THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



"And I, a melancholy single man, 



Ketired to mourn my solitary fate ; 

 I slept awhile, but o'er my sliambering ran 

 The sylph-like image of my darling mate. 



" I dreamt of mutual love, and Hymen's joys, 

 Of happy moments and connubial blisses ; 

 And then I thought of little girls and boys. 

 The mother's glances, and the infant's kisses. 



"But Avlien I woke, how changed appear'd the scene; 

 I found " 



' Here he stopped, with the words—" Query, look out ')nate 

 in Johnson ; fear it won't do for partner at a ball. Implies 

 partner for life, and that can't be. The devil take 



' Well, really, Mr. Egerton,' said Lady Charlotte, ' this 

 farrago of nonsense is almost laughable. However, although, 

 no doubt, another term at Christchurch will cure him of his 

 " love at first sight," still, I wish you would talk seriously to 

 him on the subject, and warn him of the consequences of 

 indulging a guilty passion.' 



' That I will certainly do,' replied Mr. Egerton, ' at the 

 first convenient opportunity ; and also tell him not to indulge 

 in the sudden inspiration of his muse, unless he can turn it 

 to a better account. I think, however, I know your son well 

 enough to persuade myself that the present outbreak is but the 

 mere ebullition of youthful blood, and that a little cool reflec- 

 tion will restore him to his senses. First, his heart ran away 

 with his tongue ; and then, his tongue ran away with his heart.' 



Not many hours elapsed before the wished-for opportunity 

 arrived, during a stroll through the shrubberies, for Mr. Egerton 

 to fulfil the promise he had made to Lady Charlotte ; which 

 he did with both grace and feeling : pointing out to Frank the 

 folly, to say the least of it, of this newly-born fancy, and 

 requiring from him a pledge that he would think no more of 

 Mrs. Denham, further than as a common acquaintance of the 

 day ; nor continue to mention her name so lightly as he had 

 lately done. This pledge Frank willingly gave, and a circum- 

 stance shortly afterwards occurred to put the seal upon the 

 same. Mr. Denham 's father died, in consequence of which he 

 remoN'ed his family to a distant part of England, and our hero 

 and the beautiful Mrs. Denham never met again. 



There is little more to record of the proceedings of the long 



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