WET MAGIC. 
229 
£< I know you’d do everything you could ; 
but it’s very difficult to talk to kings unless 
you’ve been accustomed to it.” 
‘ Then why won’t you try talking to the 
Queen ? ” 
£ ' I shouldn’t dare/’ said Freia. “ I’m 
only a girl-princess. Oh, if only my dear 
father could talk to her ! If he believed it 
possible that war could cease, he could per- 
suade anybody of anything. And of course 
they would start on the same footing — both 
monarc hs, you know.” 
“ I see— like belonging to the same club,” 
said Francis, vaguely. 
“ If my father’s memory were restored,” 
said the Princess, “ his wisdom would find 
us a way out of all our difficulties. To find 
Cathy’s coat — that is what we have to do.” 
“ Yes,” said Francis, “ that’s all."” 
“ Let’s call Ulfin,” said the Princess, and 
they all scratched on the door of polished 
bird’s-eye maple which separated their apart- 
ments from the rest of the prison. 
Ulfin came with all speed. 
£< We’re holding a council,” said Freia, 
u and we want you to help.” 
“ 1 know it,” said Ulfin. “ Tell me your 
needs.” 
And without more ado they told him all. 
“ I kiss your hand,” said Ulfin, “ because 
you give me back my honour, which I was 
willing to lay down, with all else, for the 
Princess to walk on to safety and escape. 
I would have helped you to find the hidden 
coat for her sake alone, and that would have 
been a sin against my honour and my country, 
but now that 1 know it is to lead to peace, 
which, warriors as we are, our whole nature 
passionately desires, then 1 am acting as 
a true and honourable patriot.” 
“ Do you know where the coats are ? ” 
Mavis asked. 
“ They are in the Foreign Curiosities 
Museum,” said Ulfin, <( strongly guarded. 
But the guards to-morrow are the Horse 
Marines, whose officer is my friend, and when 
I tell him what is toward he will help me. 
I only ask of you one promise in return : that 
you will not seek to escape, or to return to 
your own country except by the free leave 
and licence of our gracious Sovereign.” 
The children easily promised. 
Then to-morrow,” said Ulfin , tf shall begin 
the splendid peace-plot which shall bring, 
our names down, haloed with glory, to re- 
motest ages.” 
And next day the children, carrying their 
tickets-of-leave, were led to the great pearl 
and turquoise building which was the Museum 
of Foreign Curiosities. The Curator of the 
Museum showed them his treasures with 
pride, and explained them all in the most 
interesting way. 
They were just coming to a large case 
containing something whitish, and labelled 
“ Very valuable indeed,” when a messenger 
came to tell the Curator that a soldier was 
waiting with valuable curiosities taken as loot 
from the enemy. 
“ Excuse me one moment,” said the Curator, 
and left them. 
“ I arranged that,” said Ulfin. “ Quick, 
before he returns ; take your coats if you know 
any spell to remove the case.” 
The Princess laughed, and laid her hand on 
the glassy dome, which broke and disappeared 
as a bubble does when you touch it. 
The children were already busy pulling the 
coats off the ruby slab where they lay. 
“ Here’s Cathy’s,” whispered Mavis. 
The Princess snatched it, and her own pearly 
coat, which in one quick movement she put 
on, and buttoned over Cathy’s little folded 
coat, which she held against her. 
“ Quick ! ” she said. “ Put yours on, all 
of you. Take your wet tails in your arms.' : 
They did. The soldiers at the end of the 
long hall had noticed the movements and 
came charging np towards them. 
“ Quick, quick ! ” said the Princess. £f Now, 
all together. One, two, three. Press your 
third buttons.” 
And then an odd thing happened. Out 
of nowhere, as it seemed, a little pearly coat 
appeared, hanging alone in air — water, of 
course, it was really. It seemed to grow and 
to twine itself round Ulfin. 
££ Put it on,” said a voice from invisibility; 
<£ put it on.” 
And Ulfin did put it on. 
The soldiers were close upon him. 
£ ‘ Press the third button ,” cried the Princess, 
and Ulfin did so. But as his right hand sought 
the button the foremost soldier caught his 
left arm, with the bitter cry : — 
“ Traitor, I arrest you in the King’s name ! ” 
and though he could not see that he was 
holding anything, he could feel that he was, 
and he held on. 
C£ The last button, Ulfin ! ” cried the voice 
of the unseen Princess. “ Press the last 
button.” And next moment the soldier, 
breathless with amazement and terror, was 
looking stupidly at his empty hand. Ulfin, 
as well as the three children and the Princess, 
was not only invisible, but intangible. The 
soldiers could not see or feel anything. 
As the five were invisible and intangible, 
