"Not a word, mind!" I cautioned as I caught sight of a certain dainty figure watching our approach from the shade of her parasol. The Imp nodded, sighed, and sheathed his cutlass.
"Well!" said Lisbeth as we glided up to the water-stairs; "I wonder what mischief you have been after together?""We have been floating upon a river of dreams," I answered, rising and lifting my hat; "we have likewise discoursed of many things. In the words of the immortal Carroll:
"'Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax, and cabbages, and - '" "Pirates!" burst out the Imp.
"This dream river of ours," I went on, quelling him with a glance, "has carried us to you, which is very right and proper. Dream rivers always should, more especially when you sit "''Mid sunshine throned, and all alone.'""But I'm not all alone, ****." "No; I'm here," said a voice, and Dorothy appeared with her small and fluffy kitten under her arm as usual. "We are waiting for Mr. Selwyn, you know. We've waited, oh! a long, long time, but he hasn't come, and Auntie says he's a beast, and - ""Dorothy!" exclaimed Lisbeth, frowning.
"Yes, you did, Auntie," sad Dorothy , nodding her head. "I heard you when Louise ran up a tree and I had to coax her back; and I have a clean frock on, too, and Louise will be oh so disappointed!" Here she kissed the fluffy kitten on the nose. "So he is a beast; don't you think so, Uncle ****?""Such delay is highly reprehensible," I nodded.
"I'm glad you've come, Uncle ****, and so is Auntie. She was hoping - ""That will do, Dorothy!" Lisbeth interrupted. "I wonder what she was hoping?" I sighed.
"If you say another word, Dorothy, I won't tell you any more about the Fairy Prince," said Lisbeth.
"Why, then," I continued, seeing the threat had the desired effect, "since Mr. Selwyn hasn't turned up, perhaps you would care to - ""Be a pirate?" put in the Imp. "To come for a row with us?" I corrected.
"Aboard the good ship Black Death," he went on, "'with the skull an' cross-bones at our peak.""Thanks," said Lisbeth, "but really, I don't think I should. What a horrible name!""What's in a name? a boat by any other - " I misquoted. "If you like, we'll call it the Joyful Hope, bound for the Land of Heart's Delight."Lisbeth shook her head, but I fancied the dimple peeped at me for a moment.
"It would be a pity to disappoint Louise," I said, reaching up to stroke the fluffy kitten.
"Yes," cried Dorothy, "do let's go, Auntie.""For the sake of Louise," I urged, and held out my arms to her. Lisbeth was standing on the top stair and I on the lower, in exactly the same attitudes as I had beheld in my vision. I saw her foot come slowly toward me and stop again; her red lips quivered into a smile, and lo, there was the dimple! Dorothy saw it, too - children are wonderfully quick in such matters - and next moment was ensconced in the boat, Louise in her lap, and there was nothing left for Lisbeth but to follow.
The Imp went forward to keep a "lookout," and finding a length of fishing line, announced his intention of "heaving the lead."I have upon several occasions ridden with Lisbeth - she is a good horsewoman - frequently danced with her, but never before had I beenwith her in a boat. The novelty of it was therefore decidedly pleasing, the more so as she sat so close that by furtively reaching out a foot I could just touch the hem of her dress.
"Uncle ****," said Dorothy, looking up at me with her big grey eyes, "where is the Land of Heart's Delight?""It lies beyond the River of Dreams," I answered. "Is it far away?"I afraid it is Dorothy." "Oh! - and hard to get to?""Yes though it depends altogether upon who is at the helm." Lisbeth very slowly began to tie a knot in the rudder-line. "Well, Auntie's steering now.Could she get us there?" "Yes, she could get us there, if she would.""Oh!" cried Dorothy, "do - do steer for the Land of Heart's Delight, Auntie Lisbeth; it sounds so pretty, and I'm sure Louise would like it ever so much."But Lisbeth only laughed, and tied another knot in the rudder-line. "The Land of Heart's Delight!" repeated Dorothy."It sounds ratherlike Auntie's tale of the Fairy Prince.His name was Trueheart." "And what was Prince Trueheart like?" I inquired.
"Fine!" broke in the Imp."He used to fight dragons, you know." "And he lived in a palace of crystal," continued Dorothy, "and he wasso good and kind that the birds used to make friends with him!""An' he wore gold armour, an' a big feather in his helmet!" supplemented the Imp.
"And of course he loved the beautiful princess," I ended.
"Yes," nodded Dorothy; "but how did you know there was a beautiful princess?""Uncle **** knows everything, of course," returned the Imp sententiously.
"Do you think the beautiful princess loved the prince, Dorothy?" I asked, glancing at Lisbeth's averted face.
"Well," answered Dorothy, pursing her mouth thoughtfully, "I don'tknow, Uncle ****; you see, Auntie hasn't got to that yet, but everybody loves somebody sometime, you know.Betty - she's our cook, you know- Betty says all nice tales end up in marrying and living happy ever after." "Not a doubt of it," said I, resting on my oars."What do you think,Lisbeth?"She leaned back and regarded me demurely beneath her long lashes for a moment.
"I think," she answered, "that it would be much nicer if you would go on rowing.""One more question," I said. "Tell me, has this Prince Trueheart got a moustache?""Like Mr. Selwyn?" cried the Imp; "should think not. The prince was a fine chap, an' used to kill dragons, you know.""Ah! I'm glad of that," I murmured, passing my fingers across my shaven upper lip; "very glad indeed." Lisbeth laughed, but I saw her colour deepen and she looked away.
"Oh, it must be lovely to kill a dragon!" sighed the Imp.
Now, as he spoke, chancing to look round, I saw in the distance a man in a boat, who rowed most lustily - and the man wore a Panama.
