At length, however, the day of our departure dawned.
When the coach drove up to the door, at sight of the dusty tumble-down conveyance, my wife—true to her woman’s nature—was half inclined to decline to trust her precious self therein, but as I had paid our fares when booking our places—the driver having asked for the money, as he had a perfect right to do[139]—and as I assured her every stage-coach proprietor warrants that his stage is sufficiently secure to perform the journey proposed, and is bound to examine his vehicles every day, and if he does not is responsible for accidents,[140] she consented to start; although I could see from her expression of countenance that the ideal coach which she had been fondly cherishing was very different to the one into which we entered. Our luggage was mounted on top, and soon we were rumbling down the street to pick up other passengers, as we were numbers one and two. A sudden stop to mend some broken harness called forth an exclamation of disgust from the fair being beside me, and a remark from myself to the effect that she need not be anxious, as the owner was responsible that all the equipments of the conveyance, drivers, horses, harness, were fit and suitable.[141]
In a few minutes we drew up at the door of a large mansion from which quickly emerged four old maids; they drew back in horror when they saw my pantaloons, one exclaiming:—
“Driver, we engaged the whole inside of the coach, and there’s a man in it.”
“Yes, mum,” said John, “but one of you can sit outside along of me for a bit; the gentleman is not going far.”
“You have no right to separate us[142] or let other persons get inside,” replied number one, waxing wrathy.
“No, indeed,” chorused the others.
“Ladies,” I said, “I will be most happy to give up my place and ride outside; the driver should have told me that the inside had been engaged, and then my wife and myself would have waited until some other day.”
“Well,” quoth the driver, “the ladies had not paid for the seats, and we were not bound to keep them for them.”[143]
With withering sarcasm the eldest maid replied, “Here is your money, sir.”