Luckily the princess had also told the children how to make her reappear.
"If we close our eyes," said Gerald, "she'll reappear when we count to fifty.
One, two, three, four . . ."
Gerald and Kathleen closed their eyes, but Jimmy kept his open.
Soon he saw a panel under the window slowly open.
"I knew it was a trick,"
he thought before he closed his eyes.
At fifty the children opened their eyes.
But there was still no princess.
"I think there's a secret cupboard under the window," said Jimmy.
"Maybe she's hiding in it."
"You looked! That's cheating!" said the voice of the princess.
The voice was so close to Jimmy's ear that he jumped.
But the princess was still invisible.
"Where is she?" cried all three children at once.
"Should we close our eyes and count again?" asked Kathleen.
"Don't be silly!" The princess sounded angry.
"We're not silly," said Jimmy.
"We know you're hiding."
"You think you're so clever pretending not to see me."
The princess sounded hurt.
"All right, I'll play your game."
"But we can't see you," said Gerald.
"Really?" The princess sounded afraid now.
"We told you that," said Jimmy.
He suddenly leaned backward and forward.
Then it happened again.
"What's wrong?" asked Kathleen.
"She shook me!"
"And I'll shake him again if he says he can't see me."
"What are you so grumpy about?"
Gerald was quite calm.
"You said you'd be invisible and you are."
"I'm not. You're just pretending not to see me."
"On my word of honor, you're still invisible," said Gerald.
There was silence.
Then the princess said, "Come, I'll let you out.
I'm tired of playing with you."
They followed her voice out of the treasure room.
She led them through some other rooms.
One room was lined with mirrors.
Gerald suddenly said to the princess, "Give me your hand."
He pulled her in front of a mirror.
"Now look for yourself."
"Oh!" cried the princess in despair.
"I am invisible. What shall I do?"
"Take the ring off," said Kathleen.
"It won't come off!
But it can't be the ring.
Rings don't make you invisible."
"You said this one did," said Kathleen.
"I was only playing at magic.
I just hid in the secret cupboard."
"But you can do magic," said Gerald.
"What about the jewels?"
"That's only a secret button that makes the panels open.
What shall I do?"
The princess was crying.
Kathleen moved toward the voice and wrapped her arms around the invisible princess.
"I'll tell the king and queen."
"But they were only a game like . . ."
"The bread and cheese," Jimmy said triumphantly.
"And the story I told you in the maze.
I wasn't really asleep for a hundred years."
The princess sniffed.
"But if you're not the princess, who are you?" said Kathleen.
"My aunt works here.
She'll be angry if she finds you.
Run outside to the Temple of Flora.
I'll meet you there after I close up the treasure room."
The three children went to the Temple of Flora.
It was cool and restful inside.
Soon they heard footsteps and saw a shadow on the ground.
"The door to the treasure room has blown shut," said the princess.
"It's locked and the key's inside!"
"Sit down and we'll talk about what to do," said Gerald.
"But first tell us your name."
"My . . . my name is Mabel Prowse."
The princess' voice was broken with sobs.
"And . . . and I'm the housekeeper's niece at the castle!"