Winfried laughed.
“It’s as safe as—as the safest thing you can think of,” he said. “You’re not afraid, Miss Mavis.”
For all answer the little girl sprang into the boat; it danced under her feet, but she only laughed.
“Come on, Ruby,” she called out; “it’s lovely.”
Ruby stepped in cautiously. The little boat was most dainty and pretty. There were cushions for the little girls, and one or two soft rich coloured shawls, of a fashion and material such as they had never seen before.
“Dear me,” said Ruby, settling herself in the most comfortable place and drawing the pretty rugs round her, “what a nice little boat! Your friends must be very rich, Winfried. But I know what I know;” and she shook her head mysteriously.
“What do you mean, Ruby?” said Mavis.
Winfried was busy with his oars and did not seem to be attending to them. Ruby leant forward and whispered, close into her sister’s ear, “Mermaids!” Then seeing or thinking that the boy was not listening, she went on. “You know mermaids are very rich. They dive down into the shipwrecked vessels and fish up all the treasures. I daresay these shawls have come from some strange country, right over at the other side of the world. Indeed, some people say that the horrid things sing to make the sailors turn to look for them and get their ships all in among the rocks.”
Mavis looked puzzled.
“I don’t think that’s mermaids,” she said. “There’s another name for those naughty, unkind creatures.”