"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, Dick." "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 Dick?""Such delay is highly reprehensible," I nodded.
"I'm glad you've come, Uncle Dick, 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 Dick," 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 Dick 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 Dick; 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.
