ii4 
THE STRAND MAGAZINE. 
The barest idea of poetic justice — which we 
all believe in at the bottom of our hearts — 
made it impossible to think that the children 
who had nobly (they couldn’t help feeling it 
was noble) defended their friends the Mer- 
folk should have anything really dreadful 
happen to them in consequence. And when 
Bernard talked about the fortunes of war, he 
did it in an unconvinced sort of way, and 
Francis told him to shut up. 
“ But what are we to do ? ” sniffed 
Cathy, for the twentieth time — and all the 
while the Infantryman was going steadily 
on dragging the wretched netful after him. 
“ Press our pearl buttons,” suggested 
Francis, hopefully, “ then we shall be 
invisible and unfeelable, and we can escape.” 
He fumbled with the round, marble - like 
pearl. 
“ No, no,” said Bernard, catching at his 
hand. tc Don’t you see ? If we do, we may 
never get out of the net. If they can’t see 
us or feel us they’ll think the net’s empty, 
and perhaps hang it up on a hook or put it 
away in a box.” 
“ And forget it while years roll by. / 
see,” said Cathy. 
“ But we can undo them the minute we’re 
there, can’t we ? ” said Mavis. 
“ Yes, of course,” said Bernard, but as a 
matter of fact they couldn’t. 
When at last the Infantryman, after thread- 
ing his way through streets of enormous rocky 
palaces, passed through a colossal arch and 
so into a hall as big as St. Paul’s and West- 
minster Abbey into one, a crowd of Under- 
folk, who were seated on stone benches round 
rude tables eating strange luminous food, 
rose up and cried, “ What news ? ” 
“ Four prisoners,” said the Infantryman. 
“ ‘ Upperfolk ? the Colonel said, and my orders 
are to deliver them to the Queen herself. ' 
He passed to the end of the hall and up a 
long, wide flight of steps made of something 
so green and clear that it was plainly either 
glass or emerald, and I don’t think it could 
have been glass, because how could they have 
made glass in the sea ? There were lights 
below it which shone through the green trans- 
parency, so clear and lovely that Francis 
said, dreamily : — 
Sabrina fair, 
Listen where thou art sitting 
Under the glassy cool translucent wave. 
And quite suddenly there was much less room 
in the net and they were being embraced all 
at once and with tears of relief and joy by the 
Princess Freia — -their own Mer-Princess. 
“ Oh, I didn't mean to. Princess, dear— I 
didn't ,” said Francis. “ It was the emerald I 
steps — made me think of translucent.” 
“ So they are,” she said ; “ but, oh, if you | 
knew what I’ve felt ! You, our guests, our 
knight-errants, our noble defenders, to be 
prisoners ; and all of us safe ! I did so hope 
you’d call me. And I’m so proud that you i 
didn’t — that you were brave enough not to i 
call for me until you did it by accident.” 
“ We never thought of doing it,” said Mavis, 
candidly ; “ but I hope we shouldn’t have, if 
we had thought of it.” 
“ Why haven’t you pressed your pearl 
buttons ? ” she asked, and they told her why. 
“ Wise children,” she said ; “ but at any 
rate, we must all use the charm that prevents . 
our losing our memories.” 
“ I sha’n’t use mine,” said Cathy. “ I 
don’t want to remember. If I didn’t remem- 
ber 1 should forget to be frightened. Do* 
please let me forget to remember.” She* 
clung pleadingly to the Princess, who whis- 
pered to Mavis, “ Perhaps it would be best,” 
and they let Cathy have her way. 
The others had only just time to use their 
charms before the Infantryman threw the* 
net on to a great table which seemed to be* 
cut out of one vast diamond and fell on his. 
face on the ground. It was his way of salut- 
ing his Sovereign. 
“ Prisoners, your Majesty,” he said, whenij 
he had got up again. “ Four of the young of 
the Upperfolk,” and he turned to the net, 
as he spoke, and stopped short. “ There’s? 
someone else,” he said, in an altered voice;; 
“ someone as wasn’t there when we started,, 
I’ll swear.” 
“ Open the net ” said a strong, sweet voice,, 
“ and bid the prisoners stand up that I may 
look upon them.” 
“ They might escape, my love,” saidl 
another voice, anxiously ; “or perhaps they 
bite. What ? ” 
u Submersia,” said the first voice , <( do youi 
and four of my women stand ready. Take: 
the prisoners one by one. Seize each ai 
prisoner and hold them, awaiting my RoyaB 
pleasure.” 
The net was opened, and large and strong; 
hands took out Bernard, who was nearest 
the mouth of the net, and held him gently, 
but with extreme firmness, in an upright 
position on the table. Then the. others. 
They could not stand because of their tails. 
They saw before them on a throne a tall 
and splendid Queen, very beautiful and very 
sad, and by her side a King (they knew the 
Royalty by their crowns), not so handsome as 
his wife, but still very different from the 
