Mounting her rock, Fancy waited to see her work destroyed. But the sea seemed to pity her; and wave after wave came up, without doing any harm. At last one broke quite over the mermaid, and Fancy thought that would be the end of her. But, no: instead of scattering shells, stones, and weeds, the waves lifted the whole figure, without displacing any thing, and gently bore it back into the sea. "Good by! good by!" cried Fancy, as the little figure floated away; then, as it disappeared, she put her hands before her face,--for she loved her mermaid, and had given all her treasures to adorn her; and now to lose her so soon seemed hard,--and Fancy's eyes were full of tears. Another great wave came rolling in; but she did not look up to see it break, and, a minute after, she heard steps tripping toward her over the sand. Still she did not stir; for, just then, none of her playmates could take the place of her new friend, and she didn't want to see them. "Fancy! Fancy!" called a breezy voice, sweeter than any she had ever heard. But she did not raise her head, nor care to know who called. The steps came quite close; and the touch of a cold, wet hand fell on her own. Then she looked up, and saw a strange little girl standing by her, who smiled, showing teeth like little pearls, and said, in the breezy voice: "You wanted me to play with you, so I came." "Who are you?" asked Fancy, wondering where she had seen the child before. "I'm your mermaid," said the child. "But the water carried her away," cried Fancy. "The waves only carried me out for the sea to give me life, and then brought me back to you," answered the new comer. "But are you really a mermaid?" asked Fancy, beginning to smile and believe. "I am really the one you made: look, and see if I'm not;" and the little creature turned slowly round, that Fancy might be sure it was her own work. She certainly was very like the figure that once lay on the sand,--only she was not now made of stones and shells. There was the long brown hair blowing about her face, with a wreath of starry shells in it. Her eyes were gray, her cheeks and lips rosy, her neck and arms white; and from under her striped dress peeped little bare feet. She had pearls in her ears, coral bracelets, a golden belt, and a glass and comb in her hands. "Yes," said Fancy, drawing near, "you _are_ my little mermaid; but how does it happen that you come to me at last?" "Dear friend," answered the water-child, "you believed in me, watched and waited long for me, shaped the image of the thing you wanted out of your dearest treasures, and promised to love and welcome me. I could not help coming; and the sea, that is as fond of you as you are of it, helped me to grant your wish." "Oh, I'm glad, I'm glad! Dear little mermaid, what is your name?" cried Fancy, kissing the cool cheek of her new friend, and putting her arms about her neck.