y little company, and was even seldom seen but by
night. He had a garden sufficiently spacious, which was carefully rendered
impervious to every human eye. And to this and his house he entirely
confined himself in the day-time. The persons he saw were not the
gentlemen of the neighbourhood. He had no toleration for characters that
did not interest him. When he first came down to his present residence, he
was visited by Mr. Hartley, Mr. Prattle, squire Savage, lord Martin, and
all the most admired personages in the country. But their visits had never
been returned. Mr. Prattle pronounced him a scoundrel; squire Savage said
he was a nincompoop; and lord Martin was near sending him a challenge. But
the censures of the former, and the threats of the latter, had never
reached his ears. His domestics were numerous, but they were hired from a
distance, and were permitted as little communication as possible with the
powdered lacquies of Southampton. Of consequence, however much the
unaccommodating conduct of Mr. Moreland disposed his neighbours to
calumniate him, scandal was deprived of that daily food which is requisite
for her subsistence, and the name of that gentleman was scarcely ever
heard.

CHAPTER V.

_A Man of Humour._

We will now return to lord Martin. All his messengers, from what cruel
fate we cannot exactly ascertain, miscarried; and it was not till Damon
had left the country, that he learned that he had been a visitor at the
house of Mr. Moreland. Finding that he had missed his expected vengeance,
he discharged his anger in unavailing curses, and for three days he
breathed nothing but daggers, death, and damnation. Having thus vapoured
away the paroxysm of his fury, he became tolerably composed.

But adverse fate had decreed a short duration to the tranquility of his
lordship. Scarcely had the field been cleared from the enemy he so greatly
dreaded, ere a new rival came upon the stage, to whose arms, though
without any great foundation, the whole town of Southampton had consigned
the charming Delia.

The name of this gentleman was Prettyman. He was just returned from his
travels, and was reckoned perfectly accomplished. He was six foot high,
his shoulders were broad, his legs brawny, and his whole person athletic.
The habits however he had formed to himself in foreign countries, will not
perhaps be allowed exactly to correspond with the figure which nature had
bestowed upon him. He generally spent tw