"Oh! I think I understand," he ventured hesitatingly.

"Are you--can you perhaps be--er--Mr Buckskin ?" "For Buckskin read Buskin, and you may boast of having hazarded a particularly shrewd guess," replied the gentleman.

"Bucephalus Buskin, at your service; and, of course, the public's." "Ah, now I know," exclaimed Austin.

"The greatest actor in Europe, on or off the stage." "Oh come, now, come; spare my blushes, young gentleman, draw it a _little_ milder!" cried the delighted manager, almost bursting with mock modesty.

"Greatest actor in Europe--oh, very funny, very good indeed! Off the stage, too! Oh dear, dear, dear, what wags there are in the world! And pray, young gentleman, from whom did you pick up that ?" "I think it must have been the milkman," replied Austin simply.
"The milkman, eh?
A most discriminating milkman, 'pon my word.