speak of your youth as of a season so very remote. What, I pray, may be
your age? We may ask, without offence, such a question of men: the case
where the other sex is concerned is, you are aware, something
different."

The youth seemed studiously desirous of changing the direction of the
dialogue.

"Man or woman, I see, for my part, no harm in the question. But do call
me Forrester, or Mark Forrester, whichever pleases you best, and not
mister, as you just now called me. I go by no other name. Mister is a
great word, and moves people quite too far off from one another. I never
have any concern with a man that I have to mister and sir. I call them
'squire because that's a title the law gives them; and when I speak to
you, I say 'squire, or Master Colleton. You may be a 'squire yourself,
but whether you are or are not, it makes no difference, for you get the
name from your father, who is. Then, ag'in, I call you master--because,
you see, you are but a youth, and have a long run to overtake my years,
few as you may think them. Besides, master is a friendly word, and comes
easy to the tongue. I never, for my part, could see the sense in mister,
except when people go out to fight, when it's necessary to do everything
a little the politest; and, then, it smells of long shot and cold
business, 'squire. 'Tisn't, to my mind, a good word among friends."

The youth smiled slightly at the distinction drawn with such nicety by
his companion, between words which he had hitherto been taught to
conceive synonymous, or nearly so; and the reasons, such as they were,
by which the woodman sustained his free use of the one to the utter
rejection of the other. He did not think it important, however, to make
up an issue on the point, though dissenting from the logic of his