112 Two Litrte Pinerims’ Progress

greed! What did it matter that scarcely anyone saw
what they saw, or seeing it, realised its splendid,
hopeful meaning! Little recked they of anything
but the entrancement of blue sky and water, and the
City Beautiful they were drawing near to.

When first out of the blueness there rose the fair
shadow of the whiteness, they sprang from their seats,
and, hand in hand, made their way to the side, and
there stood watching as silent as if they did not dare
to speak lest it should melt away. And from a fair,
white spirit it grew to a real thing—more white—more
fair—more stately and more an enchanted thing than
even they had believed or hoped.

And the crowd surged about them, and women
exclaimed and men talked, and there was a rushing
to and fro, and the ringing of a bell, and movement
and action and excitement were on every side. But
somehow these two children stood hand in hand and
only looked.

For their dream had come true, though it had been
a child dream of an enchanted thing!