"Don't think I ever had the pleasure of your acquaintance, sir."
"Oh, perdon me, you hed though. Two years ago, a large, stout, heavy bearded men kem to yore ohffice, with a yeng Cuban who could herdly speak a word of Inglish, asking you to commit him fer smeggling cigars—"
"Haw! haw! haw!" laughed Mr. Walker, "and you were the bearded man were you, eh?"
"Do please favour us with the whole story, Mr. Bangs," asked the hostess.
"Go on, Bangs," added its victim, "I don't mind, haw! haw!"
"The Squire asked the big revenue detective how he knew the cigars were smeggled, and he said that nobody could pay the duty and sell these cigars for seven dollars a hendred. The Squire asked to see the cigars, and while the pore yeng Cuban with the bleck mousteche stood twirling his sombrero and looking guilty, he took one, smilt it, and then smouked it. He said to the big detective, 'I won't let you hev a warrent for that pore foreigner on any sech evidence, for I ken bey the very same cigar at Beamish's for five dollars.' The detective said, 'Are you shore the cigar is the same?' when the Squire pulled a drawer open end brought out a box of the identical erticles. Then, the big men thenked him, hended him a revenue card, end took the pore Cuban away. Next day Beamish's was raided, end Nesh and I kem in for quite a rewerd."
"Then the detective was Nash?" asked Mr Walker.
"Yes, Nesh, with a big men's clowthes on, padded out."
"And what were you in the matter?"
"Oh, I wes the pore yeng Cuban thet could herdly speak Inglish."