ovements of my
rod, round which my thoughts and fancies wind and blossom till they
have made a thyrsus of it. Now, however, I shall certainly catch no
more fish, and so I may rest and talk to you. Are you searching for
simples in this glen?

AESCULAPIUS.

To tell you the plain truth, I am waiting for Nike. She has given
me an appointment here.

DIONYSUS.

I have not seen her since we arrived on this island.

AESCULAPIUS.

You have seen her, but you have not recognised her. She goes about
in a perpetual incognito. Poor thing, in our flight from Olympus
she lost all her attributes--her wings dropped off, her laurel was
burned, she flung her armour away, and her palm-tree obstinately
refused to up-root itself.

DIONYSUS.

No doubt at this moment it is obsequiously rustling over the odious
usurper.

AESCULAPIUS.

It was always rather a poor palm-tree. What Nike misses most are
her wings. She was excessively dejected when we first arrived, but
Pallas very kindly allowed her to take care of the jewel for half
an hour. Nike--if still hardly recognisable--is no longer to be
taken for Niobe.

DIONYSUS [_rising to his feet_].

I shall do well, however, to go before she comes.

AESCULAPIUS.

By no means. I should prefer your staying. Nike will prefer it,
too. In the old days she always liked you to be her harbinger.

DIONYSUS.

Not always; sometimes my panthers turned and bit her. But my
panthers and my vines are gone to keep her laurels and her
palm-tree company. I think I will not stay, Aesculapius. But what
does Nike want with you?

[_Slowly and pensively descending from the upper woods_, NIKE
_enters_.]

DIONYSUS.

I was excusing myself, Nike, to our learned friend here for not
having paid my addresses to you earlier. You must have thought me
negligent?

NIKE.

Oh! Dionysus, I assure you it is not so. Your temperament is one of
violent extremes--you are either sparkling with miraculous rapidity
of apprehension, or you are sunken in a heavy doze. These have
doubtless been some of your sleepy days. And I ... oh! I am very
deeply changed.

DIONYSUS.

No, not at all. Hardly at all. [_He scarcely glances at her, but
turns to_ AESCULAPIUS.] But farewell to both of you, for I am going
down to the sea-board to watch for dolphins. That long melancholy
plunge of the black snout thrills me with pleasure. It always did,
and the coast-line here curiously reminds me of Naxos. Be kind to
Aes