f the gentleman--a smile which evidently
indicated one of two things; either that he thought my companion
showed her ignorance of the world, in making herself of so little
consequence, and seeming to say, "You may do what you please with me;"
or he thought my reply very old for one of my years. Which was it? Ah,
that was the question. I could not forget that peculiar smile. In
fact, you see I have not forgotten it yet. It seemed to mean
something; but what did it mean? Oh, how I wanted to know exactly
what it meant, and how carefully I watched, to see if I could not find
out.

The matter of seats was soon arranged to the satisfaction of all
parties. The old lady and myself had the back seat, while my companion
took the middle seat. I observed that the above-named gentleman
passenger offered several polite attentions to my companion, while he
did not seem to notice me at all, although I had let him know that I
was a person of so much consequence. This might be accounted for by
the fact that she was seated very near him, while my seat was more
distant, or there might be some other cause for it.

The opinion of a stranger whom I never expected again to meet, was not
in itself of any great importance; yet it certainly had a bearing on
the question whether or not my traveling instructions were of the
right kind. If they were, my answer was certainly the right one, and
calculated to make a favorable impression upon the minds of my fellow
passengers. But when I tried to look at the affair in this light, I
was disturbed by a secret thought that I should have had a more
comfortable feeling of self-respect, if I had given up the back
seat--for which, after all, I did not care a straw--to an aged female,
who really thought she could not ride on the middle seat.

When I returned home, I related the incident to Miss Tompkins, the
seamstress whose directions I had undertaken to follow, and also
frankly owned that I was not quite sure which reply had caused that
peculiar smile. She assured me there could be no doubt on that point.
"The gentleman was amused at the ignorance of the world which that
other girl showed. He thought she was not much, or she would not so
readily step aside, and give up her _rights_ to any one who might
choose to claim them."

But I was by no means convinced of the truth of this statement of the
case; and when I was a little older, I came to such conclusions on the
subject that I believe I have never trie