"Sir," said he, "surely I am not mistaken in recognizing in you
the supercargo of the ship SUSANNA HAYES, which arrived this
afternoon at this port?"
"Indeed," said Jonathan, "thou art right, friend. That is my
occupation, and that is whence I came."
"To be sure!" said the little gentleman. "To be sure! To be sure!
The SUSANNA HAYES, with a cargo of Indian-corn meal, and from
dear good friend Jeremiah Doolittle, of Philadelphia. I know your
good master very well--very well indeed. And have you never heard
him speak of his friend Mr. Abner Greenway, of Kingston,
Jamaica?"
"Why, no," replied Jonathan, "I have no such recollection of the
name nor do I know that any such name hath ever appeared upon our
books."
"To be sure! To be sure!" repeated the little gentleman, briskly,
and with exceeding good-nature. "Indeed, my name is not likely to
have ever appeared upon his books, for I am not a business
correspondent, but one who, in times past, was his extremely
intimate friend. There is much I would like to ask about him,
and, indeed, I was in hopes that you would have been the bearer
of a letter from him. But I have lodgings at a little distance
from here, so that if it is not requesting too much of you maybe
you will accompany me thither, so that we may talk at our
leisure. I would gladly accompany you to your ship instead of
urging you to come to my apartments, but I must tell you I am
possessed of a devil of a fever, so that my physician hath
forbidden me to be out of nights.
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