Page 275 - Adventures in shadow-land

as he leaned back in the water and looked up in
her face. Meanwhile, some strange influence was

at work upon the wooden image. A kind of
thrill ran over it. It began slowly to breathe.

“ Dear m e!” thought the wooden creature, for
it could think a little now. “ I must be coming

alive 1 How very disagreeable ! I can see— even
feci. I don't like it. It’s too much trouble. What
is that thing in the sea staring at me and she act­

ually bent her head and looked down.
The merman, of course, was in ecstasies, for he

thought she was coming to him.
“ I certainly am growing alive,’* thought the

wooden thing. " I won’t come alive; I was made
wood, and wood I’ll stay; I won’t go out of my

sphere; I'm sure it’s not proper;11 and she stif­
fened herself as stiff as she could. “ I will be
wood,1' she thought, and wood she was, for even

a goddess can't make a thing alive against its own
will. iC Yes, this is much the best way,*' was the

wooden image's last thought, as the breath of life
went away from her and left her more wooden
than ever.

“ Let it go, the stupid thing*’1 said Arethusa in