By this I perceive that he remembers that dinner of sixteen years ago, for he said the same thing to me about the student-chapter at that time.

Next he said he wished this gentleman to convey two messages to America from him and deliver them--one to the President, the other to me.

The wording of the message to me was: "Convey to Mr.Clemens my kindest regards.

Ask him if he remembers that dinner, and ask him why he didn't do any talking." Why, how could I talk when he was talking?
He "held the age," as the poker-clergy say, and two can't talk at the same time with good effect.
It reminds me of the man who was reproached by a friend, who said, "I think it a shame that you have not spoken to your wife for fifteen years.

How do you explain it?
How do you justify it ?" That poor man said, "I didn't want to interrupt her." If the Emperor had been at my table, he would not have suffered from my silence, he would only have suffered from the sorrows of his own solitude.