A BUTTERFLY REVERIE 179 



minates," yet full of the power and the passion of the 

 moment They flitted between the idle boom and the 

 deck, and up the gleaming sky in all the sizes that distance 

 grades between nearness and infinity. 



There were islands near at hand and some afar off. 

 What instinct guided them — for butterflies are short-sighted 

 creatures — I know not. If wind had come, as we who lolled 

 lazily in the boat longed, the myriad host of resplendent 

 creatures would have been scattered and millions beaten down 

 into the sea, above which they flew with such airy levity. 



What instinct guided the frail, unreflective creatures 

 across miles of ocean to the Islands of the Blest among 

 butterflies. 



In their variety, too, they were entertaining. In great 

 number was the pretty frailty, whose wings are compact of 

 transparencies and purple blotches. In this full, fierce 

 light the purple is black and the transparencies all steel-like 

 glitter. They came across in shoals. There was neither 

 beginning nor end. All the sky glittered with winged 

 mosaics. Then came the great green and gold and black 

 creature, accompanied sometimes by his less gaily decorated 

 mate, ponderous of flight ; and, anon, that insect of regal 

 blue, that can flit as idly as any of the order, and yet dart 

 in and out of the jungle and over the tree-tops, with 

 swallow-like swiftness. Rarely in the throng came that 

 scarlet and black, which makes the gaudy, flaunting 

 hibiscus envious of its colour ; but the little yellow 

 "wanderers," ever busy and active, came low over the 

 water, weary with the long journey, and sometimes ready 

 to rest — shifty flecks of gold — on the white sail. 



There was no end to the flight. The air was too full. 

 One wearied of the ceaseless panorama of the gay be- 

 jewelled insects. They were the possessors of the prime of 

 that glorious morning. Beautiful and frail, and inconse- 

 quent as they were, you envied them. They flitted on 

 without guide or leader, venturing the dangers of water and 

 air, flying up in the full blaze of the sun — eager, joyous, 

 unconcerned. In the boat we were compelled to loll about 



