ofs are considered quite wonderful, and
we owe them to the fairy powers of our queen. Of course, you
understand there is no natural way to make glass under water."

"No indeed," said Cap'n Bill. And then he asked, "Does your queen
live here?"

"Yes. She is waiting now, in her throne room, to welcome you. Shall
we go in?"

"I'd just as soon," replied Trot rather timidly, but she boldly
followed the princess, who glided through another arch into another
small room where several mermaids were reclining upon couches of
coral. They were beautifully dressed and wore many sparkling jewels.

"Her Majesty is awaiting the strangers, Princess Clia," announced
one of these. "You are asked to enter at once."

"Come, then," said Clia, and once more taking Trot's hand, she led
the girl through still another arch, while Merla followed just
behind them, escorting Cap'n Bill. They now entered an apartment so
gorgeous that the child fairly gasped with astonishment. The queen's
throne room was indeed the grandest and most beautiful chamber in
all the ocean palaces. Its coral walls were thickly inlaid with
mother-of-pearl, exquisitely shaded and made into borders and floral
decorations. In the corners were cabinets, upon the shelves of which
many curious shells were arranged, all beautifully polished. The
floor glittered with gems arranged in patterns of flowers, like a
brilliant carpet.

Near the center of the room was a raised platform of mother-of-pearl
upon which stood a couch thickly studded with diamonds, rubies,
emeralds and pearls. Here reclined Queen Aquareine, a being so
lovely that Trot gazed upon her spellbound and Cap'n Bill took off
his sailor cap and held it in his hands.

All about the room were grouped other mother-of-pearl couches, not
raised like that of the queen, and upon each of these reclined a
pretty mermaid. They could not sit down as we do, Trot readily
understood, because of their tails; but they rested very gracefully
upon the couches with their trailing gauzy robes arranged in fleecy
folds.

When Clia and Merla escorted the strangers down the length of the
great room toward the royal throne, they met with pleasant looks and
smiles on every side, for the sea maidens were too polite to indulge
in curious stares. They paused just before the throne, and the queen
raised her head upon one elbow to observe them. "Welcome, Mayre,"
she said, "and welcome, Cap'n Bill. I trust you are pleased with
your glimpse