Access Online - The European Library

ARIADNE. 237" So best," he had answered me; for his soulwas set against her as a thing accursed; he, whohad seen the blows of the mallet shatter thecopy of the Nausicaa.The wise men whomIbrought to her, saidthere was no disease; there may have beennone ; but none the lessIknew that her lifewas over,and the Greek lad knew it too, becausehe loved her. From that night when she hadseen the funeral of Maryx pass beneath herwaUs, and learned by whom he had been slain,she seemed to droop just as aflower wdl; thereis no decay that you can see; the blossomis lovely, and its leaves young, and the dews ofmorning are on it, but, nevertheless,it fades —fades — fades, and you know that in ahttle whileyou wiUrise some day and findit dead.AVho canmeasure what she felt ?Aidon never had more innocence and moreremorse — Aidon who slew what she cherished inthe dark, not knowing.By her had death come to the oneandcrime tothe other:had she beenin the old days of Rome,she woulcl have plungedher living body into the