understand?"
"No. My sisters are as curious about you as I am. Why won't you tell me who you are? Why won't you let me see your face?"
"You do not need to see my face to love me."
"No, but I would love you even more if I could see your face."
"But what if you saw my face and loved me less?"
"That would not be possible."
"How can you be sure?"
Psyche realized that she couldn't. She would have liked to think that she would still love him, but she could not say with certainty that she would have, and that made her feel ashamed.
"One more thing I need to tell you before I go," Cupid said, interrupting her thoughts. "You are carrying my child."
"What?" she exclaimed in joy and disbelief. "How do you know? I don't feel anything."
"I know much. For now, all you need to know is this: if you are able to resist your sisters when they implore you to look at my face, our child will be born divine. But if you disobey me, our child will be mortal. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Yes, I do," she responded eagerly, but she answered too quickly and with exaggerated emotion. "I don't think
you trust me," she continued, tears in her voice. "When my sisters were here, did I betray you in any way?"
Reluctantly, Cupid admitted that she had not.
"You act as if I do not know how to take care of myself. I do. That is riot the problem. You, my love, do not understand how terribly lonely I get during the day. You do not know how slowly the day crawls past as I sit and wait for your return. When my sisters visit, it helps time go faster. The minutes when I will be with you again are not as far apart when my sisters come and distract me from thinking of you.
"I promise that if you let me see them again, I will never again be curious to see what you look like."
With great reluctance Cupid agreed, but as he flew away that night, it was with tears in his eyes. He knew. All was lost.
The Sisters Return
Sun had scarcely begun his journey when Thomasina suddenly awoke. She knew how to get rid of Psyche and take all the riches for herself and Calla.
She woke her sister and shared the plan with her. Calla was ecstatic. The two sisters embraced, then dressed hurriedly and were on their way to the mountain.
When they arrived, they called out Psyche's name. She heard, then sent Favonius to bring them. Carrying two
people of such evil was not to West Wind's liking, but he did so. When he set them down at the palace door, he hoped that when he took them back it would be the last time he had anything to do with them.
The two sisters rushed into the palace, shouting, "Psyche! Psyche! Are you all right? Sister! Where are you?"
When Psyche heard their voices, she came running. "Oh, sisters! I am so happy to see you!"
Thomasina was shrewd. She was content to spend the day chatting with Psyche about their childhoods and other inconsequential matters. If anyone had seen the sisters as they lay beside the pool and chatted after bathing, he would have thought no sisters had ever loved each other as much as these three.
Supper that evening was quite sumptuous, with course following course of melon balls, lobster tail, lamb in mustard sauce, perfumed rice, and wild peas in a lemon butter sauce. All of this was accompanied by the finest wines, and the meal was completed with fresh, ripe strawberries dipped in chocolate.
All three sisters looked like they were in a drunken stupor from the rich food, wine, and dessert. Thomasina and Calla had not, however, eaten as much as Psyche. They were as alert as deer ready to run at the snap of a twig. Thomasina and Calla exchanged looks: now was the time.
"Little sister," Thomasina began softly, "tell us again about your husband. I know you mentioned him last time, but I can't remember what you said."
Psyche was so groggy from all she had eaten and drunk that she could not remember what she had told them. "He's ... he's ... a, well, a merchant! He must travel a lot, of course, which is why he is not here to meet
"No. My sisters are as curious about you as I am. Why won't you tell me who you are? Why won't you let me see your face?"
"You do not need to see my face to love me."
"No, but I would love you even more if I could see your face."
"But what if you saw my face and loved me less?"
"That would not be possible."
"How can you be sure?"
Psyche realized that she couldn't. She would have liked to think that she would still love him, but she could not say with certainty that she would have, and that made her feel ashamed.
"One more thing I need to tell you before I go," Cupid said, interrupting her thoughts. "You are carrying my child."
"What?" she exclaimed in joy and disbelief. "How do you know? I don't feel anything."
"I know much. For now, all you need to know is this: if you are able to resist your sisters when they implore you to look at my face, our child will be born divine. But if you disobey me, our child will be mortal. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Yes, I do," she responded eagerly, but she answered too quickly and with exaggerated emotion. "I don't think
you trust me," she continued, tears in her voice. "When my sisters were here, did I betray you in any way?"
Reluctantly, Cupid admitted that she had not.
"You act as if I do not know how to take care of myself. I do. That is riot the problem. You, my love, do not understand how terribly lonely I get during the day. You do not know how slowly the day crawls past as I sit and wait for your return. When my sisters visit, it helps time go faster. The minutes when I will be with you again are not as far apart when my sisters come and distract me from thinking of you.
"I promise that if you let me see them again, I will never again be curious to see what you look like."
With great reluctance Cupid agreed, but as he flew away that night, it was with tears in his eyes. He knew. All was lost.
The Sisters Return
Sun had scarcely begun his journey when Thomasina suddenly awoke. She knew how to get rid of Psyche and take all the riches for herself and Calla.
She woke her sister and shared the plan with her. Calla was ecstatic. The two sisters embraced, then dressed hurriedly and were on their way to the mountain.
When they arrived, they called out Psyche's name. She heard, then sent Favonius to bring them. Carrying two
people of such evil was not to West Wind's liking, but he did so. When he set them down at the palace door, he hoped that when he took them back it would be the last time he had anything to do with them.
The two sisters rushed into the palace, shouting, "Psyche! Psyche! Are you all right? Sister! Where are you?"
When Psyche heard their voices, she came running. "Oh, sisters! I am so happy to see you!"
Thomasina was shrewd. She was content to spend the day chatting with Psyche about their childhoods and other inconsequential matters. If anyone had seen the sisters as they lay beside the pool and chatted after bathing, he would have thought no sisters had ever loved each other as much as these three.
Supper that evening was quite sumptuous, with course following course of melon balls, lobster tail, lamb in mustard sauce, perfumed rice, and wild peas in a lemon butter sauce. All of this was accompanied by the finest wines, and the meal was completed with fresh, ripe strawberries dipped in chocolate.
All three sisters looked like they were in a drunken stupor from the rich food, wine, and dessert. Thomasina and Calla had not, however, eaten as much as Psyche. They were as alert as deer ready to run at the snap of a twig. Thomasina and Calla exchanged looks: now was the time.
"Little sister," Thomasina began softly, "tell us again about your husband. I know you mentioned him last time, but I can't remember what you said."
Psyche was so groggy from all she had eaten and drunk that she could not remember what she had told them. "He's ... he's ... a, well, a merchant! He must travel a lot, of course, which is why he is not here to meet
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