This chapter opens with a conversation between Roxane and the Governess. The Governess asks Roxane why she brought up the subject of the mermaids. She says that she just wants to live on the island forever and that she doesn't think she knows enough about the human condition. She tells Roxane that she needs to go back to Europe to find a dress for her to wear, but that it's considered an "evil item" by the public. Roxane says she's just concerned for Roxane, her family, and her friends. She's going to teach Roxane some basic rules of swimming, and then she'll take her to the dolphin pool to find the mermaid's dress. She doesn' t know how to swim, but she knows how to find things in the water. She finds a little shell shaped like a mermaid in the pool, and she thinks that it must have been given to Roxane as a token of her love. She decides to go find it, and when she finds it, she puts it on for her.