THE LADY IN THE GREEN DRESS. 113

Mountains, whose tops were shrouded in clouds, while a softened light
partly hid their outlines, and gave them a fairy and unreal sort of
look. The Rose-coloured Mountains seemed like friends to the little
girl—they were beautiful, and she felt drawn towards them—she had
a longing which was almost passionate to reach them.

“They lead to the Blue Mountains,” she murmured ; “through the
Rose Mountains to the Blue. It is the short cut—the nearest way ;
but oh! much as I love the Rose Mountains, I wish I could get even
one peep of the dear familiar mountains which used to face us when
we lived in the cottage at home.”

“ What are you staring at?” said Buttercup. “How much longer
are we to stand at the entrance of this ugly dark wood? ”

“Tam thinking of the Blue Mountains,” said Primrose. “I wish
—I long to see them again.”

“What a silly you are!” said one of the other children; ‘‘ who
could compare those dull Blue Mountains with the Rose-coloured
ones? Qh, do Jet us go on; I, for one, long to reach that lovely place
over there.”

The four strange children now walked on impatiently, and Primrose
and her brother followed them. The path through which they walked
now was very pleasant. It sloped gently—very gently—down, and
ever down ; it was bordered on each side by tall grasses and bright
flowers ; butterflies and bees were seen gently floating from one to the
other of the flowers; a chirping of many happy creatures was heard
in the long grass. After a time the children came to a stream which
gurgled past them with a soothing sound. They put their little hands
into the water, drank some of it, and felt a good deal refreshed.

“T am not nearly so thirsty now,” said Buttercup, “but I am
awfully hungry. I wish we could reach one of the inns, which the
King said we should find along the road.”

“We must be very careful where we go,” said Primrose, “for we
have got to remember that we are not going to the King’s country
by the ordinary road, so perhaps the inns are not safe for us to
stop at.”

Lhe other children all laughed heartily when Primrose said this,

Hl