"Mind her coming? no, I suppose not," replied he, "but the ladies are to be consulted; what say you ladies? have you any objection?" They looked at each other as if hesitating for an answer, which the old gentleman observed, and immediately offered to get out, and let her have his place; at this the whole party seemed rather ashamed, and one of the ladies replied, "Oh dear no! we only thought her clothes might be wet."
"And spoil yours, I suppose?" returned the old gentleman rather roughly, "but I dare say you will have no objection to this young officer's sitting between you, and then she can take his place, and you will be in no danger."
This proposal was readily acceded to, and the young woman came in with many thanks, while the gallant gentleman seated between the two ladies declared, that "if he did not incommode them he was the happiest man alive, and only wished that they were going to travel hundreds of miles together."
"An enviable situation truly," said the old man, with an air of contempt, and folding his arms, as if preparing to sleep; "I," said one of the ladies, "shall soon be at my journey's end," naming the place at which she was to be set down; "and I," replied the other, "am to go but one mile further."
"Oh! Heavens! and what shall I do then?" returned their admiring beau, "shut up in this place by myself; I shall certainly hang myself if I have an opportunity! what lose such charming companions so soon?" At this the ladies both smiled, and seeing such sort of conversation pleased, he plied them with it very freely, while the old man slept, or pretended so to do, and the young women looked rather inclined to blush for those of her sex who could receive such flattery.
When one of the ladies left the coach, the other seemed fearful that their complimenting admirer would hurt himself, in straining his neck to look after her, as she ran through the rain to a house which stood at a little distance from the road. On drawing his head in again, he praised her beauty exceedingly, till fearing he should carry his encomiums too high, so as to offend the other, whose countenance already bespoke an approaching gloom; he dissipated the very appearance of it in a moment, by "begging to know if they were not sisters, their likeness to each other was so great?" This had the desired effect, for though she assured him they were not, yet if her companion was handsome, and they were alike, she must be so likewise. To be handsome is as much as some people desire, thought the Butterfly, on observing her face resume a smile, "no wonder that we Butterflies should wish it." After some more conversation equally foolish, she also arrived at the place of her destination, and the gentleman, not at all regarding his other companions, again deplored the melancholy situation he should be left in.
As soon as the lady was gone, the old gentleman thus addressed him, "Young man, I think you have shown your folly whilst you have been attempting to hoax those women; that's the word, is it not?"
"Poor country girls!" replied the officer, laughing, "how pleased they were; they believed every word I said; they look as if they had never been beyond their own country town, and yet I made one of them think that I supposed she had lived in London all her life."
"And where have you lived?" replied the old man, "to learn that there is any wit in making people appear more ridiculous than they really are?"