VII
The Story of Le Fever Continued
It was not till my uncle Toby had knocked the ashes out of his third pipe, that corporal Trim returned from the inn, and gave him the following account.
I despaired, at first, said the corporal, of being able to bring back your honour any kind of intelligence concerning the poor sick lieutenantвБ†вАФIs he in the army, then? said my uncle TobyвБ†вЄЇвБ†He is, said the corporalвБ†вЄЇвБ†And in what regiment? said my uncle TobyвБ†вЄЇвБ†IвАЩll tell your honour, replied the corporal, everything straight forwards, as I learnt it.вБ†вАФThen, Trim, IвАЩll fill another pipe, said my uncle Toby, and not interrupt thee till thou hast done; so sit down at thy ease, Trim, in the window-seat, and begin thy story again. The corporal made his old bow, which generally spoke as plain as a bow could speak itвБ†вАФYour honour is good:вБ†вЄЇвБ†And having done that, he sat down, as he was ordered,вБ†вАФand began the story to my uncle Toby over again in pretty near the same words.
I despaired at first, said the corporal, of being able to bring back any intelligence to your honour, about the lieutenant and his son; for when I asked where his servant was, from whom I made myself sure of knowing everything which was proper to be asked,вБ†вАФThatвАЩs a right distinction, Trim, said my uncle TobyвБ†вАФI was answered, anвАЩ please your honour, that he had no servant with him;вБ†вЄЇвБ†that he had come to the inn with hired horses, which, upon finding himself unable to proceed (to join, I suppose, the regiment), he had dismissed the morning after he came.вБ†вАФIf I get better, my dear, said he, as he gave his purse to his son to pay the man,вБ†вАФwe can hire horses from hence.вБ†вЄЇвБ†But alas! the poor gentleman will never get from hence, said the landlady to me,вБ†вАФfor I heard the deathwatch all night long;вБ†вЄЇвБ†and when he dies, the youth, his son, will certainly die with him, for he is brokenhearted already.
I was hearing this account, continued the corporal, when the youth came into the kitchen, to order the thin toast the landlord spoke of;вБ†вЄЇвБ†but I will do it for my father myself, said the youth.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Pray let me save you the trouble, young gentleman, said I, taking up a fork for the purpose, and offering him my chair to sit down upon by the fire, whilst I did it.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I believe, Sir, said he, very modestly, I can please him best myself.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I am sure, said I, his honour will not like the toast the worse for being toasted by an old soldier.вБ†вЄЇвБ†The youth took hold of my hand, and instantly burst into tears.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Poor youth! said my uncle Toby,вБ†вАФhe has been bred up from an infant in the army, and the name of a soldier, Trim, sounded in his ears like the name of a friend;вБ†вАФI wish I had him here.
вЄЇвБ†I never, in the longest march, said the corporal, had so great a mind to my dinner, as I had to cry with him for company:вБ†вАФWhat could be the matter with me, anвАЩ please your honour? Nothing in the world, Trim, said my uncle Toby, blowing his nose,вБ†вАФbut that thou art a good-natured fellow.
When I gave him the toast, continued the corporal, I thought it was proper to tell him I was captain ShandyвАЩs servant, and that your honour (though a stranger) was extremely concerned for his father;вБ†вАФand that if there was anything in your house or cellarвБ†вЄЇ(And thou mightвАЩst have added my purse too, said my uncle Toby)вБ†вЄЇвБ†he was heartily welcome to it:вБ†вЄЇвБ†He made a very low bow (which was meant to your honour), but no answerвБ†вАФfor his heart was fullвБ†вАФso he went upstairs with the toast;вБ†вАФI warrant you, my dear, said I, as I opened the kitchen-door, your father will be well again.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Mr.¬†YorickвАЩs curate was smoaking a pipe by the kitchen fire,вБ†вАФbut said not a word good or bad to comfort the youth.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I thought it wrong; added the corporalвБ†вЄЇвБ†I think so too, said my uncle Toby.
