“No; I should have forgot myself in the pleasure of welcomin’ you.  I should have advanced to once with pride and welcome in every line of my liniment, and held out my hand in a respectful and joyful greetin’, and let you know in every move I made how proud and glad I wuz to see you, and how proud and glad I wuz you could see me, and then I should have introduced Josiah and the children, who would have showed in their happy faces how truly welcome you wuz to Jonesville.  You’d’ve enjoyed it first rate, Ulaley, and if there had been any difference in our manners from what you’d been used to, and we might have made a bow or two less than you wuz accustomed to, why, your good sense would have told you that manners in Jonesville wuz different from Madrid, and you’d expect it and enjoy the difference, mebby.

“Of course, I knew that we couldn’t do by you exactly as they do in Spain in the way of amusement—­we couldn’t git up no bull fight, not havin’ the two materials.

“But Josiah has got a old pair of steers down in our back medder that was always touchy and kinder quarrelsome.  They are gittin’ along in years, but mebby there is some fight left in ’em yet.

“I think like as not that Josiah and Ury could have got ’em to kinder backin’ up and kickin’ at each other, and actin’.

“I wouldn’t gin a cent to seen it go on, but it would have been interesting I hain’t a doubt on’t, to them that wuz gin to that sort o’ things.

“But, as I sez, I wouldn’t put it on you, Ulaley.”

The Infanty looked real pleasant here—­she almost laughed, she looked so amiable at me; she realized well that she wuz a-meetin’ one of the first wimmen of the nation, and that woman wuz a-doin’ well by her.

“But, as I say, Ulaley, I knew that it wuz too hard for you.  I knew that between them Ward McAllisters of society, and the hosts of your honest admirers, from Uncle Sam down to Commander Davis and Miss Mayor Gilroy, you wuz fairly beat out.  And I wouldn’t put you to the extra effort of comin’ to Jonesville.  I hated to give it up, but Duty made me, and I want you to understand it and to explain it all out to Spain jest how it wuz.”

She smiled real sweet, and said she would, and she said “that she appreciated my thoughtful kindness.”

She wuz too much of a lady to talk about them that had entertained her.

And I spoze she had been entertained through them New York parties.  She’s quite a case for fun, and we got to feelin’ real well acquainted with each other, and congenial.

She looked dretful pretty as she looked out sideways at me and smiled.  She’s as pretty as a pink.

And sez she, “You are very kind, madam; I highly appreciate your goodness.”

“Yes,” sez I, “it wuz nothin’ but goodness that kep me back, for Josiah and I both think our eyes on you, both as a smart, pretty woman, and a representative of that country that wuz the means of discoverin’ us.”