The children quickly realized that the strange man at the door was Eliza's fiancé.
And that an invisible Eliza was holding his hand tightly.
"He keeps saying he can't see me," said Eliza's voice.
"Well, I can't," protested her fiancé.
"I know you have the ring," Gerald whispered to Eliza. "Go inside."
"What's going on?"
asked the man, who seemed to relax once Eliza released him.
"Have I been acting strange?"
"Very strange," said Mabel.
"You should go home and lie down," said Gerald.
"The sun is very hot today."
"Yes . . . yes . . . ," the man said with a puzzled look.
"I'll do that."
Once he was gone, the children went inside to talk to Eliza.
It took a while to convince her that she really was invisible.
She said she'd found the ring in the bed and "borrowed" it.
"Do I have to stay like this?" she wailed.
"No man will marry a girl he can't see."
"It doesn't last forever," said Mabel kindly.
"And we'll help you," added Kathleen.
"Now let's get Mademoiselle's tea ready," said Gerald.
"And ours!" said Jimmy.
"No." Gerald looked thoughtful.
"We'll have a picnic and take Eliza.
I'll go get some cakes."
While Gerald was out, Mademoiselle came home from visiting the castle.
She seemed tired and a little sad.
As soon as Gerald returned, the children and Eliza started for the castle.
They watched the sun go down as they had their picnic on the castle grounds.
"I should go home now," said Mabel.
"Well, I can't go home like this," said Eliza.
She pointed to a white marble temple.
"I'd live in that little white house over there if it had any walls."
"Oh, you mean the Temple of Apollo," said Mabel.
"What a lot of steps to clean!" said Eliza.
"Why do they make houses without walls?
Who'd live in . . ." She paused. "What's that?"
"What?" asked Kathleen and Jimmy together.
They couldn't see anything.
"That white thing coming down the steps," said Eliza.
"Oh! It's a young man.
But he looks like a statue."
"I thought I saw the statues come alive last night!" exclaimed Gerald.
"I think it happens after sunset."
"I never saw them come alive," said Mabel.
"And I've often been in the gardens at night."
"I know I saw them moving," said Gerald.
"I believe you," said Mabel.
"I wonder if you can only see them move when you're invisible."
"You're probably right," Gerald replied.
"Oh look!" said Eliza. "There's another statue!
He's got little wings on his feet!"
"That's probably Hermes, the messenger of the gods," said Gerald.
"What are you talking about?" asked Jimmy.
"I don't see any moving statues."
The gardens stretched in front of the children.
They could only see the statues standing still.
But Eliza could see statues walking over the lawn and swimming in the lake.
"Oh, here's a dear little boy," she said.
"He's coming right toward me."
The next moment she was screaming.
There was the sound of boots on gravel—Eliza was running away!
"She must have touched the statue!" cried Gerald.
"Then she became afraid, just like I did last night.
Come on," he added.
"We have to catch her before she frightens everybody in town with her screams."
Mabel stayed at the castle, but the others ran as fast as they could.
They didn't catch up with Eliza until they reached their own back door.
Just as the church clock struck the half-hour, Eliza suddenly reappeared.
She held out her hand.
The magic ring was on her finger.