VII
As Tom, anвАЩ please your honour, had no business at that time with the Moorish girl, he passed on into the room beyond, to talk to the JewвАЩs widow about loveвБ†вЄЇвБ†and this pound of sausages; and being, as I have told your honour, an open cheery-hearted lad, with his character wrote in his looks and carriage, he took a chair, and without much apology, but with great civility at the same time, placed it close to her at the table, and sat down.
There is nothing so awkward, as courting a woman, anвАЩ please your honour, whilst she is making sausagesвБ†вЄЇвБ†So Tom began a discourse upon them; first, gravely,вБ†вЄЇвАЬas how they were madeвБ†вЄЇвБ†with what meats, herbs, and spicesвАЭвБ†вАФThen a little gayly,вБ†вАФas, вАЬWith what skinsвБ†вЄЇвБ†and if they never burstвБ†вЄЇвБ†Whether the largest were not the best?вАЭвБ†вЄЇвБ†and so onвБ†вАФtaking care only as he went along, to season what he had to say upon sausages, rather under than over;вБ†вЄЇвБ†that he might have room to act inвБ†вЄЇвБ†
It was owing to the neglect of that very precaution, said my uncle Toby, laying his hand upon TrimвАЩs shoulder, that Count De la Motte lost the battle of Wynendale: he pressed too speedily into the wood; which if he had not done, Lisle had not fallen into our hands, nor Ghent and Bruges, which both followed her example; it was so late in the year, continued my uncle Toby, and so terrible a season came on, that if things had not fallen out as they did, our troops must have perishвАЩd in the open field.вБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†Why, therefore, may not battles, anвАЩ please your honour, as well as marriages, be made in heaven?вБ†вАФMy uncle Toby musedвБ†вЄЇвБ†
Religion inclined him to say one thing, and his high idea of military skill tempted him to say another; so not being able to frame a reply exactly to his mindвБ†вЄЇвБ†my uncle Toby said nothing at all; and the corporal finished his story.
As Tom perceived, anвАЩ please your honour, that he gained ground, and that all he had said upon the subject of sausages was kindly taken, he went on to help her a little in making them.вБ†вЄЇвБ†First, by taking hold of the ring of the sausage whilst she stroked the forced meat down with her handвБ†вЄЇвБ†then by cutting the strings into proper lengths, and holding them in his hand, whilst she took them out one by oneвБ†вЄЇвБ†then, by putting them across her mouth, that she might take them out as she wanted themвБ†вЄЇвБ†and so on from little to more, till at last he adventured to tie the sausage himself, whilst she held the snout.вБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†Now a widow, anвАЩ please your honour, always chooses a second husband as unlike the first as she can: so the affair was more than half settled in her mind before Tom mentioned it.
She made a feint however of defending herself, by snatching up a sausage:вБ†вЄЇвБ†Tom instantly laid hold of anotherвБ†вЄї
But seeing TomвАЩs had more gristle in itвБ†вЄї
She signed the capitulationвБ†вЄЇвБ†and Tom sealed it; and there was an end of the matter.