The Adventures of Peregrine PickleSmollett, T. (Tobias)
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The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Adventure stories; Fiction; Picaresque literature
Tom, who indeed had no words to spare, sat smoking his pipe with
great indifference, and never dreamed of paying any regard to these
interrogations; which being repeated and reinforced with many oaths,
that, however, produced no effect, the commodore pulled out his purse,
saying, “Here, you b-- baby, here's something better than a smart
ticket;” and threw it at his silent deliverer, who received and pocketed
his bounty, without the least demonstration of surprise or satisfaction;
while the donor, turning to Mr. Pickle, “You see, brother,” said he, “I
make good the old saying; we sailors get money like horses, and spend
it like asses: come, Pipes, let's have the boatswain's whistle, and be
jovial.”
This musician accordingly applied to his mouth the silver instrument
that hung at the button-hole of his jacket, by a chain of the same
metal, and though not quite so ravishing as the pipe of Hermes, produced
a sound so loud and shrill, that the stranger, as it were instinctively,
stopped his ears, to preserve his organs of hearing from such a
dangerous invasion. The prelude being thus executed, Pipes fixed his
eyes upon the egg of an ostrich that depended from the ceiling, and
without once moving them from that object, performed the whole cantata
in a tone of voice that seemed to be the joint issue of an Irish bagpipe
and a sow-gelder's horn: the commodore, the lieutenant, and landlord,
joined in the chorus, repeating this elegant stanza:--
Bustle, bustle, brave boys!
Let us sing, let us toil,
And drink all the while,
Since labour's the price of our joys.
The third line was no sooner pronounced, than the can was lifted to
every man's mouth with admirable uniformity; and the next word taken
up at the end of their draught with a twang equally expressive and
harmonious. In short, the company began to understand one another;
Mr. Pickle seemed to relish the entertainment, and a correspondence
immediately commenced between him and Trunnion, who shook him by the
hand, drank to further acquaintance, and even invited him to a mess
of pork and pease in the garrison. The compliment was returned,
good-fellowship prevailed, and the night was pretty far advanced, when
the merchant's man arrived with a lantern to light his master home; upon
which, the new friends parted, after a mutual promise of meeting next
evening in the same place.
CHAPTER III.
Mrs. Grizzle exerts herself in finding a proper Match for her Brother;
who is accordingly introduced to the young Lady, whom he marries in due
Season.
I have been the more circumstantial in opening the character of
Trunnion, because he bears a considerable share in the course of these
memoirs; but now it is high time to resume the consideration of Mrs.
Grizzle, who, since her arrival in the country, had been engrossed by a
double care, namely, that of finding a suitable match for her brother,
and a comfortable yoke-fellow for herself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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