said. "After all, he is very small, isn't he?"

"Yes," said the Doctor, "that's true. Oh I have no doubt that
there are shellfish who are good talkers--not the least doubt.
But the big shellfish--the biggest of them, are so hard to catch.
They are only to be found in the deep parts of the sea; and as
they don't swim very much, but just crawl along the floor of the
ocean most of the time, they are very seldom taken in nets. I do
wish I could find some way of going down to the bottom of the
sea. I could learn a lot if I could only do that. But we are
forgetting all about breakfast--Have you had, breakfast yet,
Stubbins?"

I told the Doctor that I had forgotten all about it and he at
once led the way into the kitchen.

"Yes," he said, as he poured the hot water from the kettle into
the tea-pot, "if a man could only manage to get right down to the
bottom of the sea, and live there a while, he would discover some
wonderful things--things that people have never dreamed of."

"But men do go down, don't they?" I asked--"divers and people
like that?"

"Oh yes, to be sure," said the Doctor. "Divers go down. I've
been down myself in a diving-suit, for that matter. But my!--they
only go where the sea is shallow. Divers can't go down where it
is really deep. What I would like to do is to go down to the
great depths--where it is miles deep--Well, well, I dare say I
shall manage it some day. Let me give you another cup of tea."