The guide's eyes sparkled.

He danced about us and tapped the parchment with his finger: "What I tell you, genteelmen! Is it not so?
See! handwriting Christopher Colombo!--write it himself!" We looked indifferent--unconcerned.

The doctor examined the document very deliberately, during a painful pause .-- Then he said, without any show of interest: "Ah--Ferguson--what--what did you say was the name of the party who wrote this ?" "Christopher Colombo! ze great Christopher Colombo!" Another deliberate examination.
"Ah--did he write it himself; or--or how ?" "He write it himself!--Christopher Colombo! He's own hand-writing, write by himself!" Then the doctor laid the document down and said: "Why, I have seen boys in America only fourteen years old that could write better than that." "But zis is ze great Christo--" "I don't care who it is! It's the worst writing I ever saw.

Now you musn't think you can impose on us because we are strangers.

We are not fools, by a good deal.