"Oh yes," sez he, "this is her own handwriting; a great compliment, Mr. Slick. I know of many a fine feller that would give his ears to get sich a card from 'the Elssler.'"
"Oh," sez I, "if she has a notion for ears, she'd better bargain for them Baltimore chaps that we've heard on. She'll get prime ones there, as long as beet leaves, but I'm afeared she'll find 'em ruther scarce here in York; the sile ain't rich enough for 'em."
Here the chap bust out a larfing, and haw-hawed till it seemed as if he'd go right off the handle. He tried to choke in, but that only made him top off short with a touch of the hooping-cough. Arter a while he wiped his eyes, and sez he—
"Very good, Mr. Slick! very good indeed! But of course you accept the Elssler's invitation to the theatre to-night!"
"To the theatre," sez I, "so she goes off there, does she; well, a feller may see the fun without bidding, so mebby I'll go."
"Jest inquire for the Astor House box, and it'll be all right," sez the chap, and with that he took up the thick paper, and, sez he,
"How neatly they do turn off these compliments in French, don't they?"
"In what?" sez I.
"In French," sez he.
"Oh!" sez I, and more and more I was anxious to find out what the French gal had writ to me.