ccaneer. Say, you sir, show me your
foreign goods--I'm very fond of smugglers myself!"

"You are right, my dear young lady! You would give poor sailors some
little chance to turn an honest penny!"

"Certainly! Brave fellows! Show me that splendid fabric that shines like
cloth of gold."

"This, my young lady, this is a real, genuine China silk. I bought it
myself in my last cruise in the streets of Shanghai, where the
long-legged chickens----"

"And fast young men come from! I know the place! I've been along there!"
interrupted Capitola, her gray eyes glittering with mischief.

"This you will perceive, young lady, is an article that cannot be
purchased anywhere except----"

"From the manufactory of foreign goods in the city of New York, or from
their traveling agents!"

"Oh, my dear young lady, how you wrong me! This article came from----"

"The factory of Messrs. Hocus & Pocus, corner of Can't and Come-it
Street, City of Gotham!"

"Oh, my dear young lady----"

"Look here, my brave buccaneer, I know all about it! I told you I'd been
along there!" said the girl, and, turning to Mrs. Condiment, she said.
"See here, my dear, good soul, if you want to buy that 'India' silk that
you are looking at so longingly, you may do it with a safe conscience!
True, it never passed through the custom house--because it was made in
New York. I know all about it! All these 'foreign goods' are
manufactured at the north and sent by agents all over the country. These
agents dress and talk like sailors and assume a mysterious manner on
purpose to be suspected of smuggling, because they know well enough fine
ladies will buy much quicker and pay much more if they only fancy they
are cheating Uncle Sam in buying foreign goods from a smuggler at half
price."

"So, then, you are not a smuggler, after all!" said Mrs. Condiment,
looking almost regretfully at the sailor.

"Why, ma'am, you know I told you you were accusing me wrongfully."

"Well, but really, now, there was something about you that looked sort
of suspicious."

"What did I tell you? A look put on on purpose," said Cap.

"Well, he knows that if he wanted to pass for a smuggler, it didn't take
here," said Mrs. Condiment.

"No, that it didn't!" muttered the object of these commentaries.

"Well, my good man, since you are, after all, an honest peddler, just
hand me that silk and don't ask me an unreasonable price for it, because
I'm a judge of silks and I won't pay more