"I love the sea," said Rosie. "I wish we could take it home with us."
"We have a lake and must be content with that," said Herbert, picking up a
stone and sending it far out, to fall with a splash in among the restless
waves; "we can't have everything in one place."
"Did you ever see a mermaid, Rosie?" asked Mr. Lilburn.
"No, sir; what is it?"
"They're said to live in the sea, and to be half fish and half woman."
"Ugh! that's dreadful! I wouldn't like to be half of a fish. But I wish I
could see one. Are there any in our sea here, Cousin Ronald?"
"They're said to have very long hair," he went on, not noticing her query,
"and to come out of the water and sit on the rocks, sometimes, while they
comb it out with their fingers and sing."
"Sing! Oh, I'd like to hear 'em! I wish one would come and sit on that big
rock 'way out there."
"Look sharp now and see if there is one there. Hark! don't you hear her
sing?"
Rosie and the boys stood still, listening intently, and in another moment
strains of music seemed to come to them from over the water, from the
direction of the rock.
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