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“Oh, I’m glad, I’m glad! Dear little mermaid, what is your name?” cried Fancy, kissing the cool cheek of her new friend, and putting her arms about her neck.

“Call me by my German cousin’s pretty name,–Lorelei,” answered the mermaid, kissing back as warmly as she could.

“Will you come home and live with me, dear Lorelei?” asked Fancy, still holding her fast.

“If you will promise to tell no one who and what I am, I will stay with you as long as you love and believe in me. As soon as you betray me, or lose your faith and fondness, I shall vanish, never to come back again,” answered Lorelei.

“I promise: but won’t people wonder who you are? and, if they ask me, what shall I say?” said Fancy.

“Tell them you found me on the shore; and leave the rest to me. But you must not expect other people to like and believe in me as you do. They will say hard things of me; will blame you for loving me; and try to part us. Can you bear this, and keep your promise faithfully?”

“I think I can. But why won’t they like you?” said Fancy, looking troubled.

“Because they are not like you, dear,” answered the mermaid, with salt tears in her soft eyes. “They have not your power of seeing beauty in all things, of enjoying invisible delights, and living in a world of your own. Your Aunt Fiction will like me; but your Uncle Fact won’t. He will want to know all about me; will think I’m a little vagabond; and want me to be sent away somewhere, to be made like other children. I shall keep out of his way as much as I can; for I’m afraid of him.”

“I’ll take care of you, Lorelei dear; and no one shall trouble you. I hear Miss Fairbairn calling; so I must go. Give me your hand, and don’t be afraid.”

Hand in hand the two went toward the other children, who stopped digging, and stared at the new child. Miss Fairbairn, who was very wise and good, but rather prim, stared too, and said, with surprise:

“Why, my dear, where did you find that queer child?”

“Down on the beach. Isn’t she pretty?” answered Fancy, feeling very proud of her new friend.

“She hasn’t got any shoes on; so she’s a beggar, and we mustn’t play with her,” said one boy, who had been taught that to be poor was a very dreadful thing.

“What pretty earrings and bracelets she’s got!” said a little girl, who thought a great deal of her dress.

“She doesn’t look as if she knew much,” said another child, who was kept studying so hard that she never had time to dig and run, and make dirt-pies, till she fell ill, and had to be sent to the sea-side.

“What’s your name? and who are your parents?” asked Miss Fairbairn.

“I’ve got no parents; and my name is Lorelei,” answered the mermaiden.

“You mean Luly; mind your pronunciation, child,” said Miss Fairbairn, who corrected every one she met in something or other. “Where do you live?”

“I haven’t got any home now,” said Lorelei, smiling at the lady’s tone.

“Yes, you have: my home is yours; and you are going to stay with me always,” cried Fancy, heartily. “She is my little sister, Miss Fairbairn: I found her; and I’m going to keep her, and make her happy.”

“Your uncle won’t like it, my dear.” And Miss Fairbairn shook her head gravely.

“Aunt will; and Uncle won’t mind, if I learn my lessons well, and remember the multiplication table all right. He was going to give me some money, so I might learn to keep accounts; but I’ll tell him to keep the money, and let me have Lorelei instead.”

“Oh, how silly!” cried the boy who didn’t like bare feet.

“No, she isn’t; for, if she’s kind to the girl, maybe she’ll get some of her pretty things,” said the vain little girl.