Her garments were of a soft gauzy material that half
concealed and half revealed the beautiful lines of her bust and limbs.
In one hand she held a spray of myrtle, the other rested lovingly
on the head of the magnificent hound who sat beside her, looking
trustfully into her face. The great hall was filled with beautiful
women grouped together here and there, some seated and some standing.
They were all talking. Suddenly the Queen raised her hand and
commanded silence. She then rose and thus addressed the two
visitors:--
"You have come from below to the Realm of Women. Here we abide as you
behold us. Age and decay hold aloof from us, and we order our lives
with wisdom and modesty. Speak, if you have aught to ask."
"Pardon me, Madam," said Father TIME, somewhat rashly, "are we not
here on the planet Venus? and have I not somewhere heard strange tales
of what was done by ----?"
But CALLISTA interrupted him. She smiled a beautiful smile.
"Ah, yes," she said, "those stories are of the vanished past. Now we
blush even to think they might once have been true;" and surely enough
the whole charming assemblage became suffused with the prettiest
imaginable blush. "I will speak plainly with you," continued the
Queen; "for plain speech is best. No men live here. Therefore, we
dwell in peace. But we permit the fairest and best among our number
to descend from time to time to earth, and to dwell there in mortal
shapes for awhile.
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