THE TEMPEST. 27

She in
very pity
would have
helped him in
his hard work,
but he would
not let*her, yet s<
he could not
keep from her
the secret of
his love, and
she, hearing it,
rejoiced and
promised to be
his wife.

Then Pros-
pero released
him from his
servitude, and glad at heart, he gave his consent to thei marriage.

“Take her,” he said, “ she is thine own.”

In the meantime, Antonio and Sebastian in another part of the island
were plotting the murder of Alonso, the King of Naples, for Ferdinand
being dead, as they thought, Sebastian would succeed to the throne on
Alonso’s death. And they would have carried out their wicked purpose
while their victim was asleep, but that Ariel woke him in good time.

Many tricks did Ariel play them. Once he set a banquet before them,
and just as they were going to fall to, he appeared to them amid thunder
and lightning in the form of a harpy, and immediately the banquet dis-
appeared. Then Ariel upbraided them with their sins and vanished too.

Prospero by his enchantments drew them all to the grove without his
cell, where they waited, trembling and afraid, and now at last bitterly
repenting them of their sins.

Prospero determined to make one last use of his magic power, “ and
then,” said he, “I'll break my staff and deeper than did ever plummet
sound I’ll drown my book.”

So he made heavenly music to sound in the air, and appeared to them

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