286 THE GOLD OF FAIRNILEE.

 

dream. She felt herself going on through the
forest, she did not know where. Deeper into
the wood she went, and now it grew so dark |
that she saw scarce anything; only she felt the
fragrance of briar roses, and it seemed to her
that she was guided towards these roses. Then
she knew there was a hand in her hand, though
she saw nobody, and the hand seemed to lead
her on. And she came to an open place in the
forest, and there the silver light fell clear from
the sky, and she saw a great shadowy rose tree,
covered with white wild roses.

The hand was still in her hand, and Jeanie
began to wish for nothing so much in the world
as to gather some of these roses. She put out
her hand and she plucked one, and there before.
her stood a strange creature—a dwarf, dressed
in yellow and red, with a very angry face.

‘Who are you,” he cried, ‘that pluck my
roses without my will?”

** And who are you?” said Jeanie, trembling,
‘‘and what right have you on the hills of this
world?”

Then she made the holy sign of the cross,
and the face of the elf grew black, and the
light went out of the sky.

She only saw the faint glimmer of the white
flowers, and a kind of shadow standing where
the dwarf stood.

“‘T bid you tell me,” said Jeanie, ‘‘ whether
you are a Christian man, or a spirit that