point
it must be understood that the various details succeeded one another
with a really agile dexterity), "let me tell you that Mr. Kong is my
friend, and that ought to be enough."

"It is. If you say this gentleman is your friend, and that you have
known him long and intimately enough to be able to answer for him,
that's good enough for me."

"Well," admitted the first person, and I could not conceal from myself
that his tone was inauspiciously reluctant, "I can't exactly say that
I've known him long; in fact I only met him half an hour ago. But I have
the fullest confidence in his integrity."

"It's just as I expected. Well, sir, you're good-natured enough for
anything, but if you'll excuse me, I must say that you're a small piece
of an earthenware vessel after all"--the veiled allusion doubtlessly
being that the vessel of necessity being broken, the contents inevitably
escape--"and I hope you're not being had."

"I'm not, and I'll prove it before we go out together," retorted the
engaging one, who had in the meantime become so actively impetuous on my
account, that he did not remain content with the spoken words, but threw
the various belongings about as he mentioned them in a really profuse
display of inimitable vehemence. "Here, Kong, take this hyer pocket-book
whatever he says. Now on the top of that take everything I've got, and
you know what THAT figures up to. Now give this gentleman your little
lot to keep him quiet; I don't ask for anything. Now, stranger, I'm
ready. You and I will take a stroll round the block and back again, and
if Mr. Kong isn't waiting here for us when we return with everything
intact and O.K., I'll double your deposit and never trust a durned soul
again."

Nodding genially over his shoulder with a harmonious understanding,
expressive of the fact that we were embarking upon an undeniably
diverting episode, the benevolent-souled person who had accumulated more
riches than he was competent to melt away himself, passed out, urging
the doubtful and still protesting one before him.

Thus abandoned to my own reflections, I pondered for a short time
profitably on the third head of the day's meditation (Touching the match
and this person's unattractively-lined face. The revealed truth: the
inexperienced sheep cannot pass through the hedge without leaving
portions of his wool), and then finding the philosophy of Wei Chung very
good, I determined to remove the superfluous apprehensions of