He promised himself to
propose the match to Mr. Hartley, and assured his nephew, that he should
never feel any narrowness in his circumstances, in case of his father's
displeasure, while it was in his power to render them affluent.
In pursuit of this plan, Damon, Mr. Moreland, and sir William Twyford,
whom they found in London, and whose goodness of humour led him heartily
to approve of the alteration in the plan of his friend, arrived, almost as
soon as our travellers, in the neighbourhood of Southampton. Sir William
and Damon, soon waited upon their respective mistresses, and in company so
mutually acceptable, time sped with a greater velocity than was usual to
him, and days appeared no more than hours.
It was impossible that such a connexion should pass long unnoticed. It
must be confessed however that it met with no interruption from lord
Martin. Perhaps it might have escaped his notice, though it escaped that
of no other person. Perhaps he was satiated with the glory he had
acquired, and having conquered one beau, would not, like Alexander, have
sighed, if there had remained no other beau to conquer. Perhaps the
countenance of Mr. Hartley, of which he considered himself as securer than
ever, led him, like a wise general, to reflect, that in staking his life
against that of a lover, whose chance of success was almost wholly
precluded, he mould make a very unfair and unequal combat.
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