er. 'The agreement was for this evening. If
you back out, you become my servant.'

'It shall be this evening, then,' replied Oscar; 'but you will regret
it more than I!' And stooping over the vase, he called, 'Theeda!
Theeda! wake up! come out!'

They waited a moment. There was no movement in the great pearl shell,
and Theeda did not appear.

'Come! there's enough of this nonsense!' Kanker exclaimed. 'You may as
well make up your mind at once to being my servant.'

'Not yet!' said Oscar, scornfully, and he called in a louder voice,
'Come out, Theeda! Come out--I want you!'

The shell stirred slightly, but still Theeda did not appear. Kanker
laughed.

Then Oscar grew angry, and in a harsh tone he cried, 'Theeda, come
out! or I shall not love you or believe in you any more!'

The sun had set long ago, and the sky was almost dark; but now,
through a break in the clouds, the moon shone down, white and clear,
into the crystal vase. It gleamed upon the pearly shell; and in its
cold lustre Oscar saw the tiny water-maiden, whom he had loved better
than anything else in the world, and who was the most precious thing
that the world contained, come slowly out of her shell, and stand
downcast and drooping before him. Then he felt that, in his anger, and
in his desire to be revenged on his enemy, he had done a wicked thing,
which could not be forgiven. He had shown what was most sacred and
dear to his own soul to one who could neither believe in her nor
reverence her. His heart was filled with bitter sorrow and repentance;
but again it was too late.

For, as Theeda stood there in the moonlight, drooping amidst her
shadowy mist of hair, Kanker put out his hideous red hand, that was
less like a hand than like a crab's claw, and plunging it into the
water, he tried to grasp Theeda round the waist. But his fingers met
together, and behold! no Theeda was there. She had faded into
nothingness where she stood; or else the shadow of a cloud which at
that moment passed across the room, and made the vase and the room
dark again, had caused her to become invisible. Before she
disappeared, however, she bent one sad reproachful look upon Oscar,
and he knew that he had seen his mother's spirit in her eyes. He
understood all then; but it was too late indeed!

'I told you how it would be!' said the harsh voice of Ranker, with his
spluttering laugh, 'and now you are my servant!'

'Yes, for I have lost my Theeda!' answered Oscar, with a