He was a little, wizened man, with a pair of horn spectacles, which he pushed high upon his brow as his customer entered.
"Since my father has engaged to buy Sophia a ring," said Tristram to himself, "I will get her a tulip.

We will sit hand in hand and watch it unfold." The prospect so engaged his fancy that he entered and began a sentence in excellent English.

The shopman replied by shaking his head and uttering a few unintelligible words.
This was dashing.

Tristram cast about for a few seconds, and began again in dog-Latin, a tongue which he had acquired in order to read the herbals to Captain Barker on winter evenings.

To his delight the little man answered him promptly.