“The gods watch over thee, my child!” responded Agrippina.
On a perfect day, not long after, the two prisoners were seated upon the rocks, looking dreamily at the sea.
“Where are thy thoughts, my child?”
“I was thinking,” said Psyche, “how happy must be the spirit of the sea!”
“Happier than that of the mountains?” asked Agrippina.
“Ay, my lady; the mountains cast shadows,” replied Psyche.
“But the waters, dear child, cover unfathomable abysses.”
“True, O lady. Never until now have I lived by the sea. In my prison cell alone, with no sound save that of the breaking of the waves of silence on the shores of meditation, I have sometimes gathered sparkling objects, sprays of broken thoughts and iridescent dreams. At other times I have seen living and crawling objects that frightened me.”
“Didst thou have no companionship in the camp, my poor child?”
“I was always alone, my lady. My jailer was a mute, and for months I heard no words.”