a system of thinking to suit the current of his feelings. He held that
the kindness we entertain for a man, should be veiled and concealed, exerted in
substantial benefits, but not disclosed, lest an undue advantage should be taken
of it by its object.
    With this rugged outside, Mr. Forester had a warm and generous heart. At
first sight all men were deterred by his manner, and excited to give him an ill
character. But the longer any one knew him, the more they approved him. His
harshness was then only considered as habit; and strong sense and active
benevolence were uppermost in the recollection of his familiar acquaintance. His
conversation, when he condescended to lay aside his snappish, rude and abrupt
half-sentences, became flowing in diction, and uncommonly amusing with regard to
its substance. He combined with weightiness of expression, a dryness of
characteristic humour, that demonstrated at once the vividness of his
observation, and the force of his understanding.
    The peculiarities of this gentleman's character were not undisplayed in the
scene to which he was now introduced. Having much kindness in his disposition,
he soon became deeply interested in the unhappiness of his relation. He did
every thing in his power to remove it; but his attempts were rude and unskilful.
With a mind so accomplished, and a spirit so susceptible as that of Mr.
Falkland, Mr. Forester did not venture to let loose his usual violence of
manner. But, if he carefully abstained from harshness, he was however wholly
incapable of that sweet and liquid eloquence of the soul, which would perhaps
have stood the fairest chance, of seducing Mr. Falkland for a moment to forget
his anguish. He exhorted his host to rouse up his spirit, and defy the foul
fiend; but the tone of his exhortations found no sympathetic chord in the mind
of my patron. He had not the skill to carry conviction to an understanding so
well fortified in error. In a word, after a thousand efforts of kindness to his
entertainer, he drew off his forces, growling and dissatisfied with his own
impotence, rather than angry at the obstinacy of Mr. Falkland. He felt no
diminution of his affection for him, and was sincerely grieved to find that he
was so little capable of serving him. Both parties in this case did justice to
the merits of the other; at the same time that the disparity of their humours
was such as to prevent the stranger from being in any degree a dangerous
companion to the master of the house. They had scarcely one point of contact in
their characters; Mr.