XXII
I had escaped, continued the corporal, all that time from falling in love, and had gone on to the end of the chapter, had it not been predestined otherwiseвБ†вЄЇвБ†there is no resisting our fate.
It was on a Sunday, in the afternoon, as I told your honour.
The old man and his wife had walked outвБ†вЄЇвБ†
Everything was still and hush as midnight about the houseвБ†вЄЇвБ†
There was not so much as a duck or a duckling about the yardвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†When the fair Beguine came in to see me.
My wound was then in a fair way of doing wellвБ†вЄЇвБ†the inflammation had been gone off for some time, but it was succeeded with an itching both above and below my knee, so insufferable, that I had not shut my eyes the whole night for it.
Let me see it, said she, kneeling down upon the ground parallel to my knee, and laying her hand upon the part below itвБ†вЄЇвБ†it only wants rubbing a little, said the Beguine; so covering it with the bedclothes, she began with the forefinger of her right hand to rub under my knee, guiding her forefinger backwards and forwards by the edge of the flannel which kept on the dressing.
In five or six minutes I felt slightly the end of her second fingerвБ†вАФand presently it was laid flat with the other, and she continued rubbing in that way round and round for a good while; it then came into my head, that I should fall in loveвБ†вАФI blushвАЩd when I saw how white a hand she hadвБ†вАФI shall never, anвАЩ please your honour, behold another hand so white whilst I liveвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†Not in that place; said my uncle TobyвБ†вЄЇвБ†
Though it was the most serious despair in nature to the corporalвБ†вАФhe could not forbear smiling.
The young Beguine, continued the corporal, perceiving it was of great service to meвБ†вАФfrom rubbing for some time, with two fingersвБ†вАФproceeded to rub at length, with threeвБ†вАФtill by little and little she brought down the fourth, and then rubbвАЩd with her whole hand: I will never say another word, anвАЩ please your honour, upon hands againвБ†вАФbut it was softer than sattinвБ†вАФ
вЄЇвБ†Prithee, Trim, commend it as much as thou wilt, said my uncle Toby; I shall hear thy story with the more delightвБ†вЄЇвБ†The corporal thankвАЩd his master most unfeignedly; but having nothing to say upon the BeguineвАЩs hand but the same over againвБ†вЄЇвБ†he proceeded to the effects of it.
The fair Beguine, said the corporal, continued rubbing with her whole hand under my kneeвБ†вАФtill I fearвАЩd her zeal would weary herвБ†вЄЇвАЬI would do a thousand times more,вАЭ said she, вАЬfor the love of ChristвАЭвБ†вЄЇвБ†In saying which, she passвАЩd her hand across the flannel, to the part above my knee, which I had equally complainвАЩd of, and rubbвАЩd it also.
I perceived, then, I was beginning to be in loveвБ†вЄЇвБ†
As she continued rub-rub-rubbingвБ†вАФI felt it spread from under her hand, anвАЩ please your honour, to every part of my frame.вБ†вЄЇвБ†
The more she rubbвАЩd, and the longer strokes she tookвБ†вЄЇвБ†the more the fire kindled in my veinsвБ†вЄЇвБ†till at length, by two or three strokes longer than the restвБ†вЄЇвБ†my passion rose to the highest pitchвБ†вЄЇвБ†I seizвАЩd her handвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†And then thou clappedвАЩst it to thy lips, Trim, said my uncle TobyвБ†вЄЇвБ†and madest a speech.
Whether the corporalвАЩs amour terminated precisely in the way my uncle Toby described it, is not material; it is enough that it contained in it the essence of all the love romances which ever have been wrote since the beginning of the world.