Courage was all on fire; he twisted his mustache, and would have made an onset on the enemy, if, to his great indignation, Meekness had not forestalled him, by stepping mildly into the hostile boat and offering both cheeks to the foe.

This was too much even for the incivility of the boatmen; they made their excuses to the Virtues, and Courage, who is no bully, thought himself bound discontentedly to accept them.

But oh! if you had seen how Courage used Meekness afterwards, you could not have believed it possible that one Virtue could be so enraged with another.

This quarrel between the two threw a damp on the party; and they proceeded on their voyage, when the shower was over, with anything but cordiality.

I spare you the little squabbles that took place in the general conversation,--how Economy found fault with all the villas by the way, and Temperance expressed becoming indignation at the luxuries of the City barge.