On the crest of a wave, some thirty yards from the shore, danced
my grey hat. Beyond it, a little to the right, was something
which might be a shirt.

Stammering incoherent sentences, I staggered into the water and
swam for the hat. When I had caught it, I went on to get the
shirt. I would have gone on round the headland to my cove, only
the shirt was not my shirt. It was Berry's! Yes, it was- had his
name on it and all. And not ten yards away floated Daphne's
straw hat. For the next two minutes I was in imminent danger of
drowning. At last I began to swim feebly, blindly back. When I
reached the shore, I fell on my knees in the surf and laughed
till the eighth wave knocked me head over heels and the ninth
broke into my open jaws and choked me. The next moment the girl
caught me by the arm, and I stumbled out and lay down on the dry
sand with the shirt clasped to my breast. My hat had gone again
ages ago. Then I looked at the girl kneeling anxiously by my
side, and began to laugh again. She sat back on her heels, with
one hand to her lips and a scared expression on her face.

"He's mad," she said, half to herself, "mad! Must have been stung
by a jelly-fish or something. I've heard- "

I cut her short.

"Mermaid dear, I'm as sane as you are, only- "

"Only what?"

"Everybody's doing it"- she recoiled- "doing it! Listen to me.