e, and left it there with the coin. "They must settle
it among themselves," he thought, wearily; "I can't be bothered with
business now."

He was thinking whether it was worth while to shut the shop up or not;
when a clear voice sounded from above--

"Leander, where art thou? Come hither!"

And he started as if he had been shot. "I'm coming, madam," he called
up, obsequiously. "I'll be with you in one minute!"

"Now for it," he thought, as he went up to his sitting-room. "I wish I
wasn't all of a twitter. I wish I knew what was coming next!"

The room was dark, but when he got a light he saw the statue standing in
the centre of the room, her hood thrown back, and the fur-lined mantle
hanging loosely about her; the face looked stern and terrible under its
brilliant tint.

"Have you made your choice?" she demanded.

"Choice!" he said. "I haven't any choice left me!"

"It is true," she said triumphantly. "Your friends have deserted you;
mortals are banded together to seize and disgrace you: you have no
refuge but with me. But time is short. Come, then, place yourself within
the shelter of these arms, and, while they enfold you tight in their
marble embrace, repeat after me the words which complete my power."

"There's no partickler hurry," he objected. "I will directly. I--I only
want to know what will happen when I've done it. You can't have any
objection to a natural curiosity like that."

"You will lose consciousness, to recover it in balmy Cyprus, with
Aphrodite (no longer cold marble, but the actual goddess, warm and
living), by your side! Ah! impervious one, can you linger still? Do you
not tremble with haste to feel my breath fanning your cheek, my soft arm
around your neck? Are not your eyes already dazzled by the gleam of my
golden tresses?"

"Well, I can't say they are; not at present," said Leander. "And, you
see, it's all very well; but, as I asked you once before, how are you
going to _get_ me there? It's a long way, and I'm ten stone, if I'm an
ounce!"

"Heavy-witted youth, it is not your body that will taste perennial
bliss."

"And what's to become of that, then?" he asked, anxiously.

"That will be left here, clasped to this stone, itself as cold and
lifeless."

"Oh!" said Leander, "I didn't bargain for that, and I don't like it."

"You will know nothing of it; you will be with me, in dreamy grottoes
strewn with fragrant rushes and the new-stript leaves of the vine, where
the warm air w