage to them, to be together once more.

Florizel and Perdita were married and lived long and happily.

To Leontes his many years of suffering were well paid for in the moment
when, after long grief and pain, he felt the arms of his true love
around him once again.

KING LEAR

King Lear was old and tired. He was aweary of the business of his
kingdom, and wished only to end his days quietly near his three
daughters. Two of his daughters were married to the Dukes of Albany
and Cornwall; and the Duke of Burgundy and