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THE STRAND MAGAZINE. 
and as the soldiers were neither, it was easy 
to avoid these and to get to the arched door- 
way. The Princess got there first. 
Ulfm was the next to arrive. 
“ Are you there ? 35 said the Princess. 
And he said : — 
“ 1 am here, Princess.” 
il We must have connecting links,’ 3 she 
said. “ Bits of seaweed would do. If you 
hold a piece of seaweed in your hand, I will 
take hold of the other end of it. We cannot 
feel the touch of each other’s hands, but we 
shall feel the seaweed, and you will know, 
by its being drawn tight, that I have hold 
of the other end. Get some pieces for the 
children, too, good stout seaweed, such as 
you made the nets of with which you cap- 
tured us. 33 
“ Ah, Princess/ 3 he said, “ how can I 
regret that enough ? And yet how can 
J regret it at all, since it has brought 
you to me ? ” 
“ Peace, foolish child.” said the Princess, 
and Ulfin’s heart leaped for joy, because when 
a princess calls a grown-up man “ child,” 
it means that she likes him more than a little, 
or else, of course, she would not take such 
a liberty. “ But the seaweed,” she added. 
“ There is no time to lose.” 
“ 1 have some in my pocket,” said Ulfm, 
blushing, only she could not see that. “ They 
keep me busy making nets in my spare time. 
I always have some seaweed in my pocket.” 
The bits of seaweed went drifting to the 
barracks, and no one noticed that they 
floated on to the stables and that invisible 
hands loosed the halters of five sea-horses. 
Because it was Tuesday, and nearly two 
o’clock, the Professor of Conchology was 
making ready to receive pupils. He was 
alone in the garden, and as they neared him 
the Princess, the three children, and Ulfm 
touched the necessary buttons and became 
once more visible and tangible. 
“ Ha ! ” said the Professor, but without 
surprise. “ Magic. A very neat trick, my 
dears, and excellently done. You need not 
remove your jacket,” he added to Ulfm, who 
was pulling off his pearly coat. “ The mental 
exercises in which we propose to engage do 
not require gymnasium costume.” 
But Ulfm went on taking off the coat, 
and when it was off he handed it to the 
Princess, who at once felt in its inner pocket, 
pulled out a little golden case, and held it 
towards the Professor. He opened it, and 
without hesitation, as without haste, swal- 
lowed the charm. 
Next moment the Princess was clasped in 
his arms, and the moment after that, still 
clasped there, was beginning a hurried 
explanation. But he stopped her. 
“ I know, my child, I know,” he said. 
“You have brought me the charm which 
gives back to me my memory and makes 
a King of Merland out of a Professor of 
Conchology. But why, oh, why, did you 
not bring me my coat ? My pearly coat,” he 
explained; “it was in the case with the others.” 
No one had thought of it, and everyone 
felt and looked exceedingly silly, and no one 
spoke till Ulfm said, holding out the coat which 
the Princess had given back to him :■ — 
“ You will have this coat, Majesty. I have 
no right to the magic garments of your 
country.” 
“ But,” said Francis, “ you need the coat 
more than anybody. The King shall have 
mine. I sha’n’t want it if you’ll let me go 
and ask for an interview with the King of 
the Underfolk.” 
But the King raised his hand, and there 
was silence, and they saw that he no longer 
looked like a noble and learned gentleman, 
but that he looked every inch a king. 
“ Silence ! ” he said. “ If anyone speaks ' 
with the King and Queen of this land, it is 
fitting that I should do so. See, we will go 
out by the back door, so as to avoid the 
other pupils.” 
So they made great haste to go out by the 
back way so as not to meet the Conchology 
students, and cautiously crept up to their 
horses, and, of course, the biggest and best 
horse was given to the King to ride. But 
when he saw how awkwardly their false tails 
adapted themselves to the saddle, he said : — 
“ My daughter, you can remove those 
fetters.” 
“ How ? ” said she. 
“ Bite through the strings of them with 
your little sharp teeth,” said the King. 
“ Nothing but princess-teeth is sharp enough 
to cut through them. No, my son, it is not 
degrading. A true princess cannot be de- 
graded by anything that is for the good 
of her subjects and her friends.” 
So the Princess willingly bit through the 
strings of the false tails, and everybody put 
on its proper tail again, with great comfort 
and enjoyment. And they all swam towards 
the town. 
And as they went they heard a great noise 
of shouting, and saw parties of Underfolk 
flying as if in fear. 
“ I must make haste,” said the King, 
“ and see to it that our Peace Conference 
be not too late.” 
