Sea serpent

Here let me say - and I wish it to be distinctly understood - that I do not deny the possibility of the existence of a great sea serpent, or other great creatures at present unknown to science[.]

This time they got into print, all right. But the much-handled stories, written up with that blend of cautiously defensive frivolity which the press habitually employed to cover themselves in matters regarding sea-serpents, elementals, thought transference, and other irregular phenomena, prevented anyone from realizing that these accomplished plants at all resembled the quiet, respectable weed beside our rubbish heap.