902 THE CHIMERA.

“Dear, dear Bellerophon,” eried he, “I know not
why it is, but I feel as if we should certainly see Pega-
sus to-day!”

And all that day he would not stir a step from Bel-—
‘lerophon’s side; so they ate a crust of bread together,
and drank some of the water of the fountain. In the
afternoon, there they sat, and Bellerophon had thrown
his arm around the child, who likewise had put one of
his little hands into Bellerophon’s. The latter was lost
in his own thoughts, and was fixing his eyes vacantly on
the trunks of the trees that overshadowed the fountain,
and on the grapevines that clambered up among their
branches. But the gentle child was gazing down into
the water; he was grieved, for Bellerophon’s sake, that
the hope of another day should be deceived, like so
many before it; and two or three quiet tear-drops fell
from his eyes, and mingled with what were said to be
the many tears of Pirene, when she wept for her slain
children.

But, when he least thought of it, Bellerophon felt the
pressure of the child’s little hand, and heard a soft, al-
most breathless whisper. .

“See there, dear Bellerophon! There is an image
in the water!”

The young man looked down into the dimpling mir-
ror of the fountain, and saw what he took to be the
reflection of a bird which seemed to be flying at a great
height in the air, with a gleam of sunshine on its snowy
or silvery wings.

“What a splendid bird it must be!” said he. “ And