The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Chapter XXXIII

Volume One, Chapter XXXIII 149 to pray with her.6 This name inflamed the husband’s choler anew, and forgetting all his complaisance for his spouse, he replied with a rancorous grin, “Add rabbit him!7 I doubt not but you found his admonitions deadly comfortable!” The landlady, looking at her vassal with a sovereign aspect, “What crotchets (said she) have you got in your fool’s head, I trow? I know no business you have to sit here like a gentleman with your arms akimbo, when there’s another company in the house to be served.” The submissive husband took the hint, and without further expostulation, sneaked out of the room. Next day it was reported, that Mr. Sackbut had been way-laid, and almost murdered by robbers, and an advertisement pasted upon the church-door, offering a reward to any person that should discover the assassin; but he reaped no satisfaction from this expedient, and was confined to his chamber a whole fortnight, by the bruises he had received. chapter xxxiii. Mr. Sackbut and his pupil conspire against Peregrine, who being apprized of their design by his sister, takes measures for counterworking their scheme, which is executed by mistake upon Mr. Gauntlet. This young soldier meets with a cordial reception from the commodore, who generously decoys him into his own interest. When he considered the circumstances of the ambuscade, he could not persuade himself that he had been assaulted by a common thief, because it was not to be supposed that a robber would have amused himself in pummeling rather than in rifling his prey; he therefore ascribed his misfortune to the secret enmity of some person who had a design upon his life; and upon mature deliberation, fixed his suspicion upon Peregrine , who was the only man on earth from whom he thought he deserved such treatment . He communicated this conjecture to his pupil, who readily adopted his opinion, and advised him strenuously to revenge the wrong by a like contrivance, without seeking to make a narrower inquiry, lest his enemy should be thereby put upon his guard. This proposal being relished, they in concert revolved the means of retorting the ambush with interest, and actually laid such a villainous plan for attacking our hero in the dark, that, had it been executed according to their intention, the young gentleman ’s scheme of travelling would have been effectually marred. But their machinations were overheard by Miss Pickle, who was now in the seventeenth year of her age, and, in spite of the prejudice of education, entertained in secret a most sisterly affection for her brother Perry, though she had never spoke to him, and was deterred by the 150 The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle precepts, vigilance and menaces of her mother, from attempting any means of meeting him in private. She was not, however, insensible to his praise, which was loudly sounded forth in the neighbourhood, and never failed of going to church, and every other place, where she thought she might have an opportunity of seeing this amiable brother. With these sentiments it cannot be supposed that she would hear the conspiracy without emotion. She was shocked at the treacherous barbarity of Gam, and shuddered at the prospect of the danger to which Peregrine would be exposed from their malice. She durst not communicate this plot to her mother, because she was afraid that lady’s unaccountable aversion for her first-born would hinder her from interposing in his behalf, and consequently render her a sort of accomplice in the guilt of his assassins . She therefore resolved to warn Peregrine of the conspiracy, an account of which she transmitted to him in an affectionate letter, by means of a young gentleman in that neighbourhood, who made his addresses to her at that time, and who, at her request, offered his service to our hero, in defeating the projects of his adversaries. Peregrine was startled when he read the particulars of their scheme, which was no other than an intention to sally upon him when he should be altogether unprovided against such an attack, cut off his ears, and otherwise mutilate him in such a manner, that he should have no cause to be vain of his person for the future. Incensed as he was against the brutal disposition of his own father’s son, he could not help being moved at the integrity and tenderness of his sister, of whose inclinations towards him...