Part 27 (2/2)

As for the lieutenant, our young gentleman communed with him in a seriousMrs Trunnion to wife; and Jack, being quite tired of the solitary situation of a bachelor, which nothing but the company of his old co, far fro aversion from the match, observed with an arch smile, that it was not the first time he had commanded a vessel in the absence of Captain Trunnion; and therefore, if the as willing, he would cheerfully stand by her hel continuance, do his endeavour to steer her safe into port, where the coain

In consequence of this declaration, it was determined that Mr Hatchway should make his addresses to Mrs Trunnion as soon as decency would permit her to receive them; and Mr Clover and his wife promised to exert their influence on his behalf Meanwhile, Jack was desired to live at the castle as usual, and assured, that it should be put wholly in his possession, as soon as he should be able to accorine had settled all these points to his own satisfaction, he took leave of all his friends, and, repairing to the great city, purchased a new chariot and horses, put Pipes and another lacquey into rich liveries, took elegant lodgings in Pall Mall, andthe people of fashi+on

It ing to this equipage, and the gaiety of his personal deportment, that common fa gentleman who had just succeeded to an estate of five thousand pounds per annum, by the death of an uncle; that he was entitled to an equal fortune at the decease of his own father, exclusive of two considerable jointures, which would devolve upon him at the demise of his mother and aunt This report, false and ridiculous as it was, he could not find in his heart to contradict Not but that he was sorry to find himself so misrepresented; but his vanity would not allow hiht diminish his importance in the opinion of those who courted his acquaintance, on the supposition that his circumstances were actually as affluent as they were said to be Nay, so much was he infatuated by this weakness, that he resolved to encourage the deception, by living up to the report; and accordingly engaged in thethat, before his present finances should be exhausted, his fortune would be effectually made, by the personal accomplishments he should have occasion to display to the beau ance In a word, vanity and pride were the ruling foibles of our adventurer, who iined himself sufficiently qualified to retrieve his fortune in various shapes, long before he could have any idea of want or difficulty He thought he should have it in his power, at any time, to make a prize of a rich heiress, or opulent ; his a handsoer, to whose acquaintance he had found means to be introduced; or, should matrimony chance to be unsuitable to his inclinations, he never doubted, that, by the interest hethe nobility, he should be favoured with some lucrative post, that would amply recompense hi men who entertain the same expectations, with half the reason he had to be so presumptuous

In the midst of these chimerical calculations, his passion for Ee with such an inflammation of desire, that her idea interfered with every other reflection, and absolutely disabled hiination had projected He therefore laid down the honest resolution of visiting her in all the splendour of his situation, in order to practise upon her virtue with all his art and address, to the utmost extent of his affluence and fortune Nay, so effectually had his guilty passion absorbed his principles of honour, conscience, huard for the coh to rejoice at the absence of his friend Godfrey, who, being then with his regiment in Ireland, could not dive into his purpose, or take ht with these heroic sentiments, he determined to set out for Sussex in his chariot and six, attended by his valet-de-chambre and two footmen; and as he was now sensible that in his last essay he had e his battery, and sap the fortress, by thebehaviour

