FIFTEENTH EVENING. AVERSION SUBDUED. A DRAMA. SCENE-A Road in the Country. Arbury-Belford, walking. Belford. PRAY who is the present possessor of the Brookby estate? Arbury. A man of the name of Goodwin. B. Is he a good neighbour to you? A. Far from it! and I wish he had settled a hundred miles off, rather than come here to spoil our neighbourhood. B. I am sorry to hear that: but what is your objection to him? A. O, there is nothing in which we agree. In the first place he is quite of the other side in politics; and that, you know, is enough to prevent all intimacy. B. I am not entirely of that opinion: but what else? A. He is no sportsman, and refuses to join in our association for protecting the game. Neither does he choose to be a member of any of our clubs. B. Has he been asked? A. I don't know that he has directly; but he might easily propose himself, if he liked it. But he is of a close unsociable temper, and I believe very niggardly. B. How has he shown it? A. His style of living is not equal to his fortune; and I have heard of several instances of his attention to petty economy. B. Perhaps he spends his money incharity. A. Not he, I dare say. It was but last week that a poor fellow who had lost his all by a fire, went to him with a subscription-paper, in which were the names of all the gentlemen in the neighbourhood; and all the answer he got was, that he would consider of it. B. And did he consider? A. I don't know, but I suppose it was only an excuse. Then his predecessor had a park well stocked with deer, and used to make liberal presents of venison to all his neighbours. But this frugal gentleman has sold them all off, and got a flock of sheep instead. B. I don't see much harm in that, now mutton is so dear. A. To be sure he has a right to do as he pleases with his park, but that is not the way to be beloved, you know. As to myself, I have reason to think he bears me particular ill-will. B. Then he is much in the wrong, for I believe you are as free from ill will to others as any man living. But how has he shown it, pray? A. In twenty instances. He had a horse upon sale the other day to which I took a liking, and bid money for it. As soon as he found I was about it, he sent it off to a fair on the other side of the county. My wife, you know, is passionately fond of cultivating flowers. Riding lately by his grounds, she observed something new, and took a great longing for a root or cutting of it. My gardener mentioned her wish to his (contrary, I own, to my inclination,) and he told his master; but instead of obliging her, he charged the gardener on no account to touch the plant. A little while ago, I turned off a man for saucy behaviour; but as he had lived many years with me, and was a very useful servant, I meant to take him again upon his submission, which I did not doubt would soon happen. Instead of that, he goes and offers himself to my civil neighbour, who, without deigning to apply to me even for a character, entertains him immediately. In short, he has not the least of a gentleman about him, and I would give any thing to be well rid of him. B. Nothing, to be sure, can be more unpleasant in the country, than a bad neighbour, and I am concerned it is your lot to have one. But there is a man who seems as if he wanted to speak with you. [A countryman approaches. A. Ah! it is the poor fellow that was burnt out. Well, Richard, how go you on?-what has the subscription produced you? Richard. Thank your honour, my losses are nearly all made up. A. I am very glad of that; but when I saw the paper last, it did not reach above half way. R. It did not, Sir; but you may |