Strange to tell, no sooner was Peregrine presented to his mother, than she eyed him with tokens of affliction and surprise, and bursting into tears, exclaimed that her child was dead, and this was no other than an impostor whom they brought to defraud her sorrow.  Trunnion was confounded at this unaccountable passion, which had no other foundation than caprice and whim; and Gamaliel himself was so disconcerted and unsettled in his own belief, which began to waver, that he knew not how to behave towards the boy, whom his godfather immediately carried back to the garrison, swearing all the way that Perry should never cross their threshold again with his goodwill.  Thus exiled from his father’s house, the young gentleman was left entirely to the disposal of the Commodore, whose affection for him daily increased.

III.—­First Acquaintance with Miss Emilia Gauntlet

At the age of twelve Peregrine was sent to Winchester School.  A clergyman named Jacob Jolter was engaged as tutor to superintend the boy’s education, and Tom Pipes, at his own petition, put into livery, and appointed footman to the young squire.  Mr. Pickle approved of the plan, though he durst not venture to see the boy; so much was he intimidated by his wife, whose aversion to her firstborn became every day more inveterate and unaccountable.  Her second son, Gam, now in the fourth year of his age, had been rickety from the cradle, and as the deformity increased, the mother’s fondness was augmented.  Though she no longer retained the notion of Perry being an impostor, she would not suffer him to approach his father’s house, and broke off all commerce with her sister-in-law and the Commodore because they favoured the poor child.

Her malice, however, was frustrated by the love and generosity of Trunnion, who, having adopted him as his own son, equipped him accordingly.

At school, Peregrine, after two years of mischievous pranks, fixed his view upon objects which he thought more worthy of his attention than practical joking.  Having contracted intimacies with several youths older than himself, they, pleased with his address, introduced him into parties of gallantry; and Peregrine soon found he was by nature particularly adapted for succeeding in adventures of this kind.

Being one evening at the ball which is always given at the time of the races, Peregrine was struck with admiration at the beauty of a young lady, who seemed to be of his own age.  He begged she would do him the honour to walk a minuet with him, and she frankly complied with his request.  If he was charmed with her appearance, he was quite ravished with her discourse, which was sensible, spirited, and gay.  Her mother, who was present, thanked him for his civility, and he received a compliment of the same nature from the young lady’s brother.