And all the while he was eaten up with curiosity to know where Ellie went to; so that he began not to care for his playmates, or for the sea-palace or anything else. But perhaps that made matters all the easier for him; for he grew so discontented with everything round him that he did not care to stay, and did not care where he went. "Well," he said, at last, "I am so miserable here, I'll go; if only you will go with me?" "Ah!" said Ellie, "I wish I might; but the worst of it is, that the fairy says that you must go alone if you go at all. Now don't poke that poor crab about, Tom" (for he was feeling very naughty and mischievous), "or the fairy will have to punish you." Tom was very nearly saying, "I don't care if she does;" but he stopped himself in time. "I know what she wants me to do," he said, whining most dolefully. "She wants me to go after that horrid old Grimes. I don't like him, that's certain. And if I find him, he will turn me into a chimney-sweep again, I know. That's what I have been afraid of all along." "No, he won't--I know as much as that. Nobody can turn water-babies into sweeps, or hurt them at all, as long as they are good." "Ah," said naughty Tom, "I see what you want; you are persuading me all along to go, because you are tired of me, and want to get rid of me." Little Ellie opened her eyes very wide at that, and they were all brimming over with tears. "Oh, Tom, Tom!" she said, very mournfully--and then she cried, "Oh, Tom! where are you?" And Tom cried, "Oh, Ellie, where are you?" For neither of them could see each other--not the least. Little Ellie vanished quite away, and Tom heard her voice calling him, and growing smaller and smaller, and fainter and fainter, till all was silent. Who was frightened then but Tom? He swam up and down among the rocks, into all the halls and chambers, faster than ever he swam before, but could not find her. He shouted after her, but she did not answer; he asked all the other children, but they had not seen her; and at last he went up to the top of the water and began crying and screaming for Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid--which perhaps was the best thing to do--for she came in a moment. "Oh!" said Tom. "Oh, dear, oh dear! I have been naughty to Ellie, and I have killed her--I know I have killed her." "Not quite that," said the fairy; "but I have sent her away home, and she will not come back again for I do not know how long." And at that Tom cried so bitterly that the salt sea was swelled with his tears, and the tide was 3,954,620,819 of an inch higher than it had been the day before: but perhaps that was owing to the waxing of the moon. "How cruel of you to send Ellie away!" sobbed Tom. "However, I will find her again, if I go to the world's end to look for her."