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The Romance of a Water-Lily. 121

 

borne them close to the precipices of Ai, and that in
the naked face of the mighty black frontal a little
aperture was visible. It flashed across him at once
that this was that home of the fairies in which Salome
believed, and at which he had so often laughed.

And as he thought the thought, he felt himself
drawn yet more firmly by the hand that held him ;
he felt his feet touch solid ground; he heard the
rippling laughter around him once more, and that
most rippling of all the voices say to him—

“Welcome to Nerina’s home!”

The mist rolled away ; there was a dazzle of light
in his eyes; but as the sense came back to them he
was conscious that the laughter faded away, as it
were, into the bowels of the earth, and that he was
still alone with the fairy of the Rhone.

“ Where am I?” said he, slowly awakening.

“Thou art in Nerina’s home,” repeated she, softly.
“JT am Nerina.”

He passed his hand slowly across his eyes and
looked at her.