The Romance of a | Water-Lily. 131~

 

an anger even keener than that which had broken
from her when she first appeared to him in judg-
ment; but, lo! there was no anger in them at all,
nothing but merry raillery that sparkled in them,
with laughter.

“Ah!” said she, shaking her head at him sagely,
“thou art but a mortal; thou dost not know. They
say that mortals cannot even see at first, and per-
chance thou dost not see how fair Iam?”

“ Ay, I see,” answered Michael, sadly.

“Nay! then how could it be that to me, who am
fairer than mortal woman e’er could be, thou shouldst
prefer one who did send thee to thy death for a
whim? Thou seest it were not possible. For I will
give thee not only my beauty, but all the joys of life
as well. Thou dost not understand.”

“Nay, perchance I do not understand ; eee
you, too, fair lady, do not understand,” answered
Michael. “Methinks love can neither be bought nor
bartered.”

Nerina knit her lovely brow in thought, but it was