"Dear me, I hope he is much better ?" "Yes, sir, he's nearly all right.

I was coming to you when I met Mr Barkins, and Smith." I couldn't say Mr Smith, I felt so exasperated against him.
"What a curious coincidence, Mr Herrick! If I had known I might have spared myself the trouble of sending." "Yes, sir." "And pray, may I know for what reason I was to be honoured ?" "Of course, sir," I said coolly enough, for I was enjoying the way in which he was working himself up for an explosion to fall upon my unfortunate head.

"The fact is, sir--" "Oh, it is a fact, is it ?" "Yes, sir--Ching has friends ashore." "And wants leave of absence?
Are you his envoy ?" "Oh no, sir.

One of his friends sent him an important letter this morning by the vegetable boat." "Eh?
letter ?" said Mr Reardon, beginning to grow interested.
"Yes, sir.

This friend is a kind of a merchant or something; and he has news of two big junks--piratical junks--lying in this very river." "The dickens he has! Here, Herrick, come down to my cabin." He took my arm and marched me quickly to the ladder and down to his cabin.