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 "Let us drink to a happier future," said Herr Quackenbush kindly. "These cocktails are delicious."

"Is it not so!" exclaimed the delighted host. "Colonel Cointreau tell me, dat is de drink you Americans use to put hair on de chest. To de generous great Repoblic of Unitarian States! Ich trink auf Ihr Wohl, Herr Ambassador. I spik Engleesch, a liddle, but American is hard-boiled, makes to me a little cuckoo."

"I think you do very well, Herr President," said Quackenbush politely, though inwardly a little staggered by the other's figures of speech. "You have several phrases of quite lively American slang."

"You think? Dat is my interpretations, Colonel Cointreau. A most singular man. It is de Colonel who introduce de cock's tails, he visit America, he spik all de tongues of men und of angels, dance de folk dance, he is how you say my right hand, I tell de vorld. I vish you talk mid him, he put you vise to everything."

"That is the gentleman in naval uniform?"