The Sea Lady

with some little fulness, because Mrs. Bunting repeated it all several times, acting the more dramatic speeches in it, to my cousin Melville in several of those good long talks that both of them

rustfully into Mrs. Bunting's face, and speaking in a soft clear grammatical manner that stamped her at once as no mere mermaid but a fin

me, and if you will only listen to my story, Mrs. Bunting, I think you will find-well, if not a complete excuse for me-for I can understand how exacting your standards must be-at any rate some excuse for what I have done-for

culous way in some terrible place near Cyprus, and had no more right to a surname- Well, there-!" said Mrs. Bunting, telling the story to my cousin Melville and making the characteristic gestu

e, "there are classes of people in

cked us out. She had been swimming round the coast watching people day after day, she said, for quite a long time, and she said when she saw my face, watching the girls bathe-you know how fu

d, although he always leaves it out of the story when he tells it to me. But then he forget

nd exactly like the German story,"

din

omething-they have no Souls! No Souls at all! Nothing! And the poor child feels it. She feels it dreadfully. But in order to get souls, Mr. Melville, you know they have to come into the world of men. At least so they belie

pression of profound gravity, drooping eyelids and a hushed voice.

derstand her feeling like that. But imagine her difficulties! To be a mere cause of public excitement, and silly paragraphs in the s

want?" asked my

e to advise her what books to read that are really nice, and where she can get a dress-maker, and how she can find a clergyman to sit under who would really be likely to understand her case,

my cousin

heard her!" cri

s another daught

nd even that did not frighte

ill

ok a

ns?" he inqu

; and the great thing is it's full, perfectly full, of gold coins and things. Yes, gold-and diamonds, Mr. Melville. You know Randolph understands something- Yes, well he says that box-oh! I couldn't tell you how much it isn't worth! And all the gold things with just a sort of faint reddy touch.... But anyhow, she is rich, as well as charming and beautiful. And really you know, Mr. Melville, altogether- Well, I'm going to help her, just as much as ever I can. Practically, she's to be our paying guest. As you know-it's no great secret between us-Adeline- Yes.... S

er-

il, you

to him so far, and it took his breath away. Positively-a tail! All sorts of incorrect theories went by the bo

y has ... a ta

ackerel," said Mrs. Bunti

traordinary sit

could I do?" as

eriment," said my cousin Melville, and

is thoughts, were the shiny clear lines, the oily black, the green and p

Melville, protesting in the name of rea

t," said Mr