A seasonable fit of illness is an excellent medicine for the
turbulence of passion. Such a reformation had the fever produced
on the economy of his thoughts, that he moralized like an apostle,
and projected several prudential schemes for his future conduct. In
the meantime, as soon as his health was sufficiently re-established,
he took a trip to the garrison, in order to visit his friends;
and learned from Hatchway's own mouth, that he had broke the ice
of courtship to his aunt, and that his addresses were now fairly
afloat; though, when he first declared himself to the widow, after
she had been duly prepared for the occasion, by her niece and the
rest of her friends, she had received his proposal with a becoming
reserve, and piously wept at the remembrance of her husband,
observing, that she should never meet with his fellow.
Peregrine promoted the lieutenant's suit with all his influence,
and all Mrs. Trunnion's objections to the match being surmounted,
it was determined, that the day of marriage should be put off for
three months, that her reputation might not suffer by a precipitate
engagement.
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