They spoke to him in several languages, but he was as mute as a fish. They handed him over to some holy friars, who exorcised him; but the devil was mute too. After some days he pronounced the name Lierganes. A monk took him to that village. His mother and brothers recognised and embraced him; but he was as insensible to their caresses as any other fish would have been. He had some scales on his body, which dropped off by degrees; but his skin was as hard and rough as shagreen. He stayed at home nine years, without recovering his speech or his reason: he then disappeared again; and one of his old acquaintance, some years after, saw him pop his head out of the water near the coast of the Asturias. These facts were certified by his brothers, and by Don Gaspardo de la Riba Aguero, Knight of Saint James, who lived near Lierganes, and often had the pleasure of our triton's company to dinner.--Pliny mentions an embassy of the Olyssiponians to Tiberius, to give him intelligence of a triton which had been heard playing on its shell in a certain cave; with several other authenticated facts on the subject of tritons and nereids. THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS You astonish me. I have been much on the sea-shore, in the season, but I do not think I ever saw a mermaid. (_He rang, and summoned Fatout, who made his appearance half-seas-over_.) Fatout! did I ever see a mermaid? FATOUT Mermaid! mer-r-m-m-aid! Ah! merry maid! Oui, monsieur! Yes, sir, very many. I vish dere vas von or two here in de kitchen--ma foi! Dey be all as melancholic as so many tombstone. THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS I mean, Fatout, an odd kind of human fish. FATOUT De odd fish! Ah, oui! I understand de phrase: ve have seen nothing else since ve left town--ma foi! THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS You seem to have a cup too much, sir. FATOUT Non, monsieur: de cup too little. De fen be very unwholesome, and I drink-a-de ponch vid Raven de butler, to keep out de bad air. THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS Fatout! I insist on your being sober. FATOUT Oui, monsieur; I vil be as sober as de reverendissime pere Jean. I should be ver glad of de merry maid; but de butler be de odd fish, and he swim in de bowl de ponch. Ah! ah! I do recollect de leetle-a song:--'About fair maids, and about fair maids, and about my merry maids all.' (_Fatout reeled out, singing_.) THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS I am overwhelmed: I never saw the rascal in such a condition before. But will you allow me, Mr Asterias, to inquire into the _cui bono_ of all the pains and expense you have incurred to discover a mermaid? The _cui bono_, sir, is the question I always take the liberty to ask when I see any one taking much trouble for any object. I am myself a sort of Signor Pococurante, and should like to know if there be any thing better or pleasanter, than the state of existing and doing nothing? MR ASTERIAS