e base of the rock, disappeared entirely.

At first Lutey thought she had drowned herself, but when he looked closely
into the pool, and contrived to peer through the cloud of hair which
floated like fine seaweed all over the top of it, he managed to
distinguish a woman's head and shoulders underneath, and looking closer he
saw, he was sure, a fish's tail! His knees quaked under him, at that
sight, for he realized that the lovely lady was no other than a mermaid!

She, though, seemed as frightened as he was, so he summoned up his courage
to speak to her again, for it is always wise to be kind to mermaids, and
to avoid offending them, for if they are angry there is no knowing what
harm they may do to you.

"Don't be frightened, lady," he said coaxingly; "I wouldn't hurt 'ee for
the world, I wouldn't harm a living creature. I only wants to know what
your trouble is."

While he was speaking, the maiden had raised her head slightly above the
water, and now was gazing at him with eyes the like of which he had never
seen before. "I 'opes she understands Carnish," he added to himself,
"for 'tis the only langwidge I'm fluent in."

"Beautiful sir," she replied in answer to his thoughts, "we sea-folk can
understand all languages, for we visit the coast of every land, and all
the tribes of the world sail over our kingdom, and oft-times come down
through the waters to our home. The greatest kindness you can do me is to
go away. You are accustomed to women who walk, covered with silks and
laces. We could not wear such in our world, sporting in the waves,
swimming into caverns, clambering into sunken ships. You cannot realize
our free and untrammelled existence."

"Now, my lovely lady," said old Lutey, who did not understand a half of
what she was saying, "don't 'ee think anything about such trifles,
but stop your tears and tell me what I can do for 'ee. For, for sure,
I can help 'ee somehow. Tell me how you come'd here, and where you wants
to get to."

So the fair creature floated higher in the water, and, gradually growing
braver, she presently climbed up and perched herself on the rock where
Lutey had first seen her. Her long hair fell about her like a glorious
mantle, and she needed no other, for it quite covered her. Holding in her
hand her comb and mirror, and glancing from time to time at the latter,
she told the old man her story.

"Only a few hours ago," she said sadly, "I was sporting about with my
husba