He receives a Letter from his Aunt, breaks with the Commodore, and
disobliges the Lieutenant, who, nevertheless, undertakes his Cause.
Meanwhile he quitted the youth in high dudgeon, and that same evening
despatched a letter for Mrs. Trunnion, which was dictated by the
first transports of his passion, and of course replete with severe
animadversions on the misconduct of his pupil. In consequence of this
complaint, it was not long before Peregrine received an epistle from his
aunt, wherein she commemorated all the circumstances of the commodore's
benevolence towards him, when he was helpless and forlorn, deserted and
abandoned by his own parents; upbraided him for his misbehaviour, and
neglect of his tutor's advice; and insisted upon his breaking off an
intercourse with that girl who had seduced his youth, as he valued the
continuance of her affection and her husband's regard.
As our lover's own ideas of generosity were extremely refined, he was
shocked at the indelicate insinuations of Mrs. Trunnion, and felt all
the pangs of an ingenuous mind that labours under obligations to a
person whom it contemns. Far from obeying her injunction, or humbling
himself by a submissive answer to her reprehension, his resentment
buoyed him up above every selfish consideration: he resolved to attach
himself to Emilia, if possible, more than ever; and although he was
tempted to punish the officiousness of Jolter, by recriminating upon
his life and conversation, he generously withstood the impulse of his
passion, because he knew that his governor had no other dependence than
the good opinion of the commodore. He could not, however, digest in
silence the severe expostulations of his aunt; to which he replied by
the following letter, addressed to her husband:--
“Sir,--Though my temper could never stoop to offer nor, I
believe, your disposition deign to receive, that gross incense
which the illiberal only expect, and none but the base-minded
condescend to pay; my sentiments have always done justice to
your generosity, and my intention scrupulously adhered to the
dictates of my duty. Conscious of this integrity of heart, I
cannot but severely feel your lady's unkind (I will not call
it ungenerous) recapitulation of the favours I have received;
and, as I take it for granted that you knew and approved of her
letter, I must beg leave to assure you, that, far from being
swayed by menaces and reproach, I am determined to embrace the
most abject extremity of fortune, rather than submit to such
dishonourable compulsion. When I am treated in a more delicate
and respectful manner, I hope I shall behave as becomes,--Sir,
your obliged
“P. Pickle.”
The commodore, who did not understand those nice distinctions of
behaviour, and dreaded the consequence of Peregrine's amour, against
which he was strangely prepossessed, seemed exasperated at the insolence
and obstinacy of this adopted son; to whose epistle he wrote the
following answer, which was transmitted by the hands of Hatchway, who
had orders to bring the delinquent along with him to the garrison:--
“Hark ye, child,--You need not bring your fine speeches to bear
upon me: you only expend your ammunition to no purpose. Your
aunt told you nothing but truth; for it is always fair and
honest to be above-board, d'ye see. I am informed as how you
are in chase of a painted galley, which will decoy you upon the
flats of destruction, unless you keep a better look-out and a
surer reckoning than you have hitherto done; and I have sent
Jack Hatchway to see how the land lies, and warn you of your
danger: if so be as you will put about ship, and let him steer
you into this harbour, you shall meet with a safe berth and
friendly reception; but if you refuse to alter your course you
cannot expect any farther assistance from yours as you behave,
“Hawser Trunnion.”
Peregrine was equally piqued and disconcerted at the receipt of this
letter, which was quite different from what he had expected; and
declared in a resolute tone to the lieutenant, who brought it, that he
might return as soon as he pleased, for he was determined to consult his
own inclination, and remain for some time longer where he was.
Hatchway endeavoured to persuade him, by all the arguments which his
sagacity and friendship could supply, to show a little more deference
for the old man, who was by this time rendered fretful and peevish by
the gout, which now hindered him from enjoying himself as usual, who
might, in his passion, take some step very much to the detriment of the
young gentleman, whom he had hitherto considered as his own son. Among
other remonstrances, Jack observed that mayhap Peregrine had got under
Emilia's hatches, and did not choose to set her adrift; and that if that
was the case, he himself would take charge of the vessel, and see her
cargo safely delivered; for he had a respect for the young woman, and
his needle pointed towards matrimony; and as, in all probability, she
could not be much the worse for the wear, he would make shift to scud
through life with her under an easy sail.
Our lover was deaf to all his admonitions, and, having thanked him
for this last instance of his complaisance, repeated his resolution of
adhering to his first purpose. Hatchway, having profited so little by
mild exhortations: assumed a more peremptory aspect, and plainly told
him that he neither could nor would go home without him; so he had best
make immediate preparation for the voyage.
Peregrine made no other reply to this declaration than by a contemptuous
smile, and rose from his seat in order to retire; upon which the
lieutenant started up, and, posting himself by the door, protested,
with some menacing gestures, that he would not suffer him to run a-head
neither. The other, incensed at his presumption in attempting to detain
him by force, tripped up his wooden leg, and laid him on his back in a
moment; then walked deliberately towards the park, in order to indulge
his reflection, which at that time teemed with disagreeable thoughts. He
had not proceeded two hundred steps when he heard something blowing and
stamping behind him; and, looking back, perceived the lieutenant at his
heels, with rage and indignation in his countenance. This exasperated
seaman, impatient of the affront he had received, and forgetting all the
circumstances of their former intimacy, advanced with great eagerness
to his old friend, saying, “Look ye, brother, you're a saucy boy, and if
you was at sea, I would have your backside brought to the davit for your
disobedience; but as we are on shore, you and I must crack a pistol at
one another: here is a brace; you shall take which you please.”
