Damon and Delia | Page 3

that of ambition, and who
treated the mob with flattery and contempt. Mr. Burke was a Jesuit in
disguise, who under the most specious professions, was capable of the
blackest and meanest actions. For her own part she was a steady
republican. That couplet of Dr. Garth was continually in her mouth,
_From my very soul I hate, All kings and ministers of state._
CHAPTER II.
A Ball.
Thus much it was necessary to premise, in order to acquaint the reader
with the situation of our heroine, and that of some other personages in
this history. Having discharged this task, we will return to the point
from which we set out.
It was at one of the balls at the races at Southampton--the company was
already assembled. The card tables were set, and our maiden ladies,
together with many other venerable pieces of antiquity, were assembled
around them. In another and more spacious room, appeared all that
Southampton could boast of youth and beauty. The squire and his sister,
Mr. Prattle, and lord Martin, formed a part of the company. The first
bustle was nearly composed, when Damon entered the assembly.
He appeared to be a stranger to every body present. And, as he is
equally a stranger to our readers, we will now announce him in proper
form. Damon appeared to be about twenty years of age. His person was
tall, and his limbs slender and well formed. His dress was elegance
itself. His coat was ornamented with a profusion of lace, and the
diamond sparkled in his shoe. His countenance was manly and erect.
There appeared in it a noble confidence, which the spectator would at
first sight ascribe to dignity of birth, and a perfect familiarity with
whatever is elegant and polite. This confidence however had not the
least alloy of hauteur, his eye expressed the most open sensibility and
the kindest sympathy.

There is something undescribably interesting in the figure we have
delineated. The moment our hero entered the room, the attention of
every person present was fixed upon him. The master of the ceremonies
immediately advanced, and escorted him to the most honourable seat
that yet remained vacant. While Damon examined with an eager eye
the gay parterre of beauty that appeared before him, a general whisper
was excited upon his account. "Who is he?" "Who is he?" echoed from
every corner of the room. But while curiosity was busy in his enquiries,
there was not an individual capable of satisfying them.
The business of every one was now the choice of a partner. But as one
object had engrossed the attention of all, they were willing to see the
election he would make, though every one feared to lose the partner he
had destined for himself. Damon was therefore, however unwilling to
distinguish himself in so particular a manner, constrained to advance
the foremost. He passed slightly along before a considerable number,
who sat in expectation. At length he approached the seat of Delia. He
bowed to her in the most graceful manner, and intreated to be honoured
with her hand. She smiled assent, and they crossed the room among a
croud of envious rivals. Besides the lovers we had mentioned, there
were four others, who had secretly determined to dance with Delia.
But if the gentlemen were disappointed, to whose eyes the beauty of
Delia, however unrivalled, was familiar, the disappointment and envy
of the fair sex upon the loss of Damon, whose external and natural
recommendations had beside the grace of novelty, were inexpressible.
The daughter of Mr. Griskin, an eminent butcher in Clare-market, who
had indeed from nature, the grace of being cross-eyed, now looked in
ten thousand more various directions than she ever did before. Miss
Prim, agitated in every limb, cracked her fan into twenty pieces. Miss
Gawky, who had unfortunately been initiated by the chamber maid in
the art of snuff-taking, plied her box with more zeal than ever. Miss
Languish actually fainted, and was with some difficulty conveyed into
the air. Such was the confusion occasioned in the ball at Southampton,
by the election of Damon.
Affairs being now somewhat adjusted, the dances began. Damon at

every interval addressed himself to his lovely partner in the easiest and
most elegant conversation. He talked with fluency, and his air and
manner gave a grace and dignity to the most trifling topics. The heart of
Delia, acknowledged the charms of youthful beauty and graceful
deportment, and secretly confessed that it had never before encountered
so formidable an enemy.
When the usual topics of conversation had been exhausted, the
behaviour of Damon became insensibly more particular, he pressed her
hand with the most melting ardour, and a sigh ever and anon escaped
from his breast. He paid her several very elegant compliments,