“Psha! Sir,” said Goldsmith, “you know as little of Dr. Johnson as you do of the Irish nation and their characteristics.”
“Perhaps that is so, but I felt that I was getting to know him,” said Boswell. “But now all is over; he will never see me again.”
“Nay, man, cannot you perceive that he is only assuming this attitude in order to give you a chance of knowing him better?” said Goldsmith.
“For the life of me I cannot see how that could be,” cried Boswell after a contemplative pause.
“Why, sir, you must perceive that he wishes to impress you with a consciousness of his generosity.”
“What, by quarrelling with me and declaring that he would never see me again?”
“No, not in that way, though I believe there are some people who would feel that it was an act of generosity on Dr. Johnson's part to remain secluded for a space in order to give the rest of the world a chance of talking together.”
“What does it matter about the rest of the world, sir?”
“Not much, I suppose I should say, since he means me to be his biographer.”
Boswell, of course, utterly failed to appreciate the sly tone in which the Irishman spoke, and took him up quite seriously.