Peace being restored, the landlord, his shirt ruffle in a sad
plight, returned to apologize for the disturbance to his guests;
while peeping in at the door, I saw Bessie, her black eyes almost
swimming in tears, and evidently alarmed for my safety. Again Giles
Sheridan spoke up and said: "It can be no good that brought the
fellow hither. He must have been begotten under an evil star, and
nursed by a virago. The fellow has but to take good care of his
invective; and if he adopt the ass instead of the madman, he may in
time become an excellent critic." Here he paused, turned his head
quickly, and frisked his fingers nervously through his straight,
silvery hair. The clerical looking groom, hearing the little
deformed man speak thus, led his young bride frightened to bed.

The lecturer now drew a much worn and almost illegible manuscript
from his pocket, and commenced reading to me a few passages from it,
in a clear, shrill voice, and with much earnestness of manner. His
love of approbation, I saw, was only equaled by his want of
self-confidence, which made him anxious to hear what I would say of
it. So I listened with more than ordinary attention while he read,
and then expressed a firm belief that the people of Barnstable could
not fail to appreciate his ascetics. This so encouraged him that his
heart seemed beating with joy, and he warmed into enthusiasm, and
read on, watching intently the changes of my countenance, as if he
wished to read in them my fleeting thoughts. I was about to inquire
whether it were good policy to measure public taste by one's own,
when he paused, and heaving a sigh, said in a modulated tone of
voice, that so many queer inquiries had been made of him respecting
Crabbe, that he began to doubt whether he could interest the people
in a discourse upon the character of one they had scarce heard of.