delivermefrommyprison!givemehumanlife,humanhappiness,onlyashortspan,onlytheonenight,ifitcannotbeotherwise;andthenpunishmeformywishtolive,mylongingforlife!strikemeoutofthylist.letmyshell,thefreshyoungtree,wither,orbehewndown,andburnttoashes,andscatteredtoallthewinds!"

arustlingwentthroughtheleavesofthetree;therewasatremblingineachoftheleaves;itseemedasiffirestreamedthroughit.agustofwindshookitsgreencrown,andfromthemidstofthatcrownafemalefigurecameforth.inthesamemomentshewassittingbeneaththebrightly-illuminatedleafybranches,youngandbeautifultobehold,likepoormary,towhomtheclergymanhadsaid,"thegreatcitywillbethydestruction."

thedryadsatatthefootofthetree-atherhousedoor,whichshehadlocked,andwhosekeyhadthrownaway.soyoung!sofair!thestarssawher,andblinkedather.thegas-lampssawher,andgleamedandbeckonedtoher.howdelicateshewas,andyethowblooming!-achild,andyetagrownmaiden!herdresswasfineassilk,greenasthefreshly-openedleavesonthecrownofthetree;inhernut-brownhairclungahalf-openedchestnutblossom.shelookedlikethegoddessofspring.

foroneshortminuteshesatmotionless;thenshesprangup,and,lightasagazelle,shehurriedaway.sheranandspranglikethereflectionfromthemirrorthat,carriedbythesunshine,iscast,nowhere,nowthere.couldanyonehavefollowedherwithhiseyes,hewouldhaveseenhowmarvellouslyherdressandherformchanged,accordingtothenatureofthehouseortheplacewhoselighthappenedtoshineuponher.

shereachedtheboulevards.hereaseaoflightstreamedforthfromthegas-flamesofthelamps,theshopsandthecafes.herestoodinarowyoungandslendertrees,eachofwhichconcealeditsdryad,andgaveshadefromtheartificialsunlight.thewholevastpavementwasonegreatfestivehall,wherecoveredtablesstoodladenwithrefreshmentsofallkinds,fromchampagneandchartreusedowntocoffeeandbeer.herewasanexhibitionofflowers,statues,books,andcoloredstuffs.

fromthecrowdclosebytheloftyhousesshelookedforthovertheterrificstreambeyondtherowsoftrees.yonderheavedastreamofrollingcarriages,cabriolets,coaches,omnibuses,cabs,andamongthemridinggentlemenandmarchingtroops.tocrosstotheoppositeshorewasanundertakingfraughtwithdangertolifeandlimb.nowlanternsshedtheirradianceabroad;nowthegashadtheupperhand;suddenlyarocketrises!whence?whither?

herearesoundsofsoftitalianmelodies;yonder,spanishsongsaresung,accompaniedbytherattleofthecastanets;butstrongestofall,andpredominatingovertherest,thestreet-organtunesofthemoment,theexciting"can-can"music,whichorpheusneverknew,andwhichwasneverheardbythe"bellehelene."eventhebarrowwastemptedtohopupononeofitswheels.

thedryaddanced,floated,flew,changinghercoloreverymoment,likeahumming-birdinthesunshine;eachhouse,withtheworldbelongingtoit,gaveheritsownreflections.

astheglowinglotus-flower,tornfromitsstem,iscarriedawaybythestream,sothedryaddriftedalong.whenevershepaused,shewasanotherbeing,sothatnonewasabletofollowher,torecognizeher,ortolookmorecloselyather.

likecloud-pictures,allthingsflewbyher.shelookedintoathousandfaces,butnotonewasfamiliartoher;shesawnotasingleformfromhome.twobrighteyeshadremainedinhermemory.shethoughtofmary,poormary,theraggedmerrychild,whoworetheredflowersinherblackhair.marywasnowhere,intheworld-city,richandmagnificentasinthatdaywhenshedrovepastthehouseoftheoldclergyman,andpastthetreeofthedryad,theoldoak.

hereshewascertainlyliving,inthedeafeningtumult.perhapsshehadjuststeppedoutofoneofthegorgeouscarriagesinwaiting.handsomeequipages,withcoachmeningoldbraidandfootmeninsilkenhose,droveup.thepeoplewhoalightedfromthemwereallrichly-dressedladies.theywentthroughtheopenedgate,andascendedthebroadstaircasethatledtoabuildingrestingonmarblepillars.wasthisbuilding,perhaps,thewonderoftheworld?