An' the people we meet we
can make into counts and dukes and princes, without their knowin'
anything about it; an' we can think our clothes is silk an' satin
an' velwet, all covered with dimuns an' precious stones, jus' as
well as not.'
"'Jus' as well,' says he.
"'An' then,' I went on, 'we can go an' have chi-VAL-rous
adventures,--or make believe we're havin' 'em,--an' build up a
atmosphere of romanticness aroun' us that'll carry us back--'
"'To ole Virginny,' says he.
"'No,' says I, 'for thousands of years, or at least enough back for
the times of tournaments and chi-VAL-ry.'
"'An' so your idea is that we make believe all these things, an'
don't pay for none of 'em, is it?' says he.
"'Yes,' says I; 'an' you, Miguel--'
"'Jiguel,' says he.
"'Can ask me, if you don't know what chi-VAL-ric or romantic thing
you ought to do or to say so as to feel yourself truly an' reely a
earl, for I've read a lot about these people, an' know jus' what
ought to be did.'
"Well, he set himself down an' thought a while, an' then he says,
'All right. We'll do that, an' we'll begin to-morrow mornin', for
I've got a little business to do in the city which wouldn't be
exactly the right thing for me to stoop to after I'm a earl, so
I'll go in an' do it while I'm a common person, an' come back this
afternoon, an you can walk about an' look at the dry falls, an'
amuse yourself gen'rally, till I come back.'
"'All right,' says I, an' off he goes.
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