Peregrine is overtaken by Mr. Gauntlet, with whom he fights a Duel1, and contracts an intimate Friendship — He arrives at the Garrison2, and finds his Mother as implacable as ever — He is insulted by his Brother Gam, whose Preceptor he disciplines with a Horsewhip.
In order to expel the melancholy3 images that took possession of his fancy, at parting from his mistress, he called in the flattering ideas of those pleasures he expected to enjoy in France; and before he had rode ten miles, his imagination was effectually amused. While he thus prosecuted4 his travels by anticipation5, and indulged himself in all the insolence6 of hope, at the turning of a lane he was all of a sudden overtaken by Emilia’s brother on horseback, who told him he was riding the same way, and should be glad of his company. This young gentleman, whether prompted by personal pique7, or actuated with zeal8 for the honour of his family, had followed our hero, with the view of obliging him to explain the nature of his attachment9 to his sister.
Peregrine returned his compliment with such disdainful civility as gave him room to believe that he suspected his errand; and therefore, without further preamble10, he declared his business in these words: “Mr. Pickle11, you have carried on a correspondence with my sister for some time, and I should be glad to know the nature of it.” To this question our lover replied, “Sir, I should be glad to know what title you have to demand that satisfaction?”—“Sir,” answered the other, “I demand it in the capacity of a brother, jealous of his own honour, as well as of his sister’s reputation; and if your intentions are honourable12, you will not refuse it.”—“Sir,” said Peregrine, “I am not at present disposed to appeal to your opinion for the rectitude of my intentions: and I think you assume a little too much importance, in pretending to judge my conduct.”—“Sir,” replied the soldier, “I pretend to judge the conduct of every man who interferes13 with my concerns, and even to chastise14 him, if I think he acts amiss.”—“Chastise!” cried the youth, with indignation in his looks, “sure you dare not apply that term to me?”—“You are mistaken,” said Godfrey; “I dare do anything that becomes the character of a gentleman.”—“Gentleman, God wot!” replied the other, looking contemptuously at his equipage, which was none of the most superb, “a very pretty gentleman, truly!”
The soldier’s wrath15 was inflamed16 by this ironical17 repetition, the contempt of which his conscious poverty made him feel; and he called his antagonist18 presumptuous19 boy, insolent20 upstart, and with other epithets21, which Perry retorted with great bitterness. A formal challenge having passed between them, they alighted at the first inn, and walked into the next field, in order to decide their quarrel by the sword. Having pitched upon the spot, helped to pull off each other’s boots, and laid aside their coats and waistcoats, Mr. Gauntlet told his opponent, that he himself was looked upon in the army as an expert swordsman, and that if Mr. Pickle had not made that science his particular study, they should be upon a more equal footing in using pistols. Peregrine was too much incensed22 to thank him for his plain dealing23, and too confident of his own skill to relish24 the other’s proposal, which he accordingly rejected: then, drawing his sword, he observed, that were he to treat Mr. Gauntlet according to his deserts, he would order his man to punish his audacity25 with a horsewhip. Exasperated26 at this expression, which he considered as an indelible affront27, he made no reply, but attacked his adversary28 with equal ferocity and address. The youth parried his first and second thrust, but received the third in the outside of his sword-arm. Though the wound was superficial, he was transported with rage at sight of his own blood, and returned the assault with such fury and precipitation, that Gauntlet, loath29 to take advantage of his unguarded heat, stood upon the defensive30. In the second lounge, Peregrine’s weapon entering a kind of network in the shell of Godfrey’s sword, the blade snapped in two, and left him at the mercy of the soldier, who, far from making an insolent use of the victory he had gained, put up his Toledo with great deliberation, like a man who had been used to that kind of reencounters, and observed that such a blade as Peregrine’s was not to be trusted with a man’s life: then advising the owner to treat a gentleman in distress31 with more respect for the future, he slipped on his boots, and with sullen32 dignity of demeanour stalked back to the inn.
Though Pickle was extremely mortified33 at his miscarriage34 in this adventure, he was also struck with the behaviour of his antagonist, which affected35 him the more, as he understood that Godfrey’s fierte had proceeded from the jealous sensibility of a gentleman declined into the vale of misfortune. Gauntlet’s valour and moderation induced him to put a favourable36 construction on all those circumstances of that young soldier’s conduct, which before had given him disgust. Though in any other case he would have industriously37 avoided the least appearance of submission38, he followed his conqueror39 to the inn with a view of thanking him for his generous forbearance, and of soliciting40 his friendship and correspondence.
