“Gammon!”

“What?”

“I said, gammon. You’re right enough. Forwarder than I am, and I’ve been here two years.”

“Oh no,” I said.

“Yes, you are. Don’t contradict; ’tisn’t gentlemanly. He said your English was weak?”

“How did you know?”

“Your Latin terribly deficient?”

“I say!” I cried, staring.

“Your writing execrable?”

“Mercer!”