One negative, however, was important--nobody knew any harm of Lovel.
Indeed, had such existed, it would have been speedily made public; for
the natural desire of speaking evil of our neighbour could in his case
have been checked by no feelings of sympathy for a being so unsocial. On
one account alone he fell somewhat under suspicion. As he made free use
of his pencil in his solitary walks, and had drawn several views of the
harbour, in which the signal tower, and even the four-gun battery, were
introduced, some zealous friends of the public sent abroad a whisper,
that this mysterious stranger must certainly be a French spy. The
Sheriff paid his respects to Mr. Lovel accordingly; but in the interview
which followed, it would seem that he had entirely removed that
magistrate's suspicions, since he not only suffered him to remain
undisturbed in his retirement, but it was credibly reported, sent him
two invitations to dinner-parties, both which were civilly declined. But
what the nature of the explanation was, the magistrate kept a profound
secret, not only from the public at large, but from his substitute, his
clerk, his wife and his two daughters, who formed his privy council on
all questions of official duty.

All these particulars being faithfully reported by Mr. Caxon to his
patron at Monkbarns, tended much to raise Lovel in the opinion of his
former fellow-traveller. "A decent sensible lad," said he to himself,
"who scorns to enter into the fooleries and nonsense of these idiot
people at Fairport--I must do something for him--I must give him a
dinner;--and I will write Sir Arthur to come to Monkbarns to meet him. I
must consult my womankind."

Accordingly, such consultation having been previously held, a special
messenger, being no other than Caxon himself, was ordered to prepare
for a walk to Knockwinnock Castle with a letter, "For the honoured Sir
Arthur Wardour, of Knockwinnock, Bart." The contents ran thus:

"Dear Sir Arthur,

"On Tuesday the 17th curt. _stilo novo_, I hold a coenobitical symposion at
Monkbarns, and pray you to assist thereat, at four o'clock precisely. If
my fair enemy, Miss Isabel, can and will honour us by accompanying you,
my womankind will be but too proud to have the aid of such an auxiliary
in the cause of resistance to awful rule and right supremacy. If not,
I will send the womankind to the manse for the day. I have a young
acquaintance to make known to you, who is touched with some st