Peregrine holds a Consultation with his Friends, in consequence of
which he bids Adieu to the Fleet--He arrives at his Father's House, and
asserts his Right of Inheritance.
Nor did our hero keep the misanthrope in ignorance of this happy turn of
fortune. Pipes was despatched to the senior, with a message requesting
his immediate presence; and he accordingly appeared, in obedience to the
summons, growling with discontent for having been deprived of several
hours of his natural rest. His mouth was immediately stopped with the
letter, at which he “smiled horribly a ghastly grin;” and, after a
compliment of gratulation, they entered into close divan, about the
measures to be taken in consequence of this event.
There was no room for much debate. It was unanimously agreed that Pickle
should set out with all possible despatch for the garrison, to which
Gauntlet and Hatchway resolved to attend him. Pipes was accordingly
ordered to prepare a couple of post-chaises, while Godfrey went to
procure bail for his friend, and provide them with money for the expense
of the expedition; but not before he was desired by Peregrine to
conceal this piece of news from his sister, that our youth might have
an opportunity to surprise her in a more interesting manner, after he
should have settled his affairs.
All these previous steps being taken, in less than an hour our hero took
his leave of the Fleet, after he had left twenty guineas with the warden
for the relief of the poor prisoners, a great number of whom conveyed
him to the gate, pouring forth prayers for his long life and prosperity;
and he took the road to the garrison, in the most elevated transports of
joy, unallayed with the least mixture of grief at the death of a parent
whose paternal tenderness he had never known. His breast was absolutely
a stranger to that boasted storm, or instinct of affection, by which
the charities are supposed to subsist.
Of all the journeys he had ever made, this, sure, was the most
delightful. He felt all the ecstasy that must naturally be produced in a
young man of his imagination, from such a sudden transition in point of
circumstance, he found himself delivered from confinement and disgrace,
without being obliged to any person upon earth for his deliverance; he
had it now in his power to retort the contempt of the world in a manner
suited to his most sanguine wish; he was reconciled to his friend, and
enabled to gratify his love, even upon his own terms; and saw himself
in possession of a fortune more ample than his first inheritance, with
a stock of experience that would steer him clear of all those quicksands
among which he had been formerly wrecked.
In the middle of their journey, while they halted at an inn for a short
refreshment and change of horses, a postilion running up to Peregrine in
the yard, fell at his feet, clasped his knees with great eagerness
and agitation, and presented to him the individual face of his old
valet-de-chambre. The youth perceiving him in such an abject garb and
attitude, commanded him to rise and tell the cause of such a miserable
reverse in his fortune. Upon which Hadgi gave him to understand, that he
had been ruined by his wife, who, having robbed him of all his cash
and valuable effects, had eloped from his house with one of his own
customers, who appeared in the character of a French count, but was in
reality no other than an Italian fiddler; that, in consequence of this
retreat, he, the husband, was disabled from paying a considerable sum
which he had set apart for his wine merchant, who being disappointed in
his expectation, took out an execution against his effects; and the
rest of his creditors following his example, hunted him out of house
and home. So that, finding his person in danger at London, he had been
obliged to escape into the country, skulking about from one village to
another, till, being quite destitute of all support, he had undertaken
his present office, to save himself from starving.
Peregrine listened with compassion to his lamentable tale, which too
well accounted for his not appearing in the Fleet, with offers of
service to his master in distress; a circumstance that Pickle had all
along imputed to his avarice and ingratitude. He assured him, that, as
he had been the means of throwing in his way the temptation to which
he fell a sacrifice, he would charge himself with the retrieval of his
affairs. In the meantime, he made him taste of his bounty, and desired
him to continue in his present employment until he should return from
the garrison, when he would consider his situation, and do something for
his immediate relief.
Hadgi attempted to kiss his shoe, and wept, or affected to weep, with
sensibility at this gracious reception; he even made a merit of his
unwillingness to exercise his new occupation, and earnestly begged that
he might be allowed to give immediate attendance upon his dear master,
from whom he could not bear the thoughts of a second parting. His
entreaties were reinforced by the intercession of his two friends, in
consequence of which the Swiss was permitted to follow them at his own
leisure, while they set forward after a slight repast, and reached the
place of their destination before ten o'clock at night.
Peregrine, instead of alighting at the garrison, rode straightway to
his father's house; and no person appearing to receive him, not even a
servant to take care of his chaise, he dismounted without assistance.
Being followed by his two friends, he advanced into the hall, where
perceiving a bell-rope, he made immediate application to it in such a
manner as brought a couple of footmen into his presence. After having
reprimanded them, with a stern look, for their neglect in point of
attendance, he commanded them to show him into an apartment; and as they
seemed unwilling to yield obedience to his orders, asked if they did not
belong to the family?
