“I say,” said Bernard, “I do hope it’s a seal. I’ve never seen a seal.”
“I hope they do catch it,” said Kathleen. “Fancy seeing a real live Mermaid.”
“If it’s a real live Mermaid I jolly well hope they don’t catch her,” said Francis.
“So do I,” said Mavis. “I’m certain she would die in captivity.”
“But I’ll tell you what,” said Francis, “we’ll go and look for her, first thing tomorrow. I suppose,” he added thoughtfully, “Sabrina was a sort of Mermaid.”
“She hasn’t a tail, you know,” Kathleen reminded him.
“It isn’t the tail that makes the Mermaid,” Francis reminded her. “It’s being able to live underwater. If it was the tail, then mackerels would be Mermaids.”
“And, of course, they’re not. I see,” said Kathleen.
“I wish,” said Bernard, “that she’d given us bows and arrows instead o
