"When will the master go?"

"Next year, probably."

"Sky-High will go home next year. Will you let him go with you,
mistress? He will serve you on the ships, and in China he will make
your visit pleasant. He will interpret for you, and show you about,
and introduce you about."

Mrs. Van Buren was too kind to let her astonishment be seen by her
little serving-man. She said that possibly it might be so arranged.

As she went up-stairs she heard Nora exclaiming to herself in the
pantry. "And he says he'll inthroduce the misthress about, and the
misthress is narely as quare!"

After supper Mrs. Van Buren related to her husband the singular
interview she had had with their little Chinaman. Sky-High's kind offers
seemed to amuse him for a long time. "But as for the little fellow's
wages," said he, "don't bother. I'll step in to the consul's, and
deposit them with Bradley."

When Sky-High found that he was serving to amuse his mistress's
household, he turned silent. He worked, asking few questions, and
listened to even the children without answering them.

This disturbed Charlie and Lucy.

"See here, Sky-High, can't you take a joke?" demanded Charlie.