'
"The Squire had it all his own way, Smooth not having a chance to put
in a word edgewise. 'But, seem' how you cussed Yankees has upset
everything in trade along the coast, I isn't so rich as I used to be.
There wor a time when my little store was as good a gold mine as you
could turn up in Californey; I could get any kind of a price for
goods; and New England rum, what I liquidated with a sprinklin of
Jamaica, sold as quick as gold-dust at fifteen shillins a gallon.'
"Here, by the way of diversifying the conversation, I inquired if he
remembered the Queen, in the way of _duties paid!_
"The Squire opened his spacious mouth, showed his great shark-like
teeth, threw away his worn quid, gave his eyes a significant roll
sideways, laughed out heartily, and with his left fist added a warning
pinch under my left ribs. 'Don't ask that unanswerable question! The
custom-house was so far off that nobody thought it any harm to
smuggle, just a little! Bless ye! Mr. Smooth, why (here Belhash wiped
his face with a flashy Spitalfields) the Rector used to get all his
tea smuggled; nor a bit of harm did he think it.
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