Then she continued, rising up in the midst of the flowing waters as she spake-- “Remain with us, young girl, stay. Why do you still think of him, who is absent? We have treasured up for you boundless present joys. There is no future happiness worth the trouble of pursuit.” But Byblis did not think that the nymph had spoken the truth. Although she was unable to express the ideas of her little soul, she could not conceive any greater joy than to suffer in the pursuit of happiness. During the first day of her useless journey she had counted on the assistance and zeal of the unknown creatures. When she saw that they were careless about aiding her destiny she relied solely upon herself, and, leaving the winding path, penetrated haphazard into the labyrinth of the woods. But the two immortals repeated their words of wisdom. “Stay with us, young girl, stay. Why do you still think of the absent one? There is no future happiness worth the trouble of pursuit.” Long, long afterwards the child as she crossed the mysterious mountain could hear in the distance two clear voices, calling together-- “Byblis!” CHAPTER III For a night and day Byblis traversed the mountain. She made anxious inquiries of all the deities of the woods, of the trees, of the glades and the thickets. She recounted her sorrows many times; she tremblingly implored their assistance, and wrung her little hands. But not one of them had seen Caunos. She climbed up so high that her mother’s holy name was quite unknown to all she met, and the unconcerned nymphs did not understand her. She wanted to retrace her steps, but she was lost. On every side she was surrounded by a confused colonnade of enormous pine-trees. There were no more paths. There was no horizon. She ran in every direction. She called out in despair. There was not even an echo to be heard. Then as her weary eyelids drooped lower and lower she lay down upon the ground and a passing dream told her in measured tones-- “You will never see your brother, you will never set eyes upon him again.” She awoke with a start, with her arms outstretched and her mouth open, but she was so overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish that she had not the strength to cry out. The moon rose red like blood behind the high black outlines of the pine-trees. Byblis could hardly see it. It seemed to her that a humid veil had been dropped over her long eyes. An eternal silence had enveloped the sleeping woods. Then a large tear gathered in the corner of her left eye. Byblis had never before wept. She believed that she was about to die, and sighed as if divine solace had come to her aid in a mysterious way. The tear grew, trembled, became larger still and then suddenly trickled down her cheek. Byblis remained motionless with fixed eyes in the light of the moon. Then a large tear filled the corner of her right eye. It grew like the other and trickled down her right cheek.