She was enraged to a degree of frenzy against the
writer; though, at the same time, she considered the whole as the
production of Mrs. Trunnion's particular pique, and represented it
to her husband as an insult that he was bound in honour to resent,
by breaking off all correspondence with the commodore and his family.
This was a bitter pill to Gamaliel, who, through a long course of
years, was so habituated to Trunnion's company, that he could as
easily have parted with a limb as have relinquished the club all
at once. He therefore ventured to represent his own incapacity to
follow her advice, and begged that be might, at least, be allowed
to drop the connection gradually, protesting that he would do his
endeavour to give her all manner of satisfaction.
Meanwhile preparations were made for Peregrine's departure to the
university, and in a few weeks he set out, in the seventeenth year
of his age, accompanied by the same attendants who lived with him
at Winchester. His uncle laid strong injunctions upon him to avoid
the company of immodest women, to mind his learning, to let him hear
of his welfare as often as he could find time to write, and settled
his appointments at the rate of five hundred a year, including his
governor's salary, which was one-fifth part of the sum.
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