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 rather
like 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 was
so 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't
know, 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.

Hereupon, taking a fresh grip upon my long sculls, I began to row--to
row, indeed, as I had not done for