The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Page 79
Peregrine sends a Message to Mrs. Gauntlet, who rejects his Proposal--Herepairs to the Garrison.
At length, however, his constitution overcame his disease, though notbefore it had in a great measure tamed the fury of his disposition,and brought him to a serious consideration of his conduct. In thishumiliation of his spirits, he reflected with shame and remorse uponhis treachery to the fair, the innocent Emilia; he remembered his formersentiments in her favour, as well as the injunctions of his dying uncle;he recollected his intimacy with her brother, against which he had sobasely sinned; and, revolving all the circumstances of her conduct,found it so commendable, spirited, and noble, that he deemed her anobject of sufficient dignity to merit his honourable addresses, eventhough his duty had not been concerned in this decision. But, obligatedas he was to make reparation to a worthy family, which he had so grosslyinjured, he thought he could not manifest his reformation too soon; and,whenever he found himself able to hold a pen, wrote a letter to Mrs.Gauntlet, wherein he acknowledged, with many expressions of sorrow andcontrition, that he had acted a part altogether unbecoming a man ofhonour, and should never enjoy the least tranquility of mind, until heshould have merited her forgiveness. He protested, that, although hishappiness entirely depended upon the determination of Emilia, he wouldeven renounce all hope of being blessed with her favour, if she couldpoint out any other method of making reparation to that amiable younglady, but by laying his heart and fortune at her feet, and submittinghimself to her pleasure during the remaining part of his life. Heconjured her, therefore, in the most pathetic manner, to pardon him,in consideration of his sincere repentance, and to use her maternalinfluence with her daughter, so as that he might be permitted to waitupon her with a wedding ring, as soon as his health would allow him toundertake the journey.
This explanation being despatched by Pipes, who had, by this time, foundhis master, the young gentleman inquired about the couple whom he hadso unfortunately pursued, and understood from his valet-de-chambre,who learned the story from their own mouths, that the lady was the onlydaughter of a rich Jew, and her attendant no other than his apprentice,who had converted her to Christianity, and married her at the same time;that this secret having taken air, the old Israelite had contriveda scheme to separate them for ever; and they being apprised of hisintention, had found means to elope from his house, with a view ofsheltering themselves in France, until the affair could be made up;that, seeing three men ride after them with such eagerness, theynever doubted that the pursuers were her father, and some friends, ordomestics, and on that supposition had fled with the utmost despatch andtrepidation, until they had found themselves happily undeceived, at thatvery instant when they expected nothing but mischief and misfortune.Lastly, the Swiss gave him to understand, that, after having professedsome concern for his deplorable situation, and enjoyed a slightrefreshment, they had taken their departure for Dover, and, in alllikelihood, were safely arrived at Paris.
In four-and-twenty hours after Pipes was charged with his commission,he brought back an answer from the mother of Emilia, couched in thesewords:--
Sir,--I received the favour of yours, and am glad, for your own sake, that you have attained a due sense and conviction of your unkind and unchristian behaviour to poor Emy. I thank God, none of my children were ever so insulted before. Give me leave to tell you, sir, my daughter was no upstart, without friends or education, but a young lady, as well bred, and better born, than most private gentlewomen in the kingdom; and therefore, though you had no esteem for her person, you ought to have paid some regard to her family, which, no disparagement to you, sir, is more honourable than your own. As for your proposal, Miss Gauntlet will not hear of it, being that she thinks her honour will not allow her to listen to any terms of reconciliation; and she is not yet so destitute as to embrace an offer to which she has the least objection. In the meantime, she is so much indisposed, that she cannot possibly see company; so I beg you will not take the trouble of making a fruitless journey to this place. Perhaps your future conduct may deserve her forgiveness, and really, as I am concerned for your happiness, which you assure me depends upon her condescension, I wish with all my heart it may; and am, notwithstanding all that has happened, your sincere well-wisher. "Cecilia Gauntlet."
From this epistle, and the information of his messenger, our herolearned, that his mistress had actually profited by his wild-goosechase, so as to make a safe retreat to her mother's house. Though sorryto hear of her indisposition, he was also piqued at her implacability,as well as at some stately paragraphs of the letter, in which, hethought, the good lady had consulted her own vanity, rather thanher good sense. These motives of resentment helped him to bear hisdisappointment like a philosopher, especially as he had now quietedhis conscience, in proffering to redress the injury he had done; and,moreover, found himself, with regard to his love, in a calm state ofhope and resignation.
A seasonable fit of illness is an excellent medicine for the turbulenceof passion. Such a reformation had the fever produced on the economy ofhis thoughts, that he moralized like an apostle, and projected severalprudential schemes for his future conduct. In the meantime, as soonas his health was sufficiently re-established, he took a trip to thegarrison, in order to visit his friends; and learned from Hatchway's ownmouth, that he had broke the ice of courtship to his aunt, and that hisaddresses were now fairly afloat; though, when he first declared himselfto the widow, after she had been duly prepared for the occasion, by herniece and the rest of her friends, she had received his proposal witha becoming reserve, and piously wept at the remembrance of her husband,observing, that she should never meet with his fellow.
Peregrine promoted the lieutenant's suit with all his influence, andall Mrs. Trunnion's objections to the match being surmounted, it wasdetermined, that the day of marriage should be put off for three months,that her reputation might not suffer by a precipitate engagement. Hisnext care was to give orders for erecting a plain marble monument to thememory of his uncle, on which the following inscription, composed by thebridegroom, actually appeared in golden letters:
Here lies, Foundered in a fathom and half, The shell Of HAWSER TRUNNION, Esq. Formerly commander of a squadron In his Majesty's service, Who broached to, at five P.M. Oct. 10, In the year of his age threescore and nineteen.
He kept his guns always loaded, And his tackle ready mann'd, And never showed his poop to the enemy, Except when he took her in tow; But, His shot being expended, His match burnt out, And his upper works decayed, He was sunk by Death's superior weight of metal.
Nevertheless, He will be weighed again at the Great Day, His rigging refitted, And his timbers repaired; And, with one broadside, Make his adversary strike in his turn.
CHAPTER LXXX.