ke out the words, excepting, 'Come, come, come,' and then something
about the sea. But that is very absurd, for there is no sea near
here. The moon knows that as well as I do, for the moon looks down,
and sees that there are only fields and woods and orchards, and
beautiful gardens full of flowers. I wish I were not dreaming all the
time. The music is a dream too; I thought it was the nightingale: and
I dare say it is, and that if I looked out of the window I should see
about a dozen nightingales sitting in a row, for it would take a
dozen quite to make such loud music as I hear in the moonlight."

And the girl shook back her long hair, and jumped out of bed and went
to the window; but she could see nothing, for pressed tightly against
the window was a great white lily, just like the one she had thrown
down, only instead of being of the ordinary size, it was so large
that it covered all the panes of glass and also the open part of the
window, so that it was quite impossible to look out. The stalk was
towards her.

"I'm like an umbrella white,
Keeping off the sun or rain;
Keeping out the bright moonlight,
Keeping in the wood-elves' train,

said the lily. Then it continued--

"Yes, you threw me down in fright,
But I've come to you to-night.
Take me in your hand, and see
What will then my purpose be."

The girl was silent for a moment; everything was so strange: the
beautiful music, the talking brook, and now the talking flower.

"I will not have anything to do with any of you," she said, giving
the flower a push to send it away from the window.

But no sooner had she touched it than the flower shrank to its
natural size, and remained in her hand, which was so tightly closed
that she could not open it again.

"Away, away,
Each elf and fay!"

murmured the lily; and there was a soft rush as of many tiny wings,
and the girl felt herself carried through the air.

This was the work of the wood-elves, who were there to help the lily.
But the girl scarcely knew what was happening; she was listening to
the music, which was so grand and beautiful that she forgot
everything else.

[Illustration: "SHE HELD THE LILY IN HER HAND."]

III.

Was the girl the fairy queen? She began to think that she must be, as
she sat on some marble steps in the wood. She was dressed in white,
and had long silk stockings; and a veil of shining gossamer was
fastened on her head with a gold band, and it fell do