XX + 

The anguish of my knee, continued the corporal, was excessive in itself; and the uneasiness of the cart, with the roughness of the roads, which were terribly cut upвБ†вАФmaking bad still worseвБ†вАФevery step was death to me: so that with the loss of blood, and the want of care-taking of me, and a fever I felt coming on besidesвБ†вЄЇ(Poor soul! said my uncle Toby)вБ†вЄЇвБ†all together, anвАЩ please your honour, was more than I could sustain. + 

I was telling my sufferings to a young woman at a peasantвАЩs house, where our cart, which was the last of the line, had halted; they had helpвАЩd me in, and the young woman had taken a cordial out of her pocket and droppвАЩd it upon some sugar, and seeing it had cheerвАЩd me, she had given it me a second and a third timeвБ†вЄЇвБ†So I was telling her, anвАЩ please your honour, the anguish I was in, and was saying it was so intolerable to me, that I had much rather lie down upon the bed, turning my face towards one which was in the corner of the roomвБ†вАФand die, than go onвБ†вЄЇвБ†when, upon her attempting to lead me to it, I fainted away in her arms. She was a good soul! as your honour, said the corporal, wiping his eyes, will hear. + 

I thought love had been a joyous thing, quoth my uncle Toby. + 

вАЩTis the most serious thing, anвАЩ please your honour (sometimes), that is in the world. + 

By the persuasion of the young woman, continued the corporal, the cart with the wounded men set off without me: she had assured them I should expire immediately if I was put into the cart. So when I came to myselfвБ†вЄЇвБ†I found myself in a still quiet cottage, with no one but the young woman, and the peasant and his wife. I was laid across the bed in the corner of the room, with my wounded leg upon a chair, and the young woman beside me, holding the corner of her handkerchief dippвАЩd in vinegar to my nose with one hand, and rubbing my temples with the other. + 

I took her at first for the daughter of the peasant (for it was no inn)вБ†вАФso had offerвАЩd her a little purse with eighteen florins, which my poor brother Tom (here Trim wipвАЩd his eyes) had sent me as a token, by a recruit, just before he set out for Lisbon.вБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

вЄЇвБ†I never told your honour that piteous story yetвБ†вЄЇвБ†here Trim wiped his eyes a third time. + 

The young woman callвАЩd the old man and his wife into the room, to show them the money, in order to gain me credit for a bed and what little necessaries I should want, till I should be in a condition to be got to the hospitalвБ†вЄЇвБ†Come then! said she, tying up the little purseвБ†вАФIвАЩll be your bankerвБ†вАФbut as that office alone will not keep me employвАЩd, IвАЩll be your nurse too. + 

I thought by her manner of speaking this, as well as by her dress, which I then began to consider more attentivelyвБ†вЄЇвБ†that the young woman could not be the daughter of the peasant. + 

She was in black down to her toes, with her hair concealвАЩd under a cambric border, laid close to her forehead: she was one of those kind of nuns, anвАЩ please your honour, of which, your honour knows, there are a good many in Flanders, which they let go looseвБ†вЄЇвБ†By thy description, Trim, said my uncle Toby, I dare say she was a young Beguine, of which there are none to be found anywhere but in the Spanish NetherlandsвБ†вАФexcept at AmsterdamвБ†вЄЇвБ†they differ from nuns in this, that they can quit their cloister if they choose to marry; they visit and take care of the sick by professionвБ†вЄЇвБ†I had rather, for my own part, they did it out of good-nature. + 

вЄЇвБ†She often told me, quoth Trim, she did it for the love of ChristвБ†вАФI did not like it.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I believe, Trim, we are both wrong, said my uncle TobyвБ†вАФweвАЩll ask Mr.¬†Yorick about it tonight at my brother ShandyвАЩsвБ†вЄЇвБ†so put me in mind; added my uncle Toby. + 

The young Beguine, continued the corporal, had scarce given herself time to tell me вАЬshe would be my nurse,вАЭ when she hastily turned about to begin the office of one, and prepare something for meвБ†вЄЇвБ†and in a short timeвБ†вАФthough I thought it a long oneвБ†вАФshe came back with flannels, etc. etc., and having fomented my knee soundly for a couple of hours, etc., and made me a thin bason of gruel for my supperвБ†вАФshe wishвАЩd me rest, and promised to be with me early in the morning.вБ†вЄЇвБ†She wished me, anвАЩ please your honour, what was not to be had. My fever ran very high that nightвБ†вАФher figure made sad disturbance within meвБ†вАФI was every moment cutting the world in twoвБ†вАФto give her half of itвБ†вАФand every moment was I crying, That I had nothing but a knapsack and eighteen florins to share with herвБ†вЄЇвБ†The whole night long was the fair Beguine, like an angel, close by my bedside, holding back the curtain and offering me cordialsвБ†вАФand I was only awakened from my dream by her coming there at the hour promised, and giving them in reality. In truth, she was scarce ever from me; and so accustomed was I to receive life from her hands, that my heart sickened, and I lost colour when she left the room: and yet, continued the corporal (making one of the strangest reflections upon it in the world)вБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

вЄЇвАЬIt was not loveвАЭвБ†вЄЇвБ†for during the three weeks she was almost constantly with me, fomenting my knee with her hand, night and dayвБ†вАФI can honestly say, anвАЩ please your honourвБ†вАФthat * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * once. + 

That was very odd, Trim, quoth my uncle Toby. + 

I think so tooвБ†вАФsaid Mrs.¬†Wadman. + 

It never did, said the corporal. + 