The Adventures of Peregrine PickleSmollett, T. (Tobias)
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The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Adventure stories; Fiction; Picaresque literature
The Capuchin, who had found his account in cultivating the acquaintance
of the young stranger, was not ill-pleased at this event, which might,
by protracting the term of their intercourse, yield him some opportunity
of profiting still farther by his liberality: he therefore joined Mr.
Jolter in his admonitions, congratulating himself upon the prospect
of enjoying his conversation a little longer than he had expected.
Our young gentleman received a compliment to the same purpose from
the Hebrew, who had that day exercised his gallantry upon the French
coquette, and was not without hope of reaping the fruit of his
attention, his rival, the painter, being quite disgraced and dejected
by the adventure of last night, As for the doctor, he was too much
engrossed in the contemplation of his own importance, to interest
himself in the affair or its consequences, further than by observing,
that the European powers ought to establish public games, like those
that were celebrated of old in Greece; in which case, every state would
be supplied with such dexterous charioteers as would drive a machine, at
full speed, within a hair's breadth of a precipice, without any danger
of its being overturned.
Peregrine could not help yielding to their remonstrances and united
complaisance, for which he thanked them in very polite terms; and his
passion seeming to subside, proposed that they should amuse themselves
in walking round the ramparts. He hoped to enjoy some private
conversation with his admired Fleming, who had the whole day behaved
with remarkable reserve. The proposal being embraced, he, as usual,
handed her into the street, and took all opportunities of promoting his
suit; but they were attended so closely by her father-confessor, that
he foresaw it would be impracticable to accomplish his aim without the
connivance of that ecclesiastic. This he was obliged to purchase with
another purse, which he offered, and was accepted, as a charitable
atonement for his criminal behaviour during the interview which the
friar had procured for the good of his soul. The benefaction was no
sooner made, than the mendicant edged off by little and little, till
he joined the rest of the company, leaving his generous patron at full
liberty to prosecute his purpose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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