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 lieutenant --Is he in the army, then? said my uncle _Toby_ ----He is, said the corporal ----And in what regiment? said my uncle _Toby_ ----I'll tell your honour, replied the corporal, everything straight forwards, as I learnt it. --Then, _Trim_, I'll 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 it--_Your honour is good_: ----And having done that, he sat down, as he was ordered, --and 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, --That's a right distinction, _Trim_, said my uncle _Toby_ --I was answered, an' please your honour, that he had no servant with him; ----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. --If I get better, my dear, said he, as he gave his purse to his son to pay the man, --we can hire horses from hence. ----But alas! the poor gentleman will never get from hence, said the landlady to me, --for I heard the death-watch all night long; ----and when he dies, the youth, his son, will certainly die with him, for he is broken-hearted 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; ----but I will do it for my father myself, said the youth. ----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. ----I believe, Sir, said he, very modestly, I can please him best myself. ----I am sure, said I, his honour will not like the toast the worse for being toasted by an old soldier. ----The youth took hold of my hand, and instantly burst into tears. ----Poor youth! said my uncle _Toby_, --he 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; --I wish I had him here.
----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: --What could be the matter with me, an' please your honour? Nothing in the world, _Trim_, said my uncle _Toby_, blowing his nose, --but 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 _Shandy's_ servant, and that your honour (though a stranger) was extremely concerned for his father; --and that if there was any thing in your house or cellar----(And thou might'st have added my purse too, said my uncle _Toby_)----he was heartily welcome to it: ----He made a very low bow (which was meant to your honour), but no answer--for his heart was full--so he went up stairs with the toast; --I warrant you, my dear, said I, as I opened the kitchen-door, your father will be well again. ----Mr. _Yorick's_ curate was smoaking a pipe by the kitchen fire, --but said not a word good or bad to comfort the youth. ----I thought it wrong; added the corporal ----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 up stairs. ----I believe, said the landlord, he is going to say his prayers, ----for there was a book laid upon the chair by his bed-side, and as I shut the door, I saw his son take up a cushion.----
I thought, said the curate, that you gentlemen of the army, Mr. _Trim_, never said your prayers at all. ----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. ----Are you sure of it? replied the curate. ----A soldier, an' please your reverence, said I, prays as often (of his own accord) as a parson; ----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 any one in the whole world----'Twas well said of thee, _Trim_, said my uncle _Toby_. ----But when a soldier, said I, an' please your reverence, has been standing for twelve hours together in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water, --or engaged, said I, for months together in long and dangerous marches; --harassed, perhaps, in his rear to-day; --harassing others to-morrow; --detached here; --countermanded there; --resting this night out upon his arms; --beat up in his shirt the next; --benumbed in his joints; --perhaps without straw in his tent to kneel on; --must say his prayers _how_ and _when_ he can. --I believe, said I, --for I was piqued, quoth the corporal, for the reputation of the army, --I believe, an' please your reverence, said I, that when a soldier gets time to pray, --he prays as heartily as a parson, --though not with all his fuss and hypocrisy. ----Thou shouldst not have said that, _Trim_, said my uncle _Toby_, --for God only knows who is a hypocrite, and who is not: ----At the great and general review of us all, corporal, at the day of judgment (and not till then)--it will be seen who has done their duties in this world, --and who has not; and we shall be advanced, _Trim_, accordingly. ----I hope we shall, said _Trim_. ----It is in the Scripture, said my uncle _Toby_; and I will shew it thee to-morrow: --In the mean time 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, --it will never be enquired into, whether we have done them in a red coat or a black one: ----I hope not, said the corporal ----But go on, _Trim_, said my uncle _Toby_, with thy story.
When I went up, continued the corporal, into the lieutenant's room, which I did not do till the expiration of the ten minutes, --he 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: ----The youth was just stooping down to take up the cushion, upon which I supposed he had been kneeling, --the book was laid upon the bed, --and, as he rose, in taking up the cushion with one hand, he reached out his other to take it away at the same time. ----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 bed-side: --If you are captain _Shandy's_ servant, said he, you must present my thanks to your master, with my little boy's thanks along with them, for his courtesy to me; --if he was of _Leven's_--said the lieutenant. --I told him your honour was --Then, said he, I served three campaigns with him in _Flanders_, and remember him, --but 'tis most likely, as I had not the honour of any acquaintance with him, that he knows nothing of me. ----You will tell him, however, that the person his good-nature has laid under obligations to him, is one _Le Fever_, a lieutenant in _Angus's_----but he knows me not, --said he, a second time, musing; ----possibly he may my story--added he--pray 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. ----I remember the story, an't please your honour, said I, very well. ----Do you so? said he, wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, --then well may I. --In saying this, he drew a little ring out of his bosom, which seemed tied with a black ribband about his neck, and kiss'd it twice ----Here, _Billy_, said he, ----the boy flew across the room to the bed-side, --and falling down upon his knee, took the ring in his hand, and kissed it too, --then kissed his father, and sat down upon the bed and wept.