Godfrey had his foot in the stirrup to mount, when Peregrine, coming up to him, desired he would defer41 his departure for a quarter of an hour, and favour him with a little private conversation. The soldier, who mistook the meaning of the request, immediately quitted his horse, and followed Pickle into a chamber42, where he expected to find a brace43 of pistols loaded on the table: but he was very agreeably deceived, when our hero, in the most respectful terms, acknowledged his noble deportment in the field, owned that till then he had misunderstood his character, and begged that he would honour him with his intimacy44 and correspondence.
Gauntlet, who had seen undoubted proofs of Peregrine’s courage, which had considerably45 raised him in his esteem46, and had sense enough to perceive that this concession47 was not owing to any sordid48 or sinister49 motive50, embraced his offer with demonstrations51 of infinite satisfaction. When he understood the terms on which Mr. Pickle was with his sister, he proffered52 his service in his turn, either as agent, mediator53, or confidant: nay54, to give this new friend a convincing proof of his sincerity55, he disclosed to him a passion which he had for some time entertained for his cousin Miss Sophy, though he durst not reveal his sentiments to her father, lest he should be offended at his presumption56, and withdraw his protection from the family.
Peregrine’s generous heart was wrung57 with anguish58, when he understood that this young gentleman, who was the only son of a distinguished59 officer, had carried arms for the space of five years, without being able to obtain a subaltern’s commission, though he always had behaved with remarkable60 regularity61 and spirit, and, acquired the friendship and esteem of all the officers under whom he had served. He would, at that time, with the utmost pleasure, have shared his finances with him; but as he would not run the risk of offending the young soldier’s delicacy62 of honour by a premature63 exertion64 of his liberality, he resolved to insinuate65 himself into an intimacy with him, before he would venture to take such freedoms; and with that view pressed Mr. Gauntlet to accompany him to the garrison, where he did not doubt of having influence enough to make him a welcome guest. Godfrey thanked him very courteously66 for his invitation, which he said he could not immediately accept; but promised, if he would favour him with a letter, and fix the time at which he proposed to set out for France, he would endeavour to visit him at the commodore’s habitation, and from thence give him a convoy67 to Dover. This new treaty being settled, and a dossil of lint68, with a snip69 of plaster, applied70 to our adventurer’s wound, he parted from the brother of his dear Emilia, to whom and his friend Sophy he sent his kindest wishes; and having lodged71 one night upon the road, arrived next day in the afternoon at the garrison, where he found all his friends in good health, and overjoyed at his return.
The commodore, who was by this time turned of seventy, and altogether crippled by the gout, seldom went abroad; and as his conversation was not very entertaining, had but little company within doors; so that his spirits must have quite stagnated72, had not they been kept in motion by the conversation of Hatchway, and received at different times a wholesome73 fillip from the discipline of his spouse74, who, by the force of pride, religion, and Cognac, had erected75 a most terrible tyranny in the house. There was such a quick circulation of domestics in the family, that every suit of livery had been worn by figures of all dimensions. Trunnion himself had long before this time yielded to the torrent76 of her arbitrary sway, though not without divers77 obstinate78 efforts to maintain his liberty; and now, that he was disabled by his infirmities, when he used to bear his empress singing the loud Orthyan song among the servants below, he would often in whispers communicate to the lieutenant79 hints of what he would do if so be as how he was not deprived of the use of his precious limbs. Hatchway was the only person whom the temper of Mrs. Trunnion respected, either because she dreaded80 his ridicule81, or looked upon his person with eyes of affection. This being the situation of things in the garrison, it is not to be doubted that the old gentleman highly enjoyed the presence of Peregrine, who found means to ingratiate himself so effectually with his aunt, that while he remained at home, she seemed to have exchanged the disposition82 of a tigress for that of a gentle kid; but he found his own mother as implacable, and his father as much henpecked, as ever.
Gamaliel, who now very seldom enjoyed the conversation of his old friend the commodore, had some time ago entered into an amicable83 society, consisting of the barber, apothecary84, attorney, and exciseman of the parish, among whom he used to spend the evening at Tunley’s, and listen to their disputes upon philosophy and politics with great comfort and edification, while his sovereign lady domineered at home as usual, visited with pomp in the neighbourhood, and employed her chief care in the education of her darling son Gam, who was now in the fifteenth year of his age, and so remarkable for his perverse85 disposition, that, in spite of his mother’s influence and authority, he was not only hated, but also despised, both at home and abroad. She had put him under the tuition of the curate, who lived in the family, and was obliged to attend him in all his exercises and excursions. This governor was a low-bred fellow, who had neither experience nor ingenuity86, but possessed87 a large fund of adulation and servile complaisance88, by which he had gained the good graces of Mrs. Pickle, and presided over all her deliberations in the same manner as his superior managed those of Mrs. Trunnion.
He had one day rode out to take the air with his pupil, who, as I have already observed, was odious89 to the poor people, for having killed their dogs and broken their inclosures, and, on account of his hump, distinguished by the title of My Lord, when in a narrow lane they chanced to meet Peregrine on horseback. The young squire90 no sooner perceived his elder brother, for whom he had been instructed to entertain the most inveterate91 grudge92, than he resolved to insult him en passant, and actually rode against him from gallop93. Our hero, guessing his aim, fixed94 himself in his stirrups, and by a dexterous95 management of the reins96 avoided the shock in such a manner as that their legs only should encounter; by which means my lord was tilted97 out of his saddle, and in a twinkling laid sprawling98 in the dirt. The governor, enraged99 at the disgrace of his charge, advanced with great insolence and fury, and struck at Peregrine with his whip. Nothing could be more agreeable to our young gentleman than this assault, which furnished him with an opportunity of chastising100 an officious wretch101, whose petulance102 and malice103 he had longed to punish. He therefore, spurring up his horse towards his antagonist, overthrew104 him in the middle of a hedge. Before he had time to recollect105 himself from the confusion of the fall, Pickle alighted in a trice, and exercised his horsewhip with such agility106 about the curate’s face and ears, that he was fain to prostrate107 himself before his enraged conqueror, and implore108 his forbearance in the most abject109 terms. While Peregrine was thus employed, his brother Gam had made shift to rise and attack him in the rear; for which reason, when the tutor was quelled110, the victor faced about, snatched the weapon out of his hand, and having broken it to pieces, remounted his horse and rode off, without deigning111 to honour him with any other notice.
The condition in which they returned produced infinite clamour against the conqueror, who was represented as a ruffian who had lain in ambush112 to make away with his brother, in whose defence the curate was said to have received those cruel stripes that hindered him from appearing for three whole weeks in the performance of his duty at church. Complaints were made to the commodore, who, having inquired into the circumstances of the affair, approved of what his nephew had done, adding, with many oaths, that provided Peregrine had been out of the scrape, he wished Crook-back had broken his neck in the fall.
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1
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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prosecuted
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| a.被起诉的 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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interferes
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| vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉 | |
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chastise
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| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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epithets
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| n.（表示性质、特征等的）词语( epithet的名词复数 ) | |
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incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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miscarriage
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| n.失败，未达到预期的结果；流产 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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industriously
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38
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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51
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mediator
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| n.调解人，中介人 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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55
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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56
presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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58
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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59
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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insinuate
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| vt.含沙射影地说，暗示 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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67
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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lint
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| n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉 | |
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snip
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| n.便宜货，廉价货，剪，剪断 | |
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70
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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71
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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stagnated
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| v.停滞，不流动，不发展( stagnate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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75
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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81
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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82
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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amicable
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| adj.和平的，友好的；友善的 | |
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84
apothecary
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| n.药剂师 | |
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85
perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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86
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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complaisance
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| n.彬彬有礼，殷勤，柔顺 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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92
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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93
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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95
dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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96
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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98
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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100
chastising
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| v.严惩（某人）（尤指责打）( chastise的现在分词 ) | |
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101
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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102
petulance
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| n.发脾气，生气，易怒，暴躁，性急 | |
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103
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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104
overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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105
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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106
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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107
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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108
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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109
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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110
quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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111
deigning
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的现在分词 ) | |
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112
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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