They lamped themselves visible, and vanished.
A third flash came; its substance and radiance were human.
"I see my mother!" I cried.
"I see lots o' mothers!" said Luva.
Once more the cloud flashed--all kinds of creatures--horses and elephants, lions and dogs--oh, such beasts! And such birds!--great birds whose wings gleamed singly every colour gathered in sunset or rainbow! little birds whose feathers sparkled as with all the precious stones of the hoarding earth!--silvery cranes; red flamingoes; opal pigeons; peacocks gorgeous in gold and green and blue; jewelly humming birds!--great-winged butterflies; lithe-volumed creeping things--all in one heavenly flash! "I see that serpents grow birds here, as caterpillars used to grow butterflies!" remarked Lona.
"I saw my white pony, that died when I was a child .-- I needn't have been so sorry; I should just have waited!" I said.
Thunder, clap or roll, there had been none.

And now came a sweet rain, filling the atmosphere with a caressing coolness.

We breathed deep, and stepped out with stronger strides.

The falling drops flashed the colours of all the waked up gems of the earth, and a mighty rainbow spanned the city.
The blue clouds gathered thicker; the rain fell in torrents; the children exulted and ran; it was all we could do to keep them in sight.
With silent, radiant roll, the river swept onward, filling to the margin its smooth, soft, yielding channel.

For, instead of rock or shingle or sand, it flowed over grass in which grew primroses and daisies, crocuses and narcissi, pimpernels and anemones, a starry multitude, large and bright through the brilliant water.