_Miss T._ Minnie, if dear Cheviot should prove to be my husband, swear to me that that will not prevent your coming to stop with us--with dear Cheviot and me--whenever you can. _Min._ Indeed I will. And if it should turn out that dear Cheviot is at liberty to marry me, promise me that that will not prevent you looking on our house--on dear Cheviot’s and mine--as your home. _Miss T._ I swear it. We will be like dear, dear sisters. _Enter CHEVIOT, as from journey, with bag and rug._ _Miss T._ Cheviot, tell me at once--are you my own--husband? _Min._ Cheviot, speak--is poor, little, simple Minnie to be your bride? _Ch._ Minnie, the hope of my heart, my pet fruit tree! Belinda, my Past, my Present, and my To Come! I have sorry news, sorry news. _Miss T._ (_aside_). Sorry news! Then I am _not_ his wife. _Min._ (_aside_). Sorry news! Then she _is_ his wife. _Ch._ My dear girls--my very dear girls, my journey has been fruitless--I have no information. _Miss T._ and _Min._ No information! _Ch._ None. The McQuibbigaskie has gone abroad! (_Both ladies fall weeping._) _Miss T._ More weary waiting! more weary waiting! _Min._ Oh, my breaking heart; oh, my poor bruised and breaking heart! _Ch._ We must be patient, dear Belinda. Minnie, my own, we must be patient. After all, is the situation so very terrible? Each of you has an even chance of becoming my wife, and in the mean time I look upon myself as engaged to both of you. I shall make no distinction. I shall love you both, fondly, and you shall both love me. My affection shall be divided equally between you, and we will be as happy as three little birds. _Miss T._ (_wiping her eyes_). You are very kind and thoughtful, dear Cheviot. _Min._ I believe, in my simple little way, that you are the very best man in the whole world! _Ch._ (_deprecatingly_). No, no. _Min._ Ah, but do let me think so: it makes me so happy to think so! _Ch._ Does it? Well, well, be it so. Perhaps I am! And now tell me, how has the time passed since I left? Have my darlings been dull? _Miss T._ We should have been dull indeed but for the airy Belvawney. The sprightly creature has done his best to make the lagging hours fly. He is an entertaining rattlesnake--I should say, rattletrap. _Ch._ (_jealous_). Oh, _is_ he so? Belvawney has been making the hours fly, has he? I’ll make _him_ fly, when I catch him! _Min._ His conjuring tricks are wonderful! _Ch._ Confound his conjuring tricks! _Min._ Have you seen him bring a live hen, two hair brushes, and a pound and a half of fresh butter out of his pocket-handkerchief! _Ch._ No, I have not had that advantage! _Miss T._ It is a thrilling sight. _Ch._ So I should be disposed to imagine! Pretty goings on in my absence! you seem to forget that you two girls are engaged to be married to _me_!