278 Old Neighbours. [Sepz. 
became acquainted. He was an elegant:looking man,’ in: the ~prime of 
lifes, highin the: Company’s service, and already possessed of considerable. 
wealth. ;| |His' artival excited a great sensation in W. andthe, neighbour, 
hood.),,.It »was)ithe eve of a general election, \and:some, lating, 
aldermen didhim the favour of making an attack upon his punse,by fixing; 
on him) asva.candidate to oppose the popular, member; awhilst)¢ertaine 
equally speculating mammas meditated a more covert:attack onyjhis, 
heart,through the-charms of their unmarried), daughters.» |; Both»parties; 
were fated to disappointment; he waved off either sort of address with, 
equal disdain, and had the good-luck to get quit of his popularity, almest, 
as rapidly as he had acquired it. det s as 
Sooth to say, a man with more eminent qualifications for rendering 
himself disagreeable than were possessed by Mr. Allen seldom. made, 
his appearance in civilized society.. He had nothing in, common with 
his good-humoured mother but her hatred. of trouble and of talking ; and 
haying the misfortune to be very clever and very proud, tall and stately 
in his person, with a head habitually thrown back, bright black scornful 
eyes and a cold disdainful smile, did contrive to gratify, his own self-love 
by looking down upon other people more affrontingly than the self-love 
of the said people could possibly endure, Nobody knew any harm. of 
Mr. Allen, but nobody could abide him; so that it being perfectly clear 
that he would have nothing to say, either for the Borough or the. young 
ladies, the attentions offered to him by town and country suddenly 
ceased; it being to this hour a moot point whether he or the neighbour- 
hood first sent the other to Coventry. aati 
He on his part, right glad as it seemed to be rid of their officious 
civility, remained quietly in his mother’s house, very, fanciful, and a. 
little ill; talking between whiles of an intended visit to Leamington or 
Cheltenham, but as easily diverted from a measure so unsuited to his 
habits as an abode at a public place, as Mrs. Allen herself had been from 
a morning walk. All the summer he lingered at W., and all the autumn ; 
the winter found him still there; and at last, he declared that he had 
made up his mind to relinquish India altogether, and to purchase an 
estate in England. , 
By this time our little world had become accustomed to his haughty 
manner, which had the advantage of being equally ungracious to every 
one (people will put up with a great deal in good company; it is the 
insolence which selects its object that gives indelible offence); and a 
few who had access to him on business, such as lawers and physicians, 
speaking in high terms of his intelligence and information, whilst trades- 
men of all classes were won by his liberality; Mr. Allen was in some 
danger of undergoing a second attack of popularity, when he completely 
destroyed his rising reputation by a measure the most unexpected and 
astonishing—he married Miss Dale, to the inexpressible affront of every 
young lady of fashion in the neighbourhood. He actually married Miss 
Dale, and all W. spoke of her as the artfullest. woman that ever wore a 
wedding ring, and pitied poor Mrs. Allen, whose humble companion had 
thus ensnared her unwary son. Nothing was heard but sympathy 
for her imputed sufferings on this melancholy occasion, mixed with abuse 
of the unfortunate bride, whose extraordinary luck in making so brilliant an 
alliance had caused her popularity to vanish as speedily.as her husband's. 
With these reports tingling in my ears, I went to pay the wedding 
visit to Mrs. Allen senior, delighted at the event myself, both as securing 
