i talked this morning wi ' a merchant named mac-eachern , who put me on to a man named macleod , who- '' `` who introduced you to macneil , who took you to drink with macgregor , who told you all about his nephew bethune , who 's the second cousin half removed of the boy who cleans the governor 's boots , '' i suggested , familiar by this time with the byzantine pathways of scottish business dealings .