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."