ike a ridge of water or a wave, only
rushing on endways. It needed no channel, and turned aside for no
opposition. It flowed over everything that crossed its path, like a
great serpent of water, with folds fitting into all the ups and downs
of the way. If a wall came in its course it flowed against it, heaping
itself up on itself till it reached the top, whence it plunged to the
foot on the other side, and flowed on. Soon he found that it was
running gently up a grassy hill. The waves kept curling back as if the
wind blew them, or as if they could hardly keep from running down
again. But still the stream mounted and flowed, and the waves with it.
It found it difficult, but it could do it. When they reached the top,
it bore them across a heathy country, rolling over purple heather, and
blue harebells, and delicate ferns, and tall foxgloves crowded with
bells purple and white. All the time the palm-leaf curled its edges
away from the water, and made a delightful boat for Richard, while
Toadstool tumbled along in the stream like a porpoise. At length the
water began to run very fast, and went faster and faster, till suddenly
it plunged them into a deep lake, with a great splash, and stopped
there. Toadstool went out of sight, and came up gasping and grinning,
while Richard's boat tossed and heaved like a vessel in a storm at sea;
but not a drop of water came in. Then the goblin began to swim, and
pushed and tugged the boat along. But the lake was so still, and the
motion so pleasant, that Richard fell fast asleep.

CHAPTER IV.

When he woke he found himself still afloat upon the broad palm-leaf. He
was alone in the middle of a lake, with flowers and trees growing in
and out of it everywhere. The sun was just over the tree-tops. A drip
of water from the flowers greeted him with music; the mists were
dissolving away, and where the sunlight fell on the lake the water was
clear as glass. Casting his eyes downward, he saw, just beneath him,
far down at the bottom, Alice drowned, as he thought. He was in the act
of plunging in, when he saw her open her eyes, and at the same moment
begin to float up. He held out his hand, but she repelled it with
disdain, and swimming to a tree, sat down on a low branch, wondering
how ever the poor widow's son could have found his way into Fairyland.
She did not like it. It was an invasion of privilege.

"How did you come here, young Richard?" she asked, from six yards off.

"A go