184 THE HISTORY OF 



an't worth a curse to nobody. I'll go out and see yours, 

 though, 'cause you 're a good deal fairer than I expected to 

 find you. I thought you 'd try to hum me, same as I s'pose 

 you do the rest." 



" 0, no ! " I replied, meekly. " When I meet with gen- 

 tlemen who are posted up, as you are, sir, I conceive it to be 

 useless to attempt to urge them to possess themselves of this 

 stock : because I am always satisfied, at first sight, what my 

 customer is. And I govern myself accordingly. I will 

 take you out to my place, directly. My carriage is in 

 town, and we '11 ride out together. You can see it, — but 

 you say you don't want to purchase any ? " 



" No, no — that 's not my object, at all. Still, I like to 

 look at the humbugs, any way." 



I was as well satisfied that this man knew very little of 

 what he thus boldly talked of, as I also was that he had 

 come all the way from Philadelphia purposely to buy some 

 Chinese fowls. But I gave him no hint of this suspicion ; 

 and we arrived, an hour afterwards, at my residence in 

 Melrose. 



He examined my fowls carefully ; went through all the 

 coops and houses, and finally we entered the "green-house" 

 where the selected animals were kept. As soon as he saw 

 these birds, /saw that he was " a goner." 



He denounced the whole race, as he passed along ; but 

 when we entered this well-appointed place, he stopped. 



