"It lay pretty much under the water, and wasn't still long at a time." The old man looked relieved, and in his relief began to joke.

"I was thinking you must have lost your wits, and thought you'd seen a mermaid," he chuckled.
"I'd think it was a mermaid in a minute"-- boldly--"if there were such things." Caius felt relieved when he had said this, but the old man had no very distinct idea in his mind attached to the mythical word, so he let go the thought easily.
"Was it a dog swimming ?" "No," said Caius, "it wasn't a dog." "Well, I give it up.

Next time you see it, you'd better come and fetch the gun, and then you can take it to the musee up at your college, and have it stuffed and put in a case, with a ticket to say you presented it.

That's all the use strange fish are that I know of." When Caius reflected on this conversation, he knew that he had been a hypocrite..