y taken half, or all of the night, the note he produced must have
been satisfactory, for Phyllis brightened as she read it.

Soon after, the visit to Scheveningen was arranged; but Robert had, no
doubt, prepared the girls for the necessity of making it, for Nell and
Phyllis both came down to breakfast in their prettiest dresses, looking
irresistible. And an hour later, with motor-veils over their hats, they
went off with Robert in the automobile.

They were to spend the day, for people in the Hollow Land enjoy their
pleasures as much by quantity as quality, especially their friends'
society; and I could only hope that a certain wistfulness of expression,
as she looked back from the _tonneau_ of the red car, meant that Nell
would rather have remained with some of those who were left behind.

If she had stayed in Rotterdam, and relied upon me for entertainment, I
should certainly have proposed to her. As it was, I passed the day
somewhat gloomily, reflecting on the time I had wasted, while I had her
by my side. Now, I reminded myself, the trip as planned was drawing to a
close. There remained the visit to Zeeland--an affair of a few days.
After that, what? Getting back to Rotterdam again, for the last time.
Good-bys. Selling the boat, perhaps--at least, Nell used to talk of that
in the first days, when the end seemed far-off and vague.

The L.C.P. kept to her sitting-room on the plea that she had "a lot of
writing to do," and Tibe was on guard. As for the Albatross, he went off
without excuse to seek the friends of his past, with which the Mariner
has no connection.

A premonition of the future came upon me. I remembered the Prince in the
fairy tale, who was given by the Fates three magic citrons, and told
that each one contained a beautiful sylph, who would appear to him as he
cut the rind of her prison. She would ask for a drink of water, and if
he wished to keep her for his wife he must instantly obey or she would
vanish, never to return, even in response to the most fervent prayer.
When the Prince cut the first citron, the fairy vision which flashed
before his eyes was so dazzling, that, bewildered, he let her go. With
the second the same thing happened, and it was only by the greatest
effort of self-control that he preserved the third beauty for his own,
eventually marrying her, as a virtuous Prince should.

"Now," said I to myself, "I'm not as well off as that Prince. Being only
a commoner, I ought to consider