CHAPTER III.
CALLIA AND THE MIRROR.
The next morning, when Calladon woke up, the first thing he saw was a lovely little girl slumbering beside him.
For a moment he was greatly astonished, for he had forgotten that the Master had gone, and that he had promised him a companion. But presently the memory of the day before came back to him, and he recollected that henceforth he was to take care of himself. The thought made him feel quite brave and manly; and with such a beautiful playmate as this to keep him company, he felt sure that he would be the happiest boy in the world. And as he wanted his happiness, and hers, to begin as soon as possible, he bent over and kissed her on the lips.
She opened a pair of lovely blue eyes, and yawned, and said—
'Where am I? Oh! Calladon, is that you? How handsome you look, and how good you are!'
'How did you know me?' asked Calladon.
'If I am Callia, you must be Calladon!' replied she, laughing. 'Who else could you be?'
'Now that I look in your eyes, it seems as if I must have always known you!' said Calladon.
'And I know you the same way,' said Callia.
'But how did you get here?' he asked.
'What a funny question! as if I had ever been anywhere else!'
'It is very strange, however,' he said; 'for though I can remember living here for a long time and not seeing you, still I cannot imagine your ever having been away from me. We seem always to have been together.'
'So we have,' replied Callia; 'and we will always stay together, won't we?'
'Indeed we will,' said Calladon; 'so now give me a kiss, and let us have our breakfast.'
Their breakfast was there waiting for them, as was everything else they needed; and while they were eating it they talked about what they would do during the day. They soon found out that the difficulty would be to make a choice from the many pleasant things that suggested themselves; and whatever one proposed, the other declared to be more delightful than anything yet. And after all, what could be more delightful than simply to be together? Calladon was more pleased in knowing that Callia was pleased than he could have been at anything that merely pleased himself; and his pleasure gave greater pleasure to Callia than any pleasure of her own could have done. What they did, therefore, on this first day, was not of nearly so much importance to them as that they did it together; and when the day came to an end (as it did, more quickly than any day that either of them could remember) all they knew was that it had been one song of joy. As to doing anything that the Master had warned them against, they really had not had time so much as to think of such a thing.
But night came at last, and they found themselves getting sleepy. Before going to bed, Calladon said—
'By the way, Callia, have you got a mirror round your neck?'
'Do you mean this pretty little thing, set in precious stones? Shall I give it to you, dearest Calladon?'
'Oh, no; only the Master said that I was to look in it every once in a while, to find out what I really am.'
'You really are the handsomest and dearest boy in the world, and so the mirror will tell you,' said Callia; and she held it up before him as she spoke. Calladon looked; and certainly the mirror did show him the image of a very charming little face and figure. It told the truth, and the truth was very agreeable.
'I am glad of it for your sake, Callia,' said Calladon. 'I hope I shall always be as handsome as you want me to be.'
'I don't mind whether you are handsome or not, as long as you are Calladon,' she answered.
'It seems to me, Callia, that if I have you, and you have me, we do not need anything else.'
'And it would not make any difference whether we were in Abra or not.'
'I should hardly mind even if the lamp were to go out,' said Calladon.
'I only care for the lamp because it lets me see you,' she answered.
'And because it lets me see myself in the mirror.'
'Why should you believe the mirror more than me?' asked Callia.
'Well, if you think I am handsome, it is not so much matter whether the mirror tells me I am or not,' returned Calladon.
And with this they kissed each other, and fell asleep.