singularity, in order to establish his claims to genius. He had
considerable literary talents, by which he was distinguished at Oxford;
but he was so dreadfully afraid of passing for a pedant, that when he came
into the company of the idle and the ignorant, he pretended to disdain
every species of knowledge. His chameleon character seemed to vary in
different lights, and according to the different situations in which he
happened to be placed. He could be all things to all men--and to all
women. He was supposed to be a favourite with the fair sex; and of all his
various excellencies and defects, there was none on which he valued
himself so much as on his gallantry. He was not profligate; he had a
strong sense of honour, and quick feelings of humanity; but he was so
easily led, or rather so easily excited by his companions, and his
companions were now of such a sort, that it was probable he would soon
become vicious. As to his connexion with Lady Delacour, he would have
started with horror at the idea of disturbing the peace of a family; but
in her family, he said, there was no peace to disturb; he was vain of
having it seen by the world that he was distinguished by a lady of her wit
and fashion, and he did not think it incumbent on him to be more
scrupulous or more attentive to appearances than her ladyship. By Lord
Delacour's jealousy he was sometimes provoked, sometimes amused, and
sometimes flattered. He was constantly of all her ladyship's parties in
public and private; consequently he saw Belinda almost every day, and
every day he saw her with increasing admiration of her beauty, and with
increasing dread of being taken in to marry a niece of "the
_catch-match-maker_," the name by which Mrs. Stanhope was known amongst
the men of his acquaintance. Young ladies who have the misfortune to be
_conducted_ by these artful dames, are always supposed to be partners in
all the speculations, though their names may not appear in the firm. If he
had not been prejudiced by the character of her aunt, Mr. Hervey would
have thought Belinda an undesigning, unaffected girl; but now he suspected