On the evening that preceded this proposed expedition, he went into one of the boxes at the playhouse, as usual, to show hilass (for no other reason but because it was fashi+onable to be purblind), perceived his mistress very plainly dressed, in one of the seats above the stage, talking to another young woh his heart beat the alarht of his E the impulse of his love, by the presence of some ladies of fashi+on, who, he feared, would think the worse of him, should they see hiure Nor would the violence of his inclination have so far prevailed over his pride, as to lead him thither, had he not recollected, that his quality friends would look upon her as soallantry, and of consequence give hiestion, he complied with the dictates of love, and flew to the place where his charmer sat His air and dress were so remarkable, that it was almost impossible he should have escaped the eyes of a curious observer, especially as he had chosen a ti in, when his entrance could not fail to attract the notice of the spectators; I mean, when the whole house was hushed in attention to the perfore Emilia, therefore, perceived him at his first approach; she found herself discovered by the direction of his glass, and, guessing his intention by his abrupt retreat from the box, summoned all her fortitude to her aid, and prepared for his reception He advanced to her with an air of eagerness and joy, tempered withher, with a seeh she was extremely well pleased at this unexpected behaviour, she suppressed the emotions of her heart, and answered his coht denote the good humour of a person who meets by accident with an indifferent acquaintance After having certified hiood health, he very kindly inquired about her ave her to understand that he had lately been favoured with a letter from Godfrey; that he had actually intended to set out nexton a visit to Mrs Gauntlet, which, now that he was so happy as to meet with her, he would postpone, until he should have the pleasure of attending her to the country After having thanked him for his polite intention, she told him, that her mother was expected in town in a few days, and that she herself had coive attendance upon her aunt, who had been dangerously ill, but was now pretty well recovered

Although the conversation of course turned upon general topics, during the entertain particular with his eyes, through which he conveyed a thousand tender protestations She saw and inwardly rejoiced at the hu it with one approving glance, she industriously avoided this ocular intercourse, and rather coquetted with a young gentlerine's penetration easily detected her sentiments, and he was nettled at her dissimulation, which served to confirns upon her person He persisted in his assiduities with indefatigable perseverance; when the play was concluded, handed her and her companion into a hackney-coach, and with difficulty was permitted to escort them to the house of E lady, as an intientlerine's connection with his sister's family, prevailed upon him to stay supper, and seemed particularly well pleased with his conversation and deportacity, he wonderfully adapted to the humour of his entertainer After supper, when the ladies ithdrawn, and the citizen called for his pipe, our sly adventurer followed his exah he abhorred the plant, he smoked with an air of infinite satisfaction, and expatiated upon the virtues of tobacco, as if he had been deeply concerned in the Virginia trade In the progress of the discourse, he consulted theupon the carpet, held forth upon the funds like a professed broker When the aldereainst exorbitant duties, with the nature of which he seemed as well acquainted as any commissioner of the customs; so that the uncle was astonished at the extent of his knowledge, and expressed his surprise that a gay young gentleman like him should have found either leisure or inclination to consider subjects so foreign to the fashi+onable amusements of youth

Pickle laid hold on this opportunity to tell him, that he was descended from a race of merchants; and that, early in life, he had made it his business to instruct himself in the different branches of trade, which he not only studied as his family profession, but also as the source of all our national riches and power He then launched out in praise of commerce, and the promoters thereof; and, by way of contrast, e such ludicrous pictures of the h life, that the trader's sides were shaken by laughter, even to the danger of his life; and he looked upon our adventurer as a ratiated hirine took his leave, and next day, in the forenoon, visited the niece in his chariot, after she had been admonished by her kinslecting or discouraging the addresses of such a valuable adn upon Ereat Art and Perseverance

Our adventurer, having by his hypocrisy obtained free access to histheher forgiveness with such earnest supplication, that, guarded as she was against his flattering arts, she began to believe his protestations, which were even accoood deal of that severity and distance she had proposed tothis interview She would not, however, favour himent of a mutual passion, because, in the midst of his vows of eternal constancy and truth, he did not h he was now entirely master of his own conduct, and this consideration created a doubt, which fortified her against all his attacks Yet, what her discretion would have concealed, was discovered by her eyes, which, in spite of all her endeavours, breathed forth complacency and love; for her inclination was flattered by her own self-sufficiency, which imputed her admirer's silence in that particular to the hurry and perturbation of his spirits, and persuaded her that he could not possibly regard her with any other than honourable intentions

