Miss
Snapper said, she was very glad to find herself in company with
a man of so much courage, who, she did not doubt, would protect
her from all the attempts of highwaymen during our journey. "Make
yourself perfectly easy on that head, madam," replied the officer.
"I have got a pair of pistols (here they are), which I took from a
horse officer at the battle of Dettingen; they are double loaded,
and if any highwayman in England robs you of the value of a pin
while I have the honour of being in your company, d--n my heart."
When he had expressed himself in this manner, a prim gentlewoman, who
had sat silent hitherto, opened her mouth, and said, she wondered
how any man could be so rude as to pull out such weapons before
ladies. "D--me, madam," cried the champion, "if you are so much
afraid at the sight of a pistol, how d'ye propose to stand fire if
there should be occasion?" She then told him that, if she thought
he could be so unmannerly as to use fire-arms in her presence,
whatever might be the occasion, she would get out of the coach
immediately, and walk to the next village, where she might procure
a convenience to herself. Before he could make any answer, my
Dulcinea interposed, and observed that, far from being offended
at a gentleman's using his arms in his own defence, she thought
herself very lucky in being along with one by whose valour she
stood a good chance of saving herself from being rifled.
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