'Good-morning, my dear; I hear you speak English perfectly now ?' "'_Honia mon diaoul_,' says she, making a curtsey.
"Be the powers, I thought he'd die with the laughing.
"'Well, my dear, I hope you don't mean it,--do you know what you're saying ?' "'Honor bright, Major!' says I,--'honor bright!' and I gave him a wink at the same time.
"'Oh, that's it!' said he, 'is it!' and so he went off holding his hands to his sides with the bare laughing; and your honor knows it wasn't a blessing she wished him, for all that.".