Peregrine, upon recollection, was sorry for having been laid under the
necessity of disobliging honest Jack, and very frankly asked his pardon
for what he had done. But this condescension was misinterpreted by the
other, who refused any other satisfaction but that which an officer
ought to claim; and, with some irreverent expressions, asked if Perry
was afraid of his bacon? The youth, inflamed at this unjust insinuation,
darted a ferocious look at the challenger, told him he had paid but too
much regard to his infirmities, and bid him walk forward to the park,
where he would soon convince him of his error, if he thought his
concession proceeded from fear.
About this time, they were overtaken by Pipes, who, having heard the
lieutenant's fall and seen him pocket his pistols, suspected there was
a quarrel in the case, and followed him with a view of protecting
his master. Peregrine, seeing him arrive, and guessing his intention,
assumed an air of serenity; and pretending that he had left his
handkerchief at the inn, ordered his man to go thither and fetch it to
him in the park, where he would find them at his return. This command
was twice repeated before Tom would take any other notice of the
message, except by shaking his head; but being urged with many threats
and curses to obedience, he gave them to understand that he knew their
drift too well to trust them by themselves. “As for you, Lieutenant
Hatchway,” said he, “I have been your shipmate, and know you to be a
sailor, that's enough; and as for master, I know him to be as good a man
as ever stept betwixt stem and stern, whereby, if you have anything to
say to him, I am your man, as the saying is. Here's my sapling, and I
don't value your crackers of a rope's end.” This oration, the longest
that ever Pipes was known to make, he concluded with a flourish of his
cudgel, and enforced with such determined refusals to leave them, that
they found it impossible to bring the cause to mortal arbitrement at
that time, and strolled about the park in profound silence; during
which, Hatchway's indignation subsiding, he, all of a sudden, thrust out
his hand as an advance to reconciliation, which being cordially shaken
by Peregrine, a general pacification ensued; and was followed by a
consultation about the means of extricating the youth from his present
perplexity. Had his disposition been like that of most other young men,
it would have been no difficult task to overcome his difficulties; but
such was the obstinacy of his pride, that he deemed himself bound in
honour to resent the letters he had received; and instead of submitting
to the pleasure of the commodore, expected an acknowledgment from him,
without which he would listen to no terms of accommodation. “Had I been
his own son,” said he, “I should have borne his reproof, and sued for
forgiveness; but knowing myself to be on the footing of an orphan, who
depends entirely upon his benevolence, I am jealous of everything that
can be construed into disrespect, and insist upon being treated with the
most punctual regard. I shall now make application to my father, who is
obliged to provide for me by the ties of nature, as well as the laws
of the land; and if he shall refuse to do me justice, I can never want
employment while men are required for his Majesty's service.”
The lieutenant, alarmed at this intimation, begged he would take no new
step until he should hear from him; and that very evening set out for
the garrison, where he gave Trunnion an account of the miscarriage
of his negotiation, told him how highly Peregrine was offended at the
letter, communicated the young gentleman's sentiments and resolution,
and finally assured him that unless he should think proper to ask pardon
for the offence he had committed, he would, in all appearance, never
more behold the face of his godson.
The old commodore was utterly confounded at this piece of intelligence:
he had expected all the humility of obedience and contrition from the
young man; and, instead of that, received nothing but the most indignant
opposition, and even found himself in the circumstances of an offender,
obliged to make atonement, or forfeit all correspondence with his
favourite. These insolent conditions at first threw him into an agony of
wrath; and he vented execrations with such rapidity that he left himself
no time to breathe, and had almost been suffocated with his choler.
He inveighed bitterly against the ingratitude of Peregrine, whom he
mentioned with many opprobrious epithets, and swore that he ought to be
keelhauled for his presumption; but when he began to reflect more coolly
upon the spirit of the young gentleman, which had already manifested
itself on many occasions, and listened to the suggestions of Hatchway,
whom he had always considered as an oracle in his way, his resentment
abated, and he determined to take Perry into favour again; this
placability being not a little facilitated by Jack's narrative of our
hero's intrepid behaviour at the assembly, as well as the contest with
him in the park. But still this plaguy amour occurred like a bugbear to
his imagination; for he held it as an infallible maxim, that woman was
an eternal source of misery to man. Indeed, this apophthegm he seldom
repeated since his marriage, except in the company of a very few
intimates, to whose secrecy and discretion he could trust. Finding
Jack himself at a nonplus in the affair of Emilia, he consulted Mrs.
Trunnion, who was equally surprised and offended when she understood
that her letter did not produce the desired effect; and after having
imputed the youth's obstinacy to his uncle's unseasonable indulgence,
had recourse to the advice of the parson, who, still with an eye to his
friend's advantage, counselled them to send the young gentleman on his
travels, in the course of which he would, in all probability, forget
the amusements of his greener years. The proposal was judicious, and
immediately approved; when Trunnion, going into his closet, after divers
efforts, produced the following billet, with which Jack departed for
Windsor that same afternoon:--
“My good lad,--If I gave offence in my last letter I'm sorry
for't, d'ye see: I thought it was the likeliest way to bring
you up; but, in time to come, you shall have a larger swing
of cable. When you can spare time, I should be glad if you will
make a short trip and see your aunt, and him who is--Your
loving godfather and humble servant,
“Hawser Trunnion.
P.S. If you want money, you may draw upon me payable at sight.”