The great dining hall of King Seaphus was considered by all the
inhabitants of Merland--that is, all those who had been lucky enough to
have seen its splendor--to be the most magnificent of its kind anywhere.
The dining table, or banquet board, as it was called, was made of
mother-of-pearl. The pale, shimmery cloth was woven from the most
delicate of sea-grasses. The gold and silver plates shone with a
strange luster, and the goblets, fashioned of the thinnest and most
exquisite pearl, gave the impression that they were strange sea lilies.
King Seaphus seated himself majestically at the head of the banquet
board, and little Mary Louise was shown the place on his right. At the
other end sat the Mermaid Princess. Mermen in dark green liveries
served the meal. But what delighted and interested Mary Louise the
most was the way in which the food was served. Instead of ordinary,
everyday dishes, it appeared in little airtight boats, which the
servants guided dexterously to the table, and when opened, the steam
escaped in hundreds of little bubbles that took on all the hues of the
rainbow. These slowly ascended through the pale green water until they
reached the surface, where they probably floated off in the air, until
they burst, like fairy soap-bubbles.
All kinds of delicious fish, little pink and white crabs, goldfish,
luscious oysters, and, finally, coral-candy, made up the different
courses of the dinner. When it was over and the coffee was served in a
beautiful room adjoining, King Seaphus smoked a big cigar, which, to
Mary Louise's amazement, glowed and burned like any ordinary Havana her
father smoked at home.
After King Seaphus had smoked away in perfect silence for some time, he
turned to Mary Louise and asked:
"Where were you going, my dear, when you met my daughter?"
"Oh, nowhere in particular," replied little Mary Louise quickly. "You
see, I was playing on the beach when I saw the Princess,
and--and--and---"
"Then I combed her hair with my magic comb," said the Princess, coming
to the relief of little Mary Louise, who was very much embarrassed by
the question. You see, she was not at all accustomed to hold
conversation with royalty, and to be talking to a Merman King was,
perhaps, even more disconcerting.
"We took the subway," continued his daughter, "we caught the Iceberg
Express, and, well, here we are."
"So I see," said the King.
Mary Louise gave a giggle and, forgetting her embarrassment, exclaimed,
"And just as we were safe on board, after the Polar Bear porter had
told us to 'watch our step,' there was an awful explosion, and we found
ourselves floating about in the midst of a lot of cracked ice."
"Indeed," exclaimed King Seaphus, "this is the second time in the last
month we've had an accident on the Sea Bottom Subway. I must call in
my Prime Minister and have an investigation begun at once."
Pulling vigorously on a beautifully braided sea-grass rope, he awaited
the coming of a page. Little Mary Louise heard the far-off tinkle of
the bell, and presently the Mer-bell-boy appeared.
"Summon his most excellent self, the Prime Minister," commanded King
Seaphus.
The Mer-boy page glided away and presently appeared, deferentially
escorting the Prime Minister. The latter was a very distinguished
looking person. His long, white beard was parted gracefully in the
center, no doubt by the action of the water as he swam up to where the
King sat. As befitted so important an official, he was clad in a long,
red robe, which reached nearly to the end of his fin-tail. His head was
adorned with a crimson cap and tassel made of the softest velvet
sea-grass.
"What is your majesty's command?" he asked, bending low before King
Seaphus. The King did not reply for a moment. He was a wise King, and
thought for several minutes before he spoke. This made the Prime
Minister fidget about on his tail. If he had been a Prime Minister of
any land, and not of the sea, he probably would have stood first on one
leg and then on the other, but, as he had no feet, he shifted about
uneasily on his fin-tail until the King spoke.
"I hear there has been another wreck on the Sea Bottom Subway."
The Prime Minister coughed, and little bubbles rose from the end of his
nose, the sight of which almost caused Mary Louise to giggle aloud.
But she remembered her manners in time and saved herself the
mortification of such a breach of etiquette.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness," admitted the Prime Minister, "but I
understand it was not at all serious. One of the Iceberg cars was
demolished, and one of the Polar Bear porters, I believe, although I am
not certain at the moment, was slightly injured. None of the
passengers was hurt, with the possible exception of a Star Fish, who
complained of a slight pain in one of his five fingers--I forget, for
the moment, which finger."
"Is the road again in operation?" inquired King Seaphus.
"Not yet, your Royal Highness," replied the Prime Minister, "but I have
every assurance from the management that trains will be running, at the
very latest, by tomorrow morning."
"You will have to spend the night with us, then," said the Princess,
turning to Mary Louise, with a smile. "You know," she added in a
whisper, "I'm glad there was an accident; otherwise you would not have
come to our castle, and we might not have grown to be such friends."
"Don't whisper, my daughter," said King Seaphus. "Your mother will
think, should she hear that you had been so rude during her absence,
that she cannot leave home to even visit her mother for a week without
your becoming demoralized."
The Prime Minister coughed behind his hand, while the little bubbles
rose again through the pale green of the sea-water. Mary Louise felt
quite embarrassed, and the little Princess blushed. King Seaphus
looked sternly at all three.
Just then a loud knocking was heard on the castle door. "Billows and
breakers!" exclaimed the King, "what is that?"