e it till three hundred years have passed
away, for I am Liban the Mermaid, daughter of a line of kings. But I
may not keep you here. The Fairy Queen is waiting for you in her
snow-white palace and her fragrant bowers. And now kiss me once more,
Nora, and kiss me, Connla. May luck and joy go with you, and all
gentleness be upon you both."[5]

Then the children said good-bye to the mermaid, and the rocks opened
for them and they passed through, and soon they found themselves in a
meadow starred with flowers, and through the meadow sped a sunlit
stream. They followed the stream until it led them into a garden of
roses, and beyond the garden, standing on a gentle hill, was a palace
white as snow. Before the palace was a crowd of fairy maidens pelting
each other with rose-leaves. But when they saw the children they gave
over their play, and came trooping towards them.

"Our queen is waiting for you," they said; and then they led the
children to the palace door. The children entered, and after passing
through a long corridor they found themselves in a crystal hall so
like the one they had seen in the mountain of the golden spear that
they thought it was the same. But on all the crystal couches fairies,
dressed in silken robes of many colours, were sitting, and at the end
of the hall, on a crystal throne, was seated the fairy queen, looking
lovelier than the evening star. The queen descended from her throne to
meet the children, and taking them by the hands, she led them up the
shining steps. Then, sitting down, she made them sit beside her,
Connla on her right hand and Nora on her left.

Then she ordered the nine little pipers to come before her, and she
said to them:

"So far you have done your duty faithfully, and now play one more
sweet air and your task is done."

And the little pipers played, and from the couches at the first sound
of the music all the fairies rose, and forming partners, they danced
over the crystal floor as lightly as the young leaves dancing in the
wind.

Listening to the fairy music, and watching the wavy motion of the
dancing fairies, the children fell asleep. When they awoke next
morning and rose from their silken beds they were no longer children.
Nora was a graceful and stately maiden, and Connla a handsome and
gallant youth. They looked at each other for a moment in surprise, and
then Connla said:

"Oh, Nora, how tall and beautiful you are!"

"Oh, not so tall and handsome as you are,