His majesty, like his people, being of a simple nature, believed all I
said, and left me, saying he would think about it and talk to the queen. I saw him from the window shortly afterwards in earnest conversation
with her majesty in the garden. I burned to know the result of their
interview. In the course of the day one of the queen's mermaids-of-honour informed
me that her majesty desired to speak with me. I entered into her
presence trembling. She accosted me thus, "Captain Toughyarn, his majesty has already
acquainted me with your proposal, but before we give our consent to a
marriage with our daughter, even after your assertion that you are of
royal blood, we must know you a little longer. Marriages are not to be
contracted in a hurry. You did very wrong to engage our daughter's
affections without first consulting us in the matter. It was an insult
to our royal self. However, let that pass; it is too late now. My
daughter seems thoroughly to have set her affections upon you. I have
lectured her severely for her imprudence; but the matter seems to have
gone so far, that I fear to break her heart if I peremptorily refuse to
give my consent to this marriage. If my daughter will take my advice,
she will, upon reflection, break off this match. You'll excuse me,
Captain Toughyarn, for saying that I think your age a decided
objection." "As regards my age, your majesty," I said, "the men of my country get
grey and bald at thirty, though they maintain their healthful vigour to
a prolonged period. I myself am thirty-six." (I would not say that I was
sixty-three.) Her majesty looked incredulous, and then a momentary smile crossed her
features, as if she were having a joke all to herself, but she stifled
it immediately. "There is another thing, Captain Toughyarn," said her majesty, "that
perhaps you may not be aware of. Marriages between your race and ours
are extremely rare. When they occur some sacrifice is always expected on
the part of the gentleman, just by way of proving his love," and she
glanced at my legs as she spoke. I did not quite understand her meaning. "Sacrifice--sacrifice," I said to myself. "Ah! yes," said I, aloud;
"your majesty does not wish that your daughter should leave her house
and visit my country. Is it not so?" "That is part of the conditions, but not all," said her majesty. "And what else might your majesty be pleased to exact from me?" I asked. "Well," she said, with a smile and a second glance at my legs, "we
should like you--we expect you to--to--to become in fact, like one of
us--to conform----"

"Oh, quite so," I said, without as yet catching her meaning thoroughly;
"to conform--yes--certainly--to all the customs of the country I have
adopted." "To _all_ of them, mind?" "Yes." "Then you consent to this trifling sacrifice. You have no objection
to--to be operated upon?" "Operated upon!" I cried in astonishment. "What?--How?--I don't quite
catch your majesty's meaning." "Well, Captain Toughyarn," said her majesty, "if I _must_ be more
explicit, the fact is, that legs are out of fashion here, only tails are
worn in this country. If you really wish to marry our daughter, you must
submit to an operation." "W-h-e-w!" whistled I, the real nature of the sacrifice dawning upon me
for the first time. "So that is your meaning!" "Precisely. Do you refuse?" Now, I always prided myself particularly on my legs. In my youth they
were the admiration of the sex; even now they are far from contemptible,
and to give them in exchange for a tail was of all things the furthest
from my thoughts. I did not know what to answer. At length I asked, "And this operation--how is it performed, your
majesty?" "Oh, it is simple enough," was the reply. "A surgeon is called, who
amputates the lower extremities; a dolphin or other large fish is
procured, which, after being killed, is cut in half, and the tail half
of the fish is bound to that part of your body still suffering from the
operation, until the parts unite, and the transformation is complete." "I am infinitely obliged to your majesty," said I, "but I hope you will
pardon me if I refuse to comply with this last condition. Legs such as
mine are extremely prized in my country; in fact, they are only to be
found in those of the blood royal, and I really could not consent to
part with such a very strong mark; indeed, perhaps, the only mark of
royalty about my person." "Then you refuse?" "Absolutely," said I, bowing. "In that case," said the queen, "I must talk to his majesty, to see what
can be done." The queen rose. I bowed, and left the apartment. Shortly afterwards I heard the king's voice in great wrath, calling out,
"What! he won't sacrifice his legs? Did you say he _won't_? _Won't_,
indeed! I'll let him know who the mer-king is. He comes here uninvited,
wheedles himself into our daughter's affections, and then his love is
found wanting at the proof. He won't even give up his hideous legs, and
wear a respectable tail for _her_ sake. By my trident, he shall for
_mine_. I'll tail him. Here, Thomas!" That was the name of the shark
that opened the door for us. "What ho! Thomas, bite off that insolent
stranger's legs this instant. Come, make haste, and lose no time about
it." I happened to be looking out of my bedroom window at the time, which was
open. At these words I plunged through the casement and struck out
upwards. I had not proceeded very far--though in all my life I never
struck out as I did then--when I heard the palace door open and the
splash of the huge monster behind me. I struck out upwards, upwards,
ever upwards, but the immense fish was at my heels with the rapidity of
lightning. Truly, I thought my last moment was at hand. With the energy that
despair alone gives, I struck out so frantically, that even the shark
had hard work to keep up with me, but I was fast getting exhausted. What should I do when completely so? There seemed no hope for me. "While strength lasts, I'll use it," said I, to myself, and struck out
more desperately than ever, but the shark gained upon me, nevertheless. At length, after repeated exertions, my head appeared once more above
water. Once more I felt the fresh breeze on my bald pate. "Thank heaven!" I cried. There was a vessel in sight, not far off. I hailed her, bawling out with
all my might and main, still swimming furiously. The shark was now
nearer than ever. He had already turned on his back, preparatory to
biting off my legs, and the ship though she had noticed my distress, and
was coming fast to my rescue, was not sufficiently near as yet to save
me. I felt the tip of the monster's nose against my shoe. I lunged out a
tremendous kick, which ought to have sent several of its teeth down its
throat; at any rate, it sent him backward about a foot. Meanwhile, I
struck out more fiercely than ever, but the brute recovered itself and
was at me again. My strength was now quite exhausted. How I managed to hold out so long
puzzles me now. I was about to sink from sheer exhaustion.