BEAUTY 43 



The representation of tlie county had long been shared, 

 unopposed, by 'Slv. Brand, afterwards Lord Dacre, and 

 Sir John Sebright ; still, they would always, at a general 

 election, give the voters a call of recognition. On one 

 occasion. Sir John, who was noted for his gallantry, 

 called at a house where I was a frequent visitor, and 

 asked for the master ; he happened to be engaged at that 

 moment, and one of the daughters, a fine beautiful o:irl in 

 the bloom of vouth, was sent bv the mother to receive 

 him ; after the morning's salutation, he politely asked, — 



" Is your father at home ? " 



" He is, Sir John," was the reply ; " but he is engaged 

 at this moment." 



" I am very glad of it," said the old Baronet, " for I 

 would rather shake hands with you than any man in 

 Eno-land." 



I stood unseen at a little distance, quite j^leased with 

 what I witnessed, and did not know which to admire 

 most — the ready comj^liment of the man of breeding, or 

 the unaffected confusion of the lovely girl to whom it 

 was addressed. In both I saw plainly that one touch of 

 nature is worth all the gloss of art. 



I will not descant on the ao-reeable walks I had in this 

 beautiful neighbourhood — sometimes in company, some- 

 times alone — when the thoughts of my former and 

 present position would find vent in strains of impassioned 

 verse. 



In the meantime I was repeatedly called to the bed- 

 side of my sick and declining parent at Leamington, and 

 after months of intermittent, intense suftering, with a 

 firmness and resignation worthy of all imitation, her 



