Page:Fairy Book by Sophie May.djvu/74

68 One day, as she was sitting by the shore of the lake, a water-kelpie saw her weeping, and came to her in the form of a white-haired old man, saying,—

"Charming lady! why do you weep? Come with me to my kingdom under the waters. My people are always happy."

Then she looked where he bade her, and saw, afar down under the waters, a beautiful city, whose streets were paved with red and white coral.

The kelpie said, "Will you go down?"

"No," sighed Moneta, thinking of the kind words her husband had sometimes spoken to her: "I cannot go yet."

But the kelpie came every day, repeating the question, "Will you go now?" and she answered, "I cannot go yet."

But at last her husband said,—

"How often the thought comes to me, If