The insidious lover exulted in the tenderness of her looks, froht not overshoot himself by his own precipitation, he would not run the risk of declaring hiled within his snares, as that neither the suggestions of honour, prudence, nor pride, should be able to disengage it Armed with this resolution, he restrained the impatience of his temper within the li solicited and obtained permission to attend her to the next opera, he took her by the hand, and, pressing it to his lips, in theher in a most whi vicissitude of hope and fear On the appointed day, he appeared again about five o'clock in the afternoon, and found her native chares of dress, that he was transported with adht; and, while he conducted her to the Haymarket, could scarce bridle the i maxims he had adopted When she entered the pit, he had abundance of food for the gratification of his vanity; for, in a moment, she eclipsed all the fe in her own heart that the stranger was by far the handsomest woman there present, except herself

Here it was that our hero enjoyed a double triumph; he was vain of this opportunity to enhance his reputation for gallantry a the ladies of fashi+on who knew him, and proud of an occasion to display his quality acquaintance to Ereater idea of the conquest she had made, and pay the more deference to his iht profit as much as possible by this situation, he went up and accosted every person in the pit, hohed with an affected air of familiarity, and even bowed at a distance to so stood near them at court, or presented them with a pinch of rappee at White's chocolate-house

This ridiculous ostentation, though now practised with a view of proree, infected the whole of his behaviour; for nothing gave hi the couished rank and character He would often, for example, observe, as it were occasionally, that the Duke of G-- was one of the best-natured men in the world, and illustrate this assertion by some instance of his affability, in which he himself was concerned Then, by an abrupt transition, he would repeat some repartee of Lady T--, and mention a certain bon

Abundance of young h they have never had access to the persons of the nobility; but this was not the case with Peregrine, who, in consideration of his appearance and supposed fortune, together with the advantage of his introduction, was, by this tireat

In his return with Eh he still maintained the most scrupulous decorum in his behaviour, he plied her with the most passionate expressions of love, squeezed her hand with great fervency, protested that his whole soul was engrossed by her idea, and that he could not exist independent of her favour Pleased as she ith his warether with the respectfullove, she yet had prudence and resolution sufficient to contain her tenderness, which was ready to run over; being fortified against his arts, by reflecting, that, if his aim was honourable, it was now his business to declare it On this consideration, she refused to make any serious reply to his earnest expostulations, but affected to receive the

This fictitious gaiety and good-hu froht have taken ied hi the Strand, that the night was far advanced; that supper would certainly be over before they could reach her uncle's house; and to propose that he should wait upon her to soht refreshment She was offended at the freedom of this proposal, which, however, she treated as a joke, thanking hi him, that when she should be disposed for a tavern treat, he alone would have the honour of bestowing it

Her kinsed with coood fortune to enjoy a tete-a-tete with her during a whole hour, which he employed with such consummate skill, that her caution was almost overcohs, vows, prayers, and tears, but even pawned his honour in behalf of his love He swore, with h her heart was surrendered to him at discretion, there was a principle within him, which would never allow him to injure such innocence and beauty; and the transports of his passion had, upon this occasion so far overshot his purpose, that if she had deitated, he would have engaged himself to her wish by such ties as he could not break with any regard to his reputation But from such expostulation she was deterred, partly by pride, and partly by the dread of finding herselfconjecture

She therefore enjoyed the present flattering appearance of her fate, was prevailed upon to accept the jehich he purchased with part of his winning at Bath, and, with thecondescension, sub obtained permission to visit her as often as his inclination and convenience would pers, he was buoyed up with his success to an extravagance of hope, already congratulated hian to project future conquests anified characters of the female sex But his attention was not at all dissipated by these vain reflections; he resolved to concentrate the whole exertion of his soul upon the execution of his present plan, desisted, in the meantime, from all other sches in the city, for the more coination was thus agreeably regaled, his mistress did not enjoy her expectations without the intervention of doubts and anxiety His silence, touching the final aim of his addresses, was a acity; and her uncle torrine's professions and deportive this relation the least cause for suspicion, which must have cut off all intercourse betwixt her and her adht would satisfy his care and concern for her welfare; and, in consequence of such representation, she enjoyed, without reserve, the company of our adventurer, who prosecuted his plan with surprising eagerness and perseverance