Besides, I shall lose it: I always lose my pipes." The child seemed rather dashed, and said, "Don't you like it, neighbour ?" "O yes," I said, "of course I like it." "Well, then, take it," said she, "and don't trouble about losing it.

What will it matter if you do?
Somebody is sure to find it, and he will use it, and you can get another." I took it out of her hand to look at it, and while I did so, forgot my caution, and said, "But however am I to pay for such a thing as this ?" Dick laid his hand on my shoulder as I spoke, and turning I met his eyes with a comical expression in them, which warned me against another exhibition of extinct commercial morality; so I reddened and held my tongue, while the girl simply looked at me with the deepest gravity, as if I were a foreigner blundering in my speech, for she clearly didn't understand me a bit.
"Thank you so very much," I said at last, effusively, as I put the pipe in my pocket, not without a qualm of doubt as to whether I shouldn't find myself before a magistrate presently.
"O, you are so very welcome," said the little lass, with an affectation of grown-up manners at their best which was very quaint.

"It is such a pleasure to serve dear old gentlemen like you; especially when one can see at once that you have come from far over sea." "Yes, my dear," quoth I, "I have been a great traveller." As I told this lie from pure politeness, in came the lad again, with a tray in his hands, on which I saw a long flask and two beautiful glasses.
"Neighbours," said the girl (who did all the talking, her brother being very shy, clearly) "please to drink a glass to us before you go, since we do not have guests like this every day." Therewith the boy put the tray on the counter and solemnly poured out a straw-coloured wine into the long bowls.

Nothing loth, I drank, for I was thirsty with the hot day; and thinks I, I am yet in the world, and the grapes of the Rhine have not yet lost their flavour; for if ever I drank good Steinberg, I drank it that morning; and I made a mental note to ask Dick how they managed to make fine wine when there were no longer labourers compelled to drink rot-gut instead of the fine wine which they themselves made.
"Don't you drink a glass to us, dear little neighbours ?" said I.
"I don't drink wine," said the lass; "I like lemonade better: but I wish your health!" "And I like ginger-beer better," said the little lad.
Well, well, thought I, neither have children's tastes changed much.

And therewith we gave them good day and went out of the booth.
To my disappointment, like a change in a dream, a tall old man was holding our horse instead of the beautiful woman.