bled of coloured sand
and water, but no one took any notice of that. He often talked of things
that hadn't happened.

It was on Monday morning, very early indeed, that Anthea woke and
suddenly made up her mind. She crept downstairs in her night-gown (it
was very chilly), sat down on the carpet, and with a beating heart
wished herself on the sunny shore where you can't have whooping-cough,
and next moment there she was.

The sand was splendidly warm. She could feel it at once, even through
the carpet. She folded the carpet, and put it over her shoulders like
a shawl, for she was determined not to be parted from it for a single
instant, no matter how hot it might be to wear.

Then trembling a little, and trying to keep up her courage by saying
over and over, 'It is my DUTY, it IS my duty,' she went up the forest
path.

'Well, here you are again,' said the cook, directly she saw Anthea.

'This dream does keep on!'

The cook was dressed in a white robe; she had no shoes and stockings
and no cap and she was sitting under a screen of palm-leaves, for it was
afternoon in the island, and blazing hot. She wore a flower wreath
on her hair, and copper-coloured boys were fanning her with peacock's
feathers.

'They've got the cap put away,' she said. 'They seem to think a lot of
it. Never saw one before, I expect.'

'Are you happy?' asked Anthea, panting; the sight of the cook as queen
quite took her breath away.

'I believe you, my dear,' said the cook, heartily. 'Nothing to do unless
you want to. But I'm getting rested now. Tomorrow I'm going to start
cleaning out my hut, if the dream keeps on, and I shall teach them
cooking; they burns everything to a cinder now unless they eats it raw.'

'But can you talk to them?'

'Lor' love a duck, yes!' the happy cook-queen replied; 'it's quite easy
to pick up. I always thought I should be quick at foreign languages.
I've taught them to understand "dinner," and "I want a drink," and "You
leave me be," already.'

'Then you don't want anything?' Anthea asked earnestly and anxiously.

'Not me, miss; except if you'd only go away. I'm afraid of me waking
up with that bell a-going if you keep on stopping here a-talking to me.
Long as this here dream keeps up I'm as happy as a queen.'

'Goodbye, then,' said Anthea, gaily, for her conscience was clear now.

She hurried into the wood, threw herself on the ground, and said
'Home'--and there she was, rolled in the carpet on the nurse