ETHEL. Propose to her!
CAPT. Yes, don’t you know that he’s proposed to her?
ETHEL. I don’t believe it—not a word of it!
CAPT. I have it on the very best authority.
ETHEL. On whose?
CAPT. On Miss Carruthers’ own.
ETHEL. Oh! Miss Carruthers’ own! ha, ha, ha! Captain Plunger, now I should have thought with your experience of the world you would have known that upon such a subject Miss Carruthers’ was the very worst authority you could possibly have.
CAPT. I’m sure she hinted that he had proposed to her.
ETHEL. That I can quite believe. But she is labouring under a mistake. The wish was husband to the thought.
CAPT. I think the probabilities are in her favour. Mr. Larkspur is the sort of man who would propose to her, and it would only be one more rejection added to the quantity he has already suffered.