‘It must be a merman,' said Bonnetta.

‘A man, do you say?' cried Graziella; ‘let us hurry down to the
door and see him nearer.'

When they stood in the doorway the merman stopped to look at the
princess and made many signs of admiration. His voice was very
hoarse and husky, but when he found that he was not understood he
took to signs. He carried a little basket made of osiers and
filled with rare shells, which he presented to the princess.

She took it with signs of thanks; but as it was getting dusk she
retired, and the merman plunged back into the sea.

When they were alone, Graziella said to her governess: ‘What a
dreadful-looking creature that was! Why do those odious sharks
let him come near the tower? I suppose all men are not like him?'

‘No, indeed,' replied Bonnetta. ‘I suppose the sharks look on him
as a sort of relation, and so did not attack him.'

A few days later the two ladies heard a strange sort of music,
and looking out of the window, there was the merman, his head
crowned with water plants, and blowing a great sea-shell with all
his might.

They went down to the tower door, and Graziella politely accepted
some coral and other marine curiosities he had brought her. After
this he used to come every evening, and blow his shell, or dive
and play antics under tile princess's window. She contented