"I have been there," says he, "true enough; more-by-Token, here's a China Orange for you;" and clapped one into my Hand with such Force that it went near to go through it.
"How are you all?" said he; "I'm glad to see you, and I hope you're glad to see me."
"Oh yes, very glad, Tom; pray walk into the Parlour—we are all at Home."
"How are you, Uncle?" says he, so loud and sudden that he made my Father jump. "And you, Aunt!"—kissing her. "And you!" kissing Prue too.
"'Manners, Jack!'" says my Father, quoting Gatty's Letter.
"My Name's Tom, Uncle, not Jack, though I suppose you meant Jack Tar. Well! so here you all are! I've only just landed—Didn't forget one of you in foreign Lands; I've brought my Aunt a Monkey."
"A nasty Beast!" cries my Father; "we won't have him here, Tom! He'll break all my China."
"Well, Uncle, I thought she might do a little Damage that Way, ('tis the prettiest little Creature you ever saw; her Ears are bored, and her Name's Jessy!) So I brought you, Sir, a Tea-Service, to cover Breakages; the Cups and Saucers fitting into each other; and the Teapot, no bigger than this Orange, fitting in o' Top; the whole Concern packs in a Cylinder no bigger than a Spice-Box."
"Dear Tom," says my Mother, nervously, "we've more Tea-Services already than we should know what to do with, if we did not keep a genteel Kind of Tea-Garden for the Quality."
"But as you do, Ma'am, won't it be acceptable? Or otherwise, won't you want Jessy to break it? She's the prettiest little Dear you can imagine, the Darling of the whole Ship. Well! it seems you're each discontented with the other's Presents;—my Uncle don't like your having the Monkey, and you don't like his having the Crockery. Then I'll tell you what I'll do—chop and change. I'll take your Presents down to my Father and Mother, and you shall have theirs. I've bought you a Pair of Slippers, Prue, but of course they're too big."