When the lieutenant had taken his glass of sack and toast, he felt himself a little revived, and sent down into the kitchen, to let me know, that in about ten minutes he should be glad if I would step upstairs.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I believe, said the landlord, he is going to say his prayers,вБ†вЄЇвБ†for there was a book laid upon the chair by his bedside, and as I shut the door, I saw his son take up a cushion.вБ†вЄЇвБ†
I thought, said the curate, that you gentlemen of the army, Mr.¬†Trim, never said your prayers at all.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I heard the poor gentleman say his prayers last night, said the landlady, very devoutly, and with my own ears, or I could not have believed it.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Are you sure of it? replied the curate.вБ†вЄЇвБ†A soldier, anвАЩ please your reverence, said I, prays as often (of his own accord) as a parson;вБ†вЄЇвБ†and when he is fighting for his king, and for his own life, and for his honour too, he has the most reason to pray to God of anyone in the whole worldвБ†вЄЇвАЩTwas well said of thee, Trim, said my uncle Toby.вБ†вЄЇвБ†But when a soldier, said I, anвАЩ please your reverence, has been standing for twelve hours together in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water,вБ†вАФor engaged, said I, for months together in long and dangerous marches;вБ†вАФharassed, perhaps, in his rear today;вБ†вАФharassing others tomorrow;вБ†вАФdetached here;вБ†вАФcountermanded there;вБ†вАФresting this night out upon his arms;вБ†вАФbeat up in his shirt the next;вБ†вАФbenumbed in his joints;вБ†вАФperhaps without straw in his tent to kneel on;вБ†вАФmust say his prayers how and when he can.вБ†вАФI believe, said I,вБ†вАФfor I was piqued, quoth the corporal, for the reputation of the army,вБ†вАФI believe, anвАЩ please your reverence, said I, that when a soldier gets time to pray,вБ†вАФhe prays as heartily as a parson,вБ†вАФthough not with all his fuss and hypocrisy.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Thou shouldst not have said that, Trim, said my uncle Toby,вБ†вАФfor God only knows who is a hypocrite, and who is not:вБ†вЄЇвБ†At the great and general review of us all, corporal, at the day of judgment (and not till then)вБ†вАФit will be seen who has done their duties in this world,вБ†вАФand who has not; and we shall be advanced, Trim, accordingly.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I hope we shall, said Trim.вБ†вЄЇвБ†It is in the Scripture, said my uncle Toby; and I will show it thee tomorrow:вБ†вАФIn the meantime we may depend upon it, Trim, for our comfort, said my uncle Toby, that God Almighty is so good and just a governor of the world, that if we have but done our duties in it,вБ†вАФit will never be enquired into, whether we have done them in a red coat or a black one:вБ†вЄЇвБ†I hope not, said the corporalвБ†вЄЇвБ†But go on, Trim, said my uncle Toby, with thy story.
When I went up, continued the corporal, into the lieutenantвАЩs room, which I did not do till the expiration of the ten minutes,вБ†вАФhe was lying in his bed with his head raised upon his hand, with his elbow upon the pillow, and a clean white cambrick handkerchief beside it:вБ†вЄЇвБ†The youth was just stooping down to take up the cushion, upon which I supposed he had been kneeling,вБ†вАФthe book was laid upon the bed,вБ†вАФand, as he rose, in taking up the cushion with one hand, he reached out his other to take it away at the same time.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Let it remain there, my dear, said the lieutenant.
He did not offer to speak to me, till I had walked up close to his bedside:вБ†вАФIf you are captain ShandyвАЩs servant, said he, you must present my thanks to your master, with my little boyвАЩs thanks along with them, for his courtesy to me;вБ†вАФif he was of LevenвАЩsвБ†вАФsaid the lieutenant.вБ†вАФI told him your honour wasвБ†вАФThen, said he, I served three campaigns with him in Flanders, and remember him,вБ†вАФbut вАЩtis most likely, as I had not the honour of any acquaintance with him, that he knows nothing of me.вБ†вЄЇвБ†You will tell him, however, that the person his good-nature has laid under obligations to him, is one Le Fever, a lieutenant in AngusвАЩsвБ†вЄЇвБ†but he knows me not,вБ†вАФsaid he, a second time, musing;вБ†вЄЇвБ†possibly he may my storyвБ†вАФadded heвБ†вАФpray tell the captain, I was the ensign at Breda, whose wife was most unfortunately killed with a musket-shot, as she lay in my arms in my tent.вБ†вЄЇвБ†I remember the story, anвАЩt please your honour, said I, very well.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Do you so? said he, wiping his eyes with his handkerchief,вБ†вАФthen well may I.вБ†вАФIn saying this, he drew a little ring out of his bosom, which seemed tied with a black ribbon about his neck, and kissвАЩd it twiceвБ†вЄЇвБ†Here, Billy, said he,вБ†вЄЇвБ†the boy flew across the room to the bedside,вБ†вАФand falling down upon his knee, took the ring in his hand, and kissed it too,вБ†вАФthen kissed his father, and sat down upon the bed and wept.
I wish, said my uncle Toby, with a deep sigh,вБ†вАФI wish, Trim, I was asleep.
Your honour, replied the corporal, is too much concerned;вБ†вАФshall I pour your honour out a glass of sack to your pipe?вБ†вЄЇвБ†Do, Trim, said my uncle Toby.
I remember, said my uncle Toby, sighing again, the story of the ensign and his wife, with a circumstance his modesty omitted;вБ†вАФand particularly well that he, as well as she, upon some account or other (I forget what) was universally pitied by the whole regiment;вБ†вАФbut finish the story thou art upon:вБ†вАФвАЩTis finished already, said the corporal,вБ†вАФfor I could stay no longer,вБ†вАФso wished his honour a good night; young Le Fever rose from off the bed, and saw me to the bottom of the stairs; and as we went down together, told me, they had come from Ireland, and were on their route to join the regiment in Flanders.вБ†вЄЇвБ†But alas! said the corporal,вБ†вАФthe lieutenantвАЩs last dayвАЩs march is over.вБ†вАФThen what is to become of his poor boy? cried my uncle Toby.