I wish, said my uncle _Toby_, with a deep sigh, --I wish, _Trim_, I was asleep.
Your honour, replied the corporal, is too much concerned; --shall I pour your honour out a glass of sack to your pipe? ----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; --and particularly well that he, as well as she, upon some account or other (I forget what) was universally pitied by the whole regiment; --but finish the story thou art upon: --'Tis finished already, said the corporal, --for I could stay no longer, --so 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_. ----But alas! said the corporal, --the lieutenant's last day's march is over. --Then what is to become of his poor boy? cried my uncle _Toby_.
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 this account.
'I despaired, at first,' said the corporal, 'of getting any news of the poor sick lieutenant.'
'He is in the army, then?' said my uncle Toby. 'In what regiment?'
'I'll tell your honour everything as I learnt it,' replied the corporal.
'Then, Trim, I'll fill another pipe,' said my uncle Toby, 'and not interrupt thee; so sit down in the window-seat, Trim, and begin thy story again.'
The corporal bowed, sat down, and began again.
'I despaired at first,' said he, 'of getting any news of the lieutenant and his son; for when I asked where his servant was, from whom I could make enquiries, I was told that he had no servant with him; that he had come to the inn with hired horses.
'"If I get better, my dear," said he, giving his purse to his son to pay the man, "we can hire horses again."
'"But alas! the poor gentleman will never leave here," said the landlady to me, "for I heard the death-watch all night long; and when he dies, his son will certainly die too, for he is broken-hearted."
'I was hearing this account,' continued the corporal, 'when the youth came into the kitchen, to order thin toast for his father - "but I will make it myself," said the youth.
'"Pray let me save you the trouble," said I.
'"I believe, Sir," said he, very modestly, "I can please him best myself."
'"I am sure," said I, "he will not like the toast the worse for being toasted by an old soldier." The youth took hold of my hand, and burst into tears.'
'Poor boy!' said my uncle Toby. 'The name of a soldier, Trim, sounded like the name of a friend; I wish I had him here.'
'I was near weeping myself,' continued the corporal. 'When I gave him the toast, I thought it was proper to tell him I was captain Shandy's servant, and that your honour (though a stranger) was extremely concerned for his father; and that if there was any food or drink we could provide, he was heartily welcome to it. He made a low bow and went up stairs with the toast.
'"I warrant you, my dear," said I, "your father will be well again." Mr. Yorick's curate was smoking a pipe by the kitchen fire, but said not a word to comfort the youth. - I thought it wrong.'
'I think so too,' said my uncle Toby.
'When the lieutenant had taken his sherry and toast, he revived a little, and sent word to the kitchen that he should be glad if I would step upstairs in ten minutes.
'"I believe," said the landlord, "he is going to say his prayers - for there was a book by his bed-side, and as I shut the door, I saw his son take up a cushion."
'"I thought," said the curate, "that you gentlemen of the army, Mr. Trim, never said your prayers at all."
'"I heard the poor gentleman say his prayers last night," said the landlady, "very devoutly."
'"Are you sure?" said the curate.
'"A soldier, an' please your reverence," said I, "prays as often as a parson; and when he is fighting for his king, and for his own life and his honour too, he has the most reason to pray to God of anyone in the world."'
''Twas well said, Trim," said my uncle Toby.
'"But when a soldier," said I, "has been standing for twelve hours in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water, - or engaged for months in long and dangerous marches; resting one night upon his arms, and roused the next in his shirt: harassed and benumbed, with no straw to kneel on - he must say his prayers how and when he can. I believe," said I, for I was annoyed, "I believe, your reverence, that when a soldier gets time, he prays as heartily as a parson, though not with all his fuss and hypocrisy."'
'Thou shouldst not have said that, Trim,' said my uncle Toby, 'for God only knows who is a hypocrite: at the day of judgment it will be seen who has done their duties, and who has not. - But we may depend upon it, Trim, that God is so just, that if we have done our duties, it will never be asked whether we have done them in a red coat or a black one. - But go on with thy story.'
'When I went up,' continued the corporal, 'into the lieutenant's room, he was lying in his bed: the youth was just taking up the cushion, upon which I supposed he had been kneeling.
'When I walked up to his bed-side, the lieutenant said to me: "If you are captain Shandy's servant, present my thