Page 217 - Adventures in shadow-land

water, do. Scat! scat! you little torments ! I
don’t believe the cook has given them their din­

ner; she never does unless I see to it myself; your
sisters forget them. No, I’m not going to the

North Seas; I can’t spare the time.”
** DonTt you think you can, sir?” said the young

merman. “ What odds does it make about those
forked creatures on land?”
“ Do you know this fellow has the impudence

to pretend that they are undeveloped mermen,
that they’ll be just like ourselves after a series of

ages when their two legs grow into one, and that
our ancestors were actually of the same type as

those low creatures that go about in ships? But
perhaps you agree with him, sir?” said the old

professor, with a look that seemed to say that if
he did he might expect to be annihilated on the
spot.

“ Not I, sir. For aught I know we mermen
may be undeveloped human beings. I’ve some­

times thought so, I have such a sort of longing
for the land. ’ ’

“ Howdare you— ?” began the old gentleman in
great indignation.