"We have breakfast-caps."

It was my turn to look bewildered. What had I to do with
breakfast-caps? What connection was there between my question
and his answer? What field was there for any further inquiry?
"Have you ox-bows?" imagine a farmer to ask. "We have
rainbows," says the shopman. "Have you cameo-pins?" inquires
the elegant Mrs. Jenkins. "We have linchpins." "Have you
young apple trees?" asks the nursery-man. "We have
whiffletrees." If I had wanted breakfast-caps, shouldn't I
have asked for breakfast-caps? Or do the Boston people take
their breakfast at one o'clock in the morning? I concluded
that the man was demented, and marched out of the shop.
When I laid the matter before Halicarnassus, the following
interesting colloquy took place.

I. "What do you suppose it meant?"

H. "He took you for a North American Indian."

I. "What do you mean?"

H. "He did not understand your patois."

I. "What patois?"

H. "Your squaw dialect. You should have asked for a bonnet
de nuit."