Apollo. "My children, I will tell you the legend how love came
into the world and how it may endure. It was on high Olympus the
gods held council at the making of man; each had brought a gift,
they gave to man something of their own nature. Aphrodite, the
loveliest and sweetest, paused and was about to add a new grace
to his person, but Eros cried, "let them not be so lovely without,
let them be lovelier within. Put you own soul in, O mother."
The mighty mother smiled, and so it was; and now whenever love
is like hers, which asks not return but shines on all because it
must, within that love Aphrodite dwells and it becomes immortal
by her presence."

Then Dion and Neaera went out, and as they walked homewards through
the forest, purple and vaporous in the evening light, they drew
closer together; and Dion looking into her eyes saw there a new gleam,
violet, magical, shining, there was the presence of Aphrodite, there
was her shrine.

Then came in unto Apollo the two grandchildren of old Thithonius
and they cried, "See the flowers we have brought you, we gathered
them for you down in the valley where they grow best." Then Apollo
said, "What wisdom shall we give to children that they may remember?
Our most beautiful for them!" As he stood and looked at them the
mask of age and secretness vanished, he stood before them radiant
in light; they laughed in joy at his beauty; he bent down and
kissed them each upon the forehead then faded away into the light
which was his home. As the sun sank down amid the blue hills the
old priest awoke with a sigh and cried out, "Oh that we could talk
wisely as we do in our dreams."