Page 288 - Adventures in shadow-land

in my life. I am only an innocent Sea-Nymph,

and I am— or I was— the helper of all the sailor-
folk, and your father is a bold seaman.’1
Lucy dreamed that she was very much surprised,

which was curious, for in a dream the more re*
markable a thing is, the less it astonishes the

dreamer-
“ But 1 thought there never were any nymphs/1

she said, perplexed.
The sea-maiden smiled a queer little smile—

half sad, half amused.
“ Do you know,” she said, <f that since men left
off believing in them and building temples, the

gods all declare that there never were such things

as human, creatures, and that it was all a delusion
of ours? Keep t h i s a n d she dropped the neck­
lace into Lucy’s lap. “ It belonged to one who

will not care to wear it now. Farewell;1' and
the goddess bent down and lightly kissed the girl’s

forehead, and the next instant Lucy was alone.
She woke up, as she thought, and sat still for a

moment.
“ What a singular dream !” she said to herself.

Then she looked round, and saw a black rock