One of them, who took upon himself the office of spokesman, replied with
a sullen air, that they had been in the service of old Mr. Pickle, and
now that he was dead, thought themselves bound to obey nobody but their
lady, and her son Mr. Gamaliel. This declaration had scarce proceeded
from his mouth, when our hero gave them to understand, that since
they were not disposed to own any other master, they must change
their quarters immediately. He ordered them to decamp without further
preparation; and, as they still continued restive, they were kicked
out of doors by the captain and his friend Hatchway. Squire Gam, who
overheard everything that passed, and was now more than ever inflamed
with that rancour which he had sucked with his mother's milk, flew to
the assistance of his adherents, with a pistol in each hand, bellowing
“Thieves! Thieves!” with great vociferation, as if he had mistaken the
business of the strangers, and actually believed himself in danger of
being robbed. Under this pretence he discharged a piece at his brother,
who luckily escaped the shot, closed with him in a moment, and, wresting
the other pistol from his grip, turned him out into the courtyard, to
the consolation of his two dependents.
By this time, Pipes and the two postilions had taken possession of
the stables, without being opposed by the coachman and his deputy, who
quietly submitted to the authority of their new sovereign. But the noise
of the pistol had alarmed Mrs. Pickle, who, running downstairs, with the
most frantic appearance, attended by two maids and the curate, who still
maintained his place of chaplain and ghostly director in the family,
would have assaulted our hero with her nails, had not she been
restrained by her attendants. Though they prevented her from using her
hands, they could not hinder her from exercising her tongue, which she
wagged against him with all the virulence of malice. She asked, if he
were come to butcher his brother, to insult his father's corpse,
and triumph in her affliction? She bestowed upon him the epithets of
spendthrift, jail-bird, and unnatural ruffian; she begged pardon of God
for having brought such a monster into the world; accused him of having
brought his father's grey hairs with sorrow to the grave; and affirmed,
that were he to touch the body, it would bleed at his approach.
Without pretending to refute the articles of this ridiculous charge, he
allowed her to ring out her alarm; and then calmly replied, that if she
did not quietly retire to her chamber, and behave as became a person
in her present situation, he should insist upon her removing to another
lodging without delay; for he was determined to be master in his own
family. The lady, who, in all probability, expected that he would
endeavour to appease her with all the tenderness of filial submission,
was so much exasperated at his cavalier behaviour, that her constitution
could not support the transports of her spirits; and she was carried off
by her women in a fit, while the officious clergyman was dismissed after
his pupil, with all the circumstances of disgrace.
Our hero having thus made his quarters good, took possession of the best
apartment in the house, and sent notice of his arrival to Mr. Clover,
who, with his wife, visited him in less than an hour, and was not a
little surprised to find him so suddenly settled in his father's house.
The meeting of Julia and her brother was extremely pathetic. She had
always loved him with uncommon tenderness, and looked upon him as the
ornament of her family; but she had heard of his extravagances with
regret, and though she considered the stories that were circulated
at his expense, as the malicious exaggerations of his mother and her
darling son, her apprehension had been grievously alarmed by an account
of his imprisonment and distress, which had been accidentally conveyed
to that country by a gentleman from London, who had been formerly of his
acquaintance; she could not, therefore, without the most tender emotions
of joy, see him, as it were, restored to his rightful inheritance, and
re-established in that station of life which she thought he could fill
with dignity and importance.
After their mutual expressions of affection, she retired to her
mother's chamber, with a view to make a second offer of her service
and attendance, which had been already rejected with scorn since her
father's death; while Peregrine consulted his brother-in-law about the
affairs of the family, so far as they had fallen within his cognizance
and observation. Mr. Clover told him, that, though he was never favoured
with the confidence of the defunct, he knew some of his intimates, who
had been tampered with by Mrs. Pickle, and even engaged to second the
remonstrances by which she had often endeavoured to persuade her husband
to settle his affairs by a formal will; but that he had from time
to time evaded their importunities with surprising excuses of
procrastination, that plainly appeared to be the result of invention
and design, far above the supposed pitch of his capacity; a circumstance
from which Mr. Clover concluded, that the old gentleman imagined his
life would not have been secure, had he once taken such a step as would
have rendered it unnecessary to the independence of his second son.
He moreover observed, that, in consequence of this information, he no
sooner heard of Mr. Pickle's death, which happened at the club, than he
went directly with a lawyer to his house, before any cabal or conspiracy
could be formed against the rightful heir; and, in presence of witnesses
provided for the purpose, sealed up all the papers of the deceased,
after the widow had, in the first transports of her sorrow and vexation,
fairly owned that her husband had died intestate.
Peregrine was extremely well satisfied with this intelligence, by which
all his doubts were dispelled; and, having cheerfully supped with his
friends on a cold collation, which his brother-in-law had brought in his
chariot, they retired to rest, in different chambers, after Julia had
met with another repulse from her capricious mother, whose overflowing
rage had now subsided into the former channel of calm inveteracy. Next
morning the house was supplied with some servants from the garrison, and
preparations were made for the funeral of the deceased. Gam having taken
lodgings in the neighbourhood, came with a chaise and cart to demand
his mother, together with his own clothes, and her personal effects.
Our hero, though he would not suffer him to enter the door, allowed
his proposal to be communicated to the widow, who eagerly embraced the
opportunity of removing, and was, with her own baggage, and that of
her beloved son, conveyed to the place which he had prepared for her
reception. Thither she was followed by her woman, who was desired by
Peregrine to assure her mistress, that, until a regular provision could
be settled upon her, she might command him, in point of money, or any
other accommodation in his power.