YMBELINE was the King of Britain. He had three children.
The two sons were stolen away from him when they were quite
little children, and he was left with only one daughter, Imogen.

The King married a second time, and brought up Leonatus, the son of a
dead friend, as Imogen’s playfellow ; and when Leonatus was old enough,
Imogen secretly married him. This made the King and Queen very
angry, and the King, to punish Leonatus, banished him from Britain.

Poor Imogen was nearly heart-broken at parting from Leonatus,

and he was not less unhappy. For they were not only lovers and
husband and wife, but they had been friends and comrades ever since
they were quite little children. With many tears and kisses they said
“Good-bye.” They promised never to forget each other, and that they
would never care for any one else as long as they lived.

“This diamond was my mother’s, love,” said Imogen ; ‘take it, my

heart, and keep it as long as you love me.”

‘Sweetest, fairest,” answered Leonatus, “wear this bracelet for my

sake.”

“Ah!” cried Imogen, weeping, “when shall we meet again?”

And while they were still in each other’s arms, the King came in,

and Leonatus had to leave without more farewell.

When he was come to Rome, where he had gone to stay with an

old friend of his father’s, he spent his days still in thinking of his dear
Imogen, and his nights in dreaming of her. One day at a feast some