From off our coast, twice beaten; and his shipping These brave words stirred the Icenians who stood around, and when Caius Lucius left under safe conduct for Milford Haven all knew that war would soon be declared between Rome and Britain. Pisanio had now returned, and found that much anxious search was being made for the missing Princess. When Cloten saw him, he demanded, at the sword's point, where he had hidden the lady. Pisanio replied by showing him the letter from Posthumus which appointed Milford Haven as the meeting-place. Immediately the dull brain of Cloten conceived what seemed to him a very clever plot. It was to disguise himself in the clothes which Posthumus had worn before he left the Court of Cymbeline (Pisanio knew where they were kept) and to follow Imogen in the guise of her husband, obtaining an interview and then wreaking his vengeance upon her. Springing upon a horse, and unattended, the hasty fool rode away and set off towards the Severn and to the mountains of Wales. He little thought what evil fortune would attend his enterprise nor how much the garments of Posthumus would cost him. All this while the hapless Imogen, disguised as a page, was wandering amid the forests which clothed When darkness the mountains near Milford Haven. came on she sought a shelter in the bushes, and slept upon the ground. In the morning she tried to find some food, and stumbled heavily and wearily along. At length she came to a rugged defile, overhung with thick trees, and peering anxiously around discovered the entrance to a cave. She was faint with hunger and fatigue, and knew that she would perish if she could not obtain a resting place. But the dark, frowning entrance to the cavern terrified her, and for a time she dared not advance. It might be a place where robbers lurked, or the den of wild beasts. She looked about, now advancing, and again retreating in fear. A well-worn footpath led to the cave, and Imogen tried to guess what use the secret place had been put to. "What is this? Here is a path to 't: 'tis some savage hold: I were best not call; I dare not call: yet famine, Take, or lend.-Ho!-No answer? then, I'll enter. But fear the sword like me, he'll scarcely look on't. And so she forced herself to enter, and found to her joy that the cave was empty. But it had not long been untenanted, for a few hours before an old man and two stalwart youths, who called themselves his sons, had gone away on a hunting expedition among the с mountains. The poor Princess drew her wearied limbs towards a dark corner of the cavern, and there flung herself upon a bed of leaves and sobbed herself to sleep. She was lonely, unhappy, hungry, and tired, a homeless, forsaken outcast. The name of the old man was Belarius, although he now bore the Welsh name of Morgan, and the two young men were called Polydore and Cadwal. The woman the boys once called mother was buried not far from the cavern, and for more than twenty years the three had dwelt in this secluded, savage place. But Belarius had formerly held high office under King Cymbeline, and he it was, in anger because of an unjust banishment, who had stolen the two infant Princes Guiderius and Arviragus from the royal nursery and had hidden them in the mountain fastness near Milford Haven. The boys never suspected that they were of royal birth, and thought that the old hunter was their father, and so through all the years they had lived in the cave, seeing few passers-by and spending their time in hunting. But they had often felt that their lives were narrow and monotonous, and longed for a wider and more stirring field than that which was offered by the wilderness. The three had been together partaking of a frugal meal before setting out to the chase. Guiderius said: 66 Haply this life is best If quiet life be best, sweeter to you That have a sharper known, well corresponding A cell of ignorance, travelling a-bed, |