"What do you mean?"
"I will tell you what I mean, and answer your questions, after you have paid me five dollars each; and cheap at that, considering."
"Indeed it is, for me at least," said one of the gentlemen. "What I have learned from this paper is worth to me, in a business way, thousands of dollars"; and with that he came forward and put a hundred into my hand, in the good, solid form of gold-pieces. His example had its effect upon the others. Instead of the two hundred which I had hoped to receive for my forty newspapers, I was actually in possession of not less than—well, I don't care to tell exactly how much, on account of the income-tax.
"Come, now," said the gentlemen, almost in one breath, "tell us how these papers came to China."
"I brought them myself."
"When did you leave America?"
"The morning when these papers were printed: but how long ago that was, I really don't know, as my watch stopped while I was on my voyage; only I thought it was just as well to call out, as I always used to do at home, 'Morning paper!' although, perhaps, for all I can tell, they may be two or perhaps three days old; anyhow, I guess you find them a good deal fresher than the rest you have got on hand."
Having delivered myself of this somewhat protracted speech, I began moving towards the door with the air of one who had said every thing that could reasonably be expected, in reply to the curious inquiries of my liberal patrons, when the Boston merchant motioned for me to stop, saying with some severity, "Did you not promise that you would inform the company how these papers came from America to China in such an incredibly short period of time, whenever you should have received your pay for the same?"
"Yes, sir; and I just told you that I brought them over—not exactly over—but—in short, I brought them here."
"You say, 'not exactly over'; do you mean by that phrase to be understood to say that you did not come over land?"