"Let's go now," urged Tot, as if he couldn't wait a minute, now the matter was decided. "How can you get to the Fourth Valley if we take the boat?" Dot asked the Queen. "That will be easy," she answered, pleasantly; "my fairy wand will carry me home." "Come on, then!" cried Tot, leaping into the boat. Dot turned to kiss the pretty Queen, who exclaimed: "Be careful of my wax!" But she stood on her tiptoes and gave the little girl a dainty, airy kiss that just brushed her lips. "Good-bye my Princess," she said, and turning to the boy, added: "Good-bye, Prince Tot of Merryland." "Good-bye," called Tot from the boat. "You're nice, an' I love you. But I love my mamma, too." "To be sure," answered the Queen, sweetly. Dot now stepped in beside Tot, and the fairy doll placed the basket in the boat and pushed it away from the shore. As they floated slowly down the stream the Queen followed along the top of the high bank, as if to keep them in sight as long as possible; and Dot was looking at her almost regretfully when suddenly a thought flashed into her mind. She stood up in the boat and called out: "You've never told us your name!" "Haven't I, really?" asked the Queen, as if greatly surprised. "No," said Dot. "I want to know what it is." "So do I," yelled Tot, standing up beside the girl and steadying himself by her arm. "Certainly. I'll tell you now," cried the Queen, still running along the bank. But scarcely had she spoken when she threw up both her hands and screamed: "Look out for the arch!" Dot and Tot both turned around to look, but they were too late. A low, gloomy archway was just before them, and as the boat glided into it, the jagged rocks of the roof caught the children and threw them flat upon the bottom of the boat. In falling, both the pretty gold crowns were knocked from their heads and fell splashing into the dark waters of the river, where they were lost forever. Dot and Tot lay quite still for a time, while the light in the tunnel turned to twilight, and the twilight turned to utter darkness. Suddenly they heard a great crash, with the sound of falling rocks and the splashing of water. The boat rocked with a little shiver, but neither of the children spoke, for they knew the Queen had kept her promise and closed up the archway behind them. Finally Tot whispered, "I've got her yet." "Who?" asked Dot. "Jane." The girl did not reply. She was rubbing her head where the roof had struck it and thinking earnestly of the wonderful country she had just left. Tot might, in time, forget his visit to Merryland, but Dot never would. "It's goin' to be as long as the first tun'l, Dot," said the boy; and then he curled himself up and fell asleep, while the boat glided swiftly through the dark tunnel, and no sound broke the stillness save the soft rippling of the unseen waters. CHAPTER 20 The Voyage Ends Suddenly Dot, who had also fallen asleep, awoke with a start.