away!"itsoundedineverybeatofherpulse."away!away"soundedinwordsthatflewtremblingalong.thedryadforgottobidfarewelltotheregionsofhome;shethoughtnotofthewavinggrassandoftheinnocentdaisies,whichhadlookeduptoherastoagreatlady,ayoungprincessplayingatbeingashepherdessoutintheopenair.

thechestnuttreestooduponthewagon,andnoddedhisbranches;whetherthismeant"farewell"or"forward,"thedryadknewnot;shedreamedonlyofthemarvellousnewthings,thatseemedyetsofamiliar,andthatweretounfoldthemselvesbeforeher.nochild'sheartrejoicingininnocence-noheartwhoseblooddancedwithpassion-hadsetoutonthejourneytoparismorefullofexpectationthanshe.

her"farewell"soundedinthewords"away!away!"

thewheelsturned;thedistantapproached;thepresentregionwaschanged,evenasthecloudschange.newvineyards,forests,villages,villasappeared-camenearer-vanished!

thechestnuttreemovedforward,andthedryadwentwithit.steam-engineaftersteam-enginerushedpast,sendingupintotheairvaporyclouds,thatformedfigureswhichtoldofparis,whencetheycame,andwhitherthedryadwasgoing.

everythingaroundknewit,andmustknowwhithershewasbound.itseemedtoherasifeverytreeshepassedstretchedoutitsleavestowardsher,withtheprayer-"takemewithyou!takemewithyou!"foreverytreeenclosedalongingdryad.

whatchangesduringthisflight!housesseemedtoberisingoutoftheearth-moreandmore-thickerandthicker.thechimneysroselikeflower-potsrangedsidebyside,orinrowsoneabovetheother,ontheroofs.greatinscriptionsinlettersayardlong,andfiguresinvariouscolors,coveringthewallsfromcornicetobasement,camebrightlyout.

"wheredoesparisbegin,andwhenshallibethere?"askedthedryad.

thecrowdofpeoplegrew;thetumultandthebustleincreased;carriagefolloweduponcarriage;peopleonfootandpeopleonhorsebackweremingledtogether;allaroundwereshopsonshops,musicandsong,cryingandtalking.

thedryad,inhertree,wasnowinthemidstofparis.thegreatheavywagonallatoncestoppedonalittlesquareplantedwithhighhousesaroundhadallofthembalconiestothewindows,fromwhichtheinhabitantslookeddownupontheyoungfreshchestnuttree,whichwascomingtobeplantedhereasasubstituteforthedeadtreethatlaystretchedontheground.

thepassers-bystoodstillandsmiledinadmirationofitspurevernalfreshness.theoldertrees,whosebudswerestillclosed,whisperedwiththeirwavingbranches,"welcome!welcome!"thefountain,throwingitsjetofwaterhighupintheair,toletitfallagaininthewidestonebasin,toldthewindtosprinklethenew-comerwithpearlydrops,asifitwishedtogivehimarefreshingdraughttowelcomehim.

thedryadfelthowhertreewasbeingliftedfromthewagontobeplacedinthespotwhereitwastostand.therootswerecoveredwithearth,andfreshturfwaslaidontop.bloomingshrubsandflowersinpotswererangedaround;andthusalittlegardenaroseinthesquare.

thetreethathadbeenkilledbythefumesofgas,thesteamofkitchens,andthebadairofthecity,wasputuponthewagonanddrivenaway.thepassers-bylookedon.childrenandoldmensatuponthebench,andlookedatthegreentree.andwewhoaretellingthisstorystooduponabalcony,andlookeddownuponthegreenspringsightthathadbeenbroughtinfromthefreshcountryair,andsaid,whattheoldclergymanwouldhavesaid,"poordryad!"