This was an observation, the truth of which our young gentleman
could not pretend to doubt, though it did not at all tend to the
vindication of his honour's conduct. Indeed, Pickle began to suspect
the sincerity of his own patron, who, in his opinion, had trifled
with his impatience, and even eluded, by sorry excuses, his desire
of having another private audience of the first mover. His lordship
also began to be less accessible than usual; and Peregrine had
been obliged to dun the steward with repeated demands, before he
could finger the last quarter of his interest. Alarmed by these
considerations, he went and consulted the nobleman whom he had
obliged in the affair of his son, and had the mortification to hear
but a very indifferent character of the person in whom he had so
long confided. This new adviser, who, though a courtier, was a rival
of the other, gave our adventurer to understand, that he had been
leaning upon a broken reed; that his professed patron was a man of
shattered fortune and decayed interest, which extended no farther
than a smile and a whisper; that, for his own part, he should have
been proud of an opportunity to use his influence with the minister
in behalf of Mr.
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