30 Lily and Water-Lily.

 

for he would not have been considered an impartial
judge on that particular question, his preference for
Pearl being well known through all the country-side,
and his appreciation of the merits of birds not being
so well assured.

The show had been a fine thing; but even all the
revelry that there had been was not enough to
account for Pearl’s prolonged absence, and both the
lily and the mouse began to grow anxious.

The mouse went off to search for Pearl as soon as
he found that his friend knew nothing of her ; but the
lily was obliged to stay where it was, and could only
wait and watch. .

And, waiting, he began to be aware of a strange
foreboding of evil.

The sun shone as brightly as it did yesterday, the
birds’ song was as gay, the breeze in the trees stirred
as softly, and the breath of all the flowers was as
sweet upon the warm air; but somehow the lily felt.
as though there were a blight in the summer’s day,
as though something unlucky were going to happen.