Antonio's  eye  was  dazzled  by  the  splendour  all  around.
178  The  Sea- Fairy.
Hall  after  hall  followed  in  brilliant  succession,  and  over
all  stretched  the  high  arches  of  the  crystal  roof,  through
which  the  evening  sky  shed  its  undiminished  splendour.
Warm  and  soft  as  the  breath  of  spring,  the  little  waves
glided  through  these  enchanted  rooms  and  fell  back  with
gentle  splashing  from  the  crystal  walls — now  shining  like
a  flood  of  crimson,  now  azure  blue,  and  now  like  liquid
amber  ;  thus  they  mirrored  the  changing  play  of  colours
in  the  fleeting  clouds  overhead.
The  sea-fairy  looked  into  Antonio's  joyous  face.
"  Thinkest  thou  that  thou  canst  forget  thine  earthly  home
here  in  my  kingdom?"  she  asked  graciously.
"  Forget  it  ?"  he  replied.  "  If  home  is  the  fairest  spot
on  earth,  then  I  have  only  found  mine  now.  Henceforth
all  other  places  lie  eternally  forgotten.  But  what  is  that
yonder  ?"  he  asked,  pointing  to  tall  green  pillars  whose
tops  reached  nearly  to  the  crystal  roof.
"  See  for  thyself,"  said  the  sea-fairy,  and  he  moved  by
her  side  towards  the  last  hall  in  which  the  graceful
columns  stood.  And  now  he  glides  between  their  slender
shafts,  and  utters  a  joyous  cry  as  he  looks  up  at  the
transparent  dome,  beneath  which  leafy  tree-crowns
waved,  while  little  star-fishes  gleamed  brightly  as  they
glided  among  the  leaves.
"  Palm  trees  ! "  cried  Antonio,  breathless  with  astonish-
ment— "  palm  trees,  such  as  I  have  heard  rustling  by
the  banks  of  the  Ganges !  This  must  be  some  delusion,
some  golden  dream,  out  of  which  I  must  sooner  or  later
wake.  No,  no,  there  are  the  tender  lianas  winding  round
the  kingly  stems,  and  there  in  the  shadow  lurks  my  lotos


F.  C,  p.  178.
