Some of the passengers laughed at the answers of the old lady. I did not care to get up a quarrel with her, and I decided to stand up, in deference to the old lady's bundles, until the train stopped at the first station, when I could safely look for a seat in some other car. After this exhibition of rudeness, I did not think my seat at her side would be comfortable; I was afraid her bristles would annoy me, and it was more comfortable to stand. The train moved off; but it had gone only a very short distance before the conductor appeared, followed by a very dignified-looking gentleman, for whom he was evidently seeking a seat; and this assured me that the cars were all full forward. "Here is just one seat," said the gentlemanly conductor, as he stopped beside the vacant place, and began to pick up the old lady's bundles. "Don't you tech them things," interposed their legal owner. "This gentleman wants a seat," added the polite official. "He can find one somewhere else. I don't want my bundles tipped round, as though they didn't cost nothing." "But we must have the seat, madam," insisted the conductor. "I believe you pay for only one seat." "Sakes alive! Can't a body have a place to put her things?" "I will put them in the rack for you." "I don't want them put in the rack." "Well, madam, you can put them where you please, but this gentleman must have the seat." "I don't think much of them gentlemen that want to go a pestering a poor lone woman like me. You let them things alone, sir!" snapped the old lady. "I will wait a reasonable time for you to dispose of them; but if you don't take care of them, I shall put them in the baggage-car." "I should like to see you do it! Hain't you got nothin' better to do than tormenting an unprotected woman?" Finding that he had a hard subject to deal with, the gentlemanly conductor packed up the bundles, and tossed them into the rack, heedless of the protest of the indignant owner. I confess that I rather enjoyed the discomfiture of the old lady, who had compelled me to stand for the accommodation of her bundles. She was unreasonable, and utterly selfish, and I thought she deserved the defeat to which she was compelled to submit. "Here is a seat for you, Mr. Collingsby," continued the conductor, with a great deal of deference in his tone and manner. Mr. Collingsby! I straightway forgot all about the old lady in the interest awakened by this name. The snaps, snarls, and growls with which the woman saluted her new seat-mate were lost upon me, whether they were or not upon the unfortunate subject of them. The name was not a very common one, and I jumped to the conclusion that the dignified gentleman was my uncle. "Thank you," replied the traveller, rather coldly, after the hard battle the official had fought for his sake. "There will be plenty of seats when we reach the next station," added the conductor, as he passed me.