 would have enjoyed in the
contemplation of such an amiable son.
    Divers efforts were made by some well-disposed people, to conquer, if
possible, this monstrous prejudice; but their endeavours, instead of curing,
served only to inflame the distemper, and she never could be prevailed upon to
indulge him in the least mark of maternal regard. On the contrary, her original
disgust degenerated into such inveteracy of hatred, that she left no stone
unturned to alienate the commodore's affection for this her innocent child, and
even practised the most malicious defamation to accomplish her purpose. Every
day did she abuse her husband's ear with some forged instance of Peregrine's
ingratitude to his uncle, well knowing that it would reach the commodore's
knowledge at night.
    Accordingly Mr. Pickle used to tell him at the club, that his hopeful
favourite had ridiculed him in such a company, and aspersed his spouse upon
another occasion; and thus retail the little scandalous issue of his own wife's
invention. Luckily for Peregrine, the commodore paid no great regard to the
authority of his informer, because he knew from what canal his intelligence
flowed; besides, the youth had a staunch friend in Mr. Hatchway, who never
failed to vindicate him when he was thus unjustly accused, and always found
argument enough to confute the assertions of his enemies. But, though Trunnion
had been dubious of the young gentleman's principles, and deaf to the
remonstrances of the lieutenant, Perry was provided with a bulwark strong enough
to defend him from all such assaults. This was no other than his aunt, whose
regard for him was perceived to increase in the same proportion as his own
mother's diminished; and indeed, the augmentation of the one was, in all
probability, owing to the decrease of the other; for the two ladies, with great
civility, performed all the duties of good neighbourhood, and hated each other
most piously in their hearts.
    Mrs. Pickle having been disobliged at the splendor 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 that 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 shew of
countenancing him at
