The palaces of the mermaids are inhabited only by themselves." "Is there anything else to be afraid of in the sea ?" asked the little girl after they had swum quite a while in silence.
"One or two things, my dear," answered Princess Clia.

"Of course, we mermaids have great powers, being fairies; yet among the sea people is one nearly as powerful as we are, and that is the devilfish." "I know," said Trot.

"I've seen 'em." "You have seen the smaller ones, I suppose, which sometimes rise to the surface or go near the shore, and are often caught by fishermen," said Clia, "but they are only second cousins of the terrible deep-sea devilfish to which I refer." "Those ones are bad enough, though," declared Cap'n Bill.

"If you know any worse ones, I don't want a interduction to 'em." "The monster devilfish inhabit caves in the rugged, mountainous regions of the ocean," resumed the Princess, "and they are evil spirits who delight in injuring all who meet them.

None lives near our palaces, so there is little danger of your meeting any while you are our guests." "I hope we won't," said Trot.
"None for me," added Cap'n Bill.