During the remainder of the evening Miss Fletcher made several ingenious observations upon what had passed.  Delia gently blamed her for having so strangely occasioned the interview, though in reality she was by no means displeased by the event it had produced.  “Bless us, child, you are as captious as any thing.  Why I would not but have seen it for ever so much.  Well, he is a sweet dear man, and so kind, and so polite, for all the world I think him just such another as Mr. Prattle.  But then he is grave, and makes such fine speeches, it does one’s heart good to hear him.  I vow I wish I had such a lover.  Sir William never says any thing half so pretty.  Bless us, my dear, he talks about love, just as if he were talking about any thing else.”

The next morning after breakfast, Mr. Godfrey appeared.  He brought from Damon a thousand vows full of passion and constancy.  He had parted, he said, more determined not to leave England, more resolute to prosecute his love than ever.

Having discharged his commission, he offered his service to escort the ladies in any party they might propose for the present day.  He said, that being perfectly acquainted with Windsor and its environs, he flattered himself he might be able to contribute to their entertainment.  The very gallant manner in which this offer was made, determined Miss Fletcher, as something singular and interesting in the appearance of Mr. Godfrey did our heroine, cheerfully to close with the proposal.

The person of Mr. Godfrey as we have already said was tall and genteel.  There was a diffidence in his manner, that seemed to prove that he had not possessed the most extensive acquaintance with high life; but he had a natural politeness that amply compensated for the polish and forms of society.  His air was serious and somewhat melancholy; but there was a fire and animation in his eye that was in the highest degree striking.

Delia engaged him to talk of the character and qualities of Damon.  Upon this subject, Mr. Godfrey spoke with the warmth of an honest friendship.  He represented Damon as of a disposition perfectly singular and unaccommodated to what he stiled “the debauched and unfeeling manners of the age.”  He acknowledged with readiness and gratitude, that he owed to him the most important obligations.  By degrees Delia collected from him several circumstances of a story, which she before apprehended to be interesting.  She observed, that, as he shook off the embarrassment of a first introduction, his language became fluent, elegant, pointed, and even sometimes poetical.  Since however he related his own story imperfectly and by piece meal, we shall beg leave to state it in our own manner.  And we the rather do it, as we apprehend it to be interesting in itself, and as we foresee that he will make a second appearance in the course of this narrative.  We will not however deprive our readers of the reflections he threw out upon the several situations in which he had been placed.  We will give them without pretending to decide how far they may be considered as just and well-founded.