116 Lily and Water-Lily.

“T plucked them for the girl whom I love,” replied
Michael, bravely.

The little fairy looked at him: her face grew
serious with the sudden seriousness of a child’s.

“Love!” repeated she, musingly. “There was an
old fairy told me once that the passion mortals call
love brings a deal of pain and trouble. Ay, and she
said that mortals do foolish things, and even wicked
things, for the sake of what they call love, Hence
didst thou pluck my lilies, then?”

“TI did not count that a sin,” answered Michael,
boldly.

“ Thou didst not count it a sin,” repeated the fairy,
aghast. “Nota sin to break a law, to take what was
not thine? And the woman—did she will this deed,
and know that it might cost thee thy life?”

Michael was silent. How couldhe reply? To tell
the fairy that he had not believed in her existence
would be an insult—and then, was he quite sure that
Salome ‘had not believed in it ?

“ Ah, I remember,” said the small being, wisely,