THE MAGICAL KISS. 135

The night was beginning to fall. There were clouds in the sky,
and neither moon nor stars could be seen.

“I must be brave,” thought the poor little girl. She went up
again quite close to the hedge, then she started back and muttered a cry
of terror; the wicked faces of the little men who had haunted the
narrow stream over which she had crossed on the silver cord the night
before, peered out at her through the hedge.

“ Ha, ha, ha!” they laughed, wagging their heads and putting out
their tongues, “we have got you now; we have got you finely at last.
How are you to get over this hedge? Pray remember that that fine
silver path of yours runs right through it. How are you to get to the
Blue Mountains now? Ha, ha! tell us that, if you please.”

Poor Primrose did not attempt to answer the wicked little
men. She was attracted at this moment by a sound of bitter
erying at her elbow.

She turned her head, and could just see through the gather-
ing darkness the figure of a girl of about her own age, who had
also come up to the hedge, and was clasping her hands and moan-
ing and crying dreadfully, and saying the same words over and over.

“What shall I do? what shall I do? I can’t get through
the hedge—I can’t get through the hedge!”

“Take my hand,” said Primrose suddenly. She put out her
hand as she spoke; the other girl grasped it eagerly, and pressing
it to her lips, kissed it several times.

‘What is your name?” asked Primrose; “and what are you
doing here?”

‘“My name is Martha,” said the girl, ‘and I am going to the
Blue Mountains. I have been a dreadful time, trying to get to
them; I have gone through all kinds of difficulties; I thought I
was past the worst of them until I came to this hedge. I must
vo through the hedge, for the silver path runs through it: but
how am I ever to get to the other side?”

“IT don’t know,” said Primrose. “JI don’t know how to get
through it myself. It is very strong and very thick; and do you
notice those faces that peep at us through the thorns?” -