"And you saved me, dear little Sis!" Cyril had grown quite pink in the face, and was trying to keep back unmanly tears. "Did you, too, see the Fish-King during the storm?" she interrupted, to change the subject. "Yes. But he didn't get that ship he was after, for I stuck my huge self between him and it, and switchbacked myself when he clung to me, like one of those bucking horses, so he had no chance." "Did he recognise you, do you think?" "How could he? I didn't look much like the Philosopher he knew." "How about that ship?" "I was glad to see it right itself and drift away; the cries stopped, and the passengers pointed in my direction so excitedly." "Perhaps they were grateful," suggested his sister. "Or perhaps they thought it was I who had caused them to toss." "But our host--it was scarcely fair to him." "He didn't seem to mind. He simply dived down and disappeared." "Now, those people," said Dulcie, "if you saw them, they must have seen you, and therefore"--with a wise look--"therefore they are sure to put you in the newspapers." "What a lark!" "And people who read about it are sure not to believe there was seen a real live Sea-serpent, and wearing a nose-ring, too! And then I s'pose they'll all be duffers, eh, Cyril? And it'll be called the Silly Season!" Dulcie laughed, and Cyril laughed too, but something out at sea just then caught his eye. He jumped up excitedly and began waving his arms about frantically. "Look! look!" he shouted. Dulcie, kneeling by his side and shading her eyes with her hand, saw that old clump of rocks again, and upon them stood his Majesty the Fish-King waving his crown at them. The tide rose higher and higher. He made three low bows in their direction--Dulcie fluttered her handkerchief and curtsied, Cyril bowed his best--the Fish-King made a final gesture of farewell, the Twins kissed their hands; his Majesty put his crown firmly on his head with a smack, and disappeared with the rocks beneath the surging spray. And they felt they would never see him more. CHAPTER VII THE MAGIC BRACELETS "How nice it is to be one's very own self again!" observed Dulcie contentedly. "I don't think I told you, Cyril, that a star-fish stared so rudely at me and said something about 'a Winking, Blinking, silly Periwinkle,' which upset me very much at the time, but now it does seem absurd," and she laughed. Then she told of her escape from the net, and Cyril got very excited at her imprisonment within it, remarking it was a jolly good thing _her_ last catseye had proved all right or she would have remained a Periwinkle for ever. "Oh, Cyril!" she exclaimed, catching her breath, "I never thought of that--was it my last? That idea never came to me in the net; I never thought at the time to see how many were left. Why! Wherever is my bracelet!" "I say! Where's mine?" cried Cyril. THE MAGIC BRACELETS WERE GONE. The children looked at one another, aghast.