Of course it was the same old mother-tongue! "You mean," I said, "that I haven't happened to say 'I guess,' and that I don't, perhaps, talk through my nose?
But we don't all do that.

We do all sorts of things." He stuck to it.

"You talk like us." "Well, I'm sure I don't mean to talk like anybody!" I sighed.
This diverted him, and brought us closer.
"And see here," I continued, "I knew you were English, although you've not dropped a single h." "Oh, but," he said, "dropping h's--that's--that's not--" "I know it isn't," I said.

"Neither is talking through your nose.

And we don't all say 'Amurrican.'" But he stuck to it.