‘I wished to ask you,’ said the old man, ‘how you knew that the characters on yon piece of crockery were Chinese; or, indeed, that there was such a language?’
‘I knew the crockery was china,’ said I, ‘and naturally enough supposed what was written upon it to be Chinese; as for there being such a language—the English have a language, the French have a language, and why not the Chinese?’
‘May I ask you a question?’
‘Do you know any language besides English?’
‘Yes,’ said I, ‘I know a little of two or three.’
‘May I ask their names?’
‘Why not?’ said I. ‘I know a little French.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Yes, a little Welsh, and a little Haik.’