But I gently withdrawed him, bowin’ very low myself and lookin’ dretful smilin’ at her.
Like all great monarchs, she wanted to make her visitors a present, and she proposed to send us several drawin’s of tea of the kind she used, and a little hunk of opium, though, as I told her, I should never use it in the world only to smoke in a pipe for the toothache; and she also proposed to send us 220 a china sugar-bowl and a piece of the Chinee wall, which last I told her I should value high as a sign that the old things wuz passin’ away and better days comin’.
And then I made some more real low bows and Josiah did, bein’ wunk at by me, and we withdrawed ourselves from the Presence. But Josiah, always overdoin’ things, takin’ out his bandanna and a-wavin’ it towards her as he bowed most to the ground. But what wuz my surprise as we walked away kinder backward, Josiah mutterin’ to me that he should fall flat if he backed off much furder! What wuz my horrow to see Arvilly advance with a copy of her books and present ’em to the Empress. One of the ladies-in-waiting, who seemed to talk English quite considerable, looked at the books and read their titles to her Majesty, who immediately signified her desire to purchase ’em, and before she left the group Arvilly had sold three copies of the “Twin Crimes” and two of the “Wild and Warlike.”
Poor Empress! Poor Si Ann! Well might she treasure the last-named book, “The Wild, Wicked and Warlike Deeds of Men.” Poor thing! I am afraid she will see plenty of it herself. Them Powers, sometimes, when they git to goin’, act like the Old Harry.
CHAPTER XX
The engagement my pardner had spoke on wuz to meet a Chinaman that wuz comin’ to see Robert Strong that evenin’. Robert had met him in California, and Josiah seemed dretful anxious to git home so as to dress up for his reception. And I sez, “There is time enough; I shouldn’t think it would take you more than two hours to wash your hands and change your neck-tie.”
“Well,” sez he, in a evasive way, “I––I don’t want to be scrimped for time.”
So, as Tommy and I wanted to stop along on the way, he left us and went home. Robert had told us a good deal about this man, Mr. Hi-wal-hum; about his wealth and high official standing, and Josiah had been talkin’ more or less about him all day; he looked forrered to it. He had said to me: “Samantha, this man is a Potentate, and it stands us in hand to be polite always to Potentates.”