'Mermaids is just faddle an nonsense,' interrupted David, tersely.

'Oh, is they? Then I spose books is faddle. Most on 'em are--t'
kind of books yo like--I'll uphowd yo!'

'Oh, is they?' said David, mimicking her. 'Wal, I like 'em, yo see,
aw t' same. I tell yo, mermaids is nonsense, cos I _know_ they
are. Theer was yan at Hayfield Fair, an the fellys they nearly
smashed t' booth down, cos they said it wor a cheat. Theer was just
a gell, an they'd stuffed her into a fish's skin and sewed 'er up;
an when yo went close yo could see t' stuffin runnin out of her. An
theer was a man as held 'er up by a wire roun her waist, an waggled
her i' t' watter. But t' foak as had paid sixpence to coom in, they
just took an tore down t' place, an they'd 'a dookt t' man an t'
gell boath, if th' coonstable hadn't coom. Naw, mermaids is faddle,'
he repeated contemptuously.

'Faddle?' repeated 'Lias, interrogatively.

The children started. They has supposed 'Lias was of doting and
talking gibberish for the rest of the morning. But his tone was
brisk and as David looked up he caught a queer flickering
brightness in the old man's eye, which showed him that 'Lias was
once more capable of furnishing amusement or information.

'What do they coe that bit watter, 'Lias?' he inquired, pointing to
it.

'That bit watter?' repeated 'Lias, eyeing it. A sort of vague