How DO you get biscuits to brown so nice?" and "Where, for the land's
sake, DID you get these amaz'n pickles?" and all that kind of humbug
talky-talk, just the way people always does at a supper, you know. And
when it was all done me and the hare-lip had supper in the kitchen off
of the leavings, whilst the others was helping the niggers clean up the
things. The hare-lip she got to pumping me about England, and blest if I
didn't think the ice was getting mighty thin sometimes. She says: "Did
you ever see the king?" "Who? William Fourth? Well, I bet I have--he
goes to our church." I knowed he was dead years ago, but I never let on.
So when I says he goes to our church, she says: "What--regular?"
"Yes--regular. His pew's right over opposite ourn--on t'other side the
pulpit." "I thought he lived in London?" "Well, he does. Where WOULD he
live?" "But I thought YOU lived in Sheffield?" I see I was up a stump. I
had to let on to get choked with a chicken bone, so as to get time to
think how to get down again. Then I says: "I mean he goes to our church
regular when he's in Sheffield. That's only in the summer time, when he
comes there to take the sea baths." "Why, how you talk--Sheffield ain't
on the sea." "Well, who said it was?" "Why, you did." "I DIDN'T nuther."
"You did!" "I didn't." "You did." "I never said nothing of the kind."
"Well, what DID you say, then?" "Said he come to take the sea
BATHS--that's what I said." "Well, then, how's he going to take the sea
baths if it ain't on the sea?" "Looky here," I says; "did you ever see
any Congress-water?" "Yes." "Well, did you have to go to Congress