 As he made free use of his pencil in his
solitary walks, and had drawn several views of the harbour, in which the signal
tower, and even the four-gun battery, were introduced, some zealous friends of
the public sent abroad a whisper, that this mysterious stranger must certainly
be a French spy. The Sheriff paid his respects to Mr. Lovel accordingly; but in
the interview which followed, it would seem that he had entirely removed that
magistrate's suspicions, since he not only suffered him to remain undisturbed in
his retirement, but it was credibly reported, sent him two invitations to
dinner-parties, both which were civilly declined. But what the nature of the
explanation was, the magistrate kept a profound secret, not only from the public
at large, but from his substitute, his clerk, his wife and his two daughters,
who formed his privy council on all questions of official duty.
    All these particulars being faithfully reported by Mr. Caxon to his patron
at Monkbarns, tended much to raise Lovel in the opinion of his former
fellow-traveller. »A decent sensible lad,« said he to himself, »who scorns to
enter into the fooleries and nonsense of these idiot people at Fairport - I must
do something for him - I must give him a dinner; - and I will write Sir Arthur
to come to Monkbarns to meet him. I must consult my womankind.«
    Accordingly, such consultation having been previously held, a special
messenger, being no other than Caxon himself, was ordered to prepare for a walk
to Knockwinnock Castle with a letter, »For the honoured Sir Arthur Wardour, of
Knockwinnock, Bart.« The contents ran thus:
 
        »Dear Sir Arthur,
            On Tuesday the 17th curt. stilo novo, I hold a coenobitical
        symposion at Monkbarns, and pray you to assist thereat, at four o'clock
        precisely. If my fair enemy, Miss Isabel, can and will honour us by
        accompanying you, my womankind will be but too proud to have the aid of
        such an auxiliary in the cause of resistance to awful rule and right
        supremacy. If not, I will send the womankind to the manse for the day. I
        have a young acquaintance to make known to you, who is touched with some
        strain of a better spirit than belongs to these giddy-paced times -
        reveres his elders, and has a pretty notion of the classics - and, as
        such a youth must have a natural contempt for the people about Fairport,
        I wish to show him some rational as well as worshipful society. - I am,
        Dear
