Mrs. Pickle, having been disobliged at the splendour of her sister's
new equipage, had, ever since that time, in the course of her
visiting, endeavoured to make people merry with satirical jokes
on the poor lady's infirmities; and Mrs. Trunnion seized. the very
first opportunity of making reprisals, by inveighing against her
unnatural behaviour to her own child; so that Peregrine, as on
the one hand he was abhorred, so on the other was he caressed, in
consequence of this contention; and I firmly believe that the most
effectual method of destroying his interest at the garrison, would
have been the show of countenancing him at his father's house;
but, whether this conjecture be reasonable or chimerical, certain
it is the experiment was never tried, and therefore Mr. Peregrine
ran no risk of being disgraced. The commodore, who assumed, and
justly too, the whole merit of his education, was now as proud of
the youth's improvements as if he had actually been his own offspring;
and sometimes his affection rose to such a pitch of enthusiasm,
that he verily believed him to be the issue of his own loins.
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