"High Dutch, and you speak High Dutch,--why, I had booked you for
as great an ignoramus as myself, who can't write--no, nor
distinguish in a book a great A from a bull's foot."
"A person may be a very clever man," said I--"no, not a clever man,
for clever signifies clerkly, and a clever man one who is able to
read and write, and entitled to the benefit of his clergy or
clerkship; but a person may be a very acute person without being
able to read or write. I never saw a more acute countenance than
your own."
"No soft soap," said the jockey, "for I never uses any. However,
thank you for your information; I have hitherto thought myself
a'nition clever fellow, but from henceforth shall consider myself
just the contrary, and only--what's the word?--confounded 'cute."
"Just so," said I.
"Well," said the jockey, "as you say you can speak High Dutch, I
should like to hear you and master six foot six fire away at each
other."
"I cannot speak German," said I, "but I can understand tolerably
well what others say in it."
"Come no backing out," said the jockey, "let's hear you fire away
for the glory of Old England."
"Then you are a German?" said I, in German to the foreigner.
"That will do," said the jockey, "keep it up."
"A German!" said the tall foreigner.
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