“‘Dancing somewhere; I don’t know where. I came here to think.’
“That sounded pretty sad to Perseus, and he tried to say something to cheer her.
“‘I wouldn’t worry about that star. You look all right.’
“‘I wouldn’t mind for myself,’ said Merope; ‘but I’m not going to disgrace my family.’
“It was not long after this that the six Pleiades began to say: ‘Where is Merope?’ and then the other Star People said: ‘Where can Merope be?’—until the whole Sky seemed one great Question; and the nearest it came to an answer was that Perseus had seen her sitting on the bank of the river, quite downcast, but plainly resolved to do something.
“Cassiopeia was so worried, she lost her temper.
“‘I hope you girls are satisfied now’ she said. ‘Persecuting that poor child!—and all for vanity. If anything has happened to her, I don’t know how you’ll forgive yourselves!’
“‘You were in it, too,’ observed Perseus; and she was.
“‘I know it,’ she said, after a pause. ‘That’s how I know how they ought to feel.’
“‘I don’t see how anything could have happened to her.’ said Orion.