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第9章 我是传奇

"The only thing I wish for is to see you come home safely,"she answered.

him a flight of agate steps, and went up them, and passed throughseveral splendidly furnished rooms. The pleasant warmth of theair revived him, and he felt very hungry; but there seemed to benobody in all this vast and splendid palace whom he could askto give him something to eat. Deep silence reigned everywhere,and at last, tired of roaming through empty rooms and galleries,he stopped in a room smaller than the rest, where a clear fire wasburning and a couch was drawn up cosily close to it. Thinkingthat this must be prepared for someone who was expected, he satdown to wait till he should come, and very soon fell into a sweetsleep.

ite of his weariness the howling of the wolves kept him awake,and even when at last the day broke he was not much better off,for the falling snow had covered up every path, and he did notknow which way to turn.

"Say 'yes' or 'no' without fear," he replied.

"What is the matter?" she cried.

As she spoke a blaze of light sprang up before the windowsof the palace; fireworks crackled and guns banged, and acrossthe avenue of orange trees, in letters all made of fire-flies, waswritten: "Long live the Prince and his Bride."

"Ah! Beauty, you are only just in time to save his life. Seewhat happens when people do not keep their promises! If youhad delayed one day more, you would have found him dead."

"Here is what you asked me to bring you; you little know whatit has cost."

At length he made out some sort of track, and though at thebeginning it was so rough and slippery that he fell down morethan once, it presently became easier, and led him into an avenueof trees which ended in a splendid castle. It seemed to the mer-chant very strange that no snow had fallen in the avenue, whichwas entirely composed of orange trees, covered with flowers andfruit. When he reached the first court of the castle he saw before