The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Chapter XXXIX

THE ADVENTURES OF Peregrine Pickle. chapter xxxix. He embarks for France; is overtaken by a storm; is surprised with the appearance of Pipes; lands at Calais, and has an affair with the officers of the custom-house. Scarce had the vessel proceeded two leagues on the passage, when the wind shifting, blew directly in their teeth; so that they were obliged to haul upon a wind,1 and alter their course; and the sea running pretty high at the same time, our hero, who was below in his cabbin, began to be squeamish, and in consequence of the skipper’s advice , went upon deck for the comfort of his stomach; while the governor, experienced in these disasters, slipt into bed, where he lay at his ease, amusing himself with a treatise on the Cycloid,2 with algebraical demonstrations, which never failed to engage his imagination in the most agreeable manner. In the mean time, the wind increased to a very hard gale, the vessel pitched with great violence, the sea washed over the decks, the master was alarmed, the crew were confounded, the passengers were overwhelmed with sickness and fear, and universal distraction ensued. In the midst of this uproar, Peregrine holding fast by the taffril,3 and looking ruefully ahead, the countenance of Pipes presented itself to his astonished view, rising as it were from the hold of the ship. At first he imagined it was a fear-formed shadow of his own brain; though he did not long remain in this error, but plainly perceived that it was no other than the real person of Thomas, who jumping on the quarter-deck, took charge of the helm, and dictated to the sailors with as much authority as if he had been commander of the ship. The skipper looked upon him as an angel sent to his assistance, and the crew soon discovering him to be a thorough-bred seaman, notwithstanding his livery-frock, obeyed his orders with such alacrity that in a little time the confusion vanished, and every necessary step taken to weather the gale. Our young gentleman immediately conceived the meaning of Tom’s appearance on board, and when the tumult was a little subsided, went up and encouraged him to exert himself for the preservation of the ship, promising to take him again into his service, Frontispiece, after Fuseli, to the fourth edition, volume 2 [“Peregrine in the Palais Royale”]. (Designed by Henry Fuseli, engraved by an anonymous engraver, and reproduced from a copy held by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.) Volume Two, Chapter XXXIX 175 from which he should never be dismissed, except by his own desire. This assurance had a surprising effect upon Pipes, who, though he made no manner of reply, thrust the helm into the master’s hand, saying, “Here, you old bum-boat woman,4 take hold of the tiller, and keep her thus, boy, thus”; and skipped about the vessel, trimming the sails, and managing the ropes with such agility and skill, that every body on deck stood amazed at his dexterity. Mr. Jolter was far from being unconcerned at the uncommon motion of the vessel, the singing of the wind, and the uproar which he heard above him; he looked towards the cabbin-door with the most wishful expectation, in hope of seeing some person who could give some account of the weather, and what was doing upon deck; but not a soul appeared, and he was too well acquainted with the disposition of his own bowels to alter his own attitude in the least. When he had lain a good while in all the agony of suspence, the boy tumbled headlong into his apartment with such noisy ruin,5 that he believed the mast had gone by the board, and starting upright in his bed, asked with all the symptoms of horror, what was the cause of that disturbance? The boy, half stunned by his fall, answered in a dolorous tone, “I’m come to put up the dead-lights.”6 At the mention of dead-lights, the meaning of which he did not understand, the poor governor ’s heart died within him; he shivered with despair, and his recollection forsaking him, he fell upon his knees in the bed, and fixing his eyes upon the book which was in his hand, began to pronounce aloud, with great fervor, “The...