All of which was agreed to and accomplished, on the spot.  When I went back to Harris, I said: 

“Now you see what a person with talent and address can do.”

“Excuse me, I see what a person of colossal ignorance and simplicity can do.  The idea of your going and intruding on a party of strangers, that way, and talking for half an hour; why I never heard of a man in his right mind doing such a thing before.  What did you say to them?”

I never said any harm.  I merely asked the girl what her name was.”

“I don’t doubt it.  Upon my word I don’t.  I think you were capable of it.  It was stupid in me to let you go over there and make such an exhibition of yourself.  But you know I couldn’t really believe you would do such an inexcusable thing.  What will those people think of us?  But how did you say it?—­I mean the manner of it.  I hope you were not abrupt.”

“No, I was careful about that.  I said, ’My friend and I would like to know what your name is, if you don’t mind.’”

“No, that was not abrupt.  There is a polish about it that does you infinite credit.  And I am glad you put me in; that was a delicate attention which I appreciate at its full value.  What did she do?”

“She didn’t do anything in particular.  She told me her name.”

“Simply told you her name.  Do you mean to say she did not show any surprise?”

“Well, now I come to think, she did show something; maybe it was surprise; I hadn’t thought of that—­I took it for gratification.”

“Oh, undoubtedly you were right; it must have been gratification; it could not be otherwise than gratifying to be assaulted by a stranger with such a question as that.  Then what did you do?”

“I offered my hand and the party gave me a shake.”

“I saw it!  I did not believe my own eyes, at the time.  Did the gentleman say anything about cutting your throat?”

“No, they all seemed glad to see me, as far as I could judge.”

“And do you know, I believe they were.  I think they said to themselves, ’Doubtless this curiosity has got away from his keeper—­let us amuse ourselves with him.’  There is no other way of accounting for their facile docility.  You sat down.  Did they ask you to sit down?”

“No, they did not ask me, but I suppose they did not think of it.”

“You have an unerring instinct.  What else did you do?  What did you talk about?”

“Well, I asked the girl how old she was.”

“UNdoubtedly.  Your delicacy is beyond praise.  Go on, go on—­don’t mind my apparent misery—­I always look so when I am steeped in a profound and reverent joy.  Go on—­she told you her age?”

“Yes, she told me her age, and all about her mother, and her grandmother, and her other relations, and all about herself.”

“Did she volunteer these statistics?”

“No, not exactly that.  I asked the questions and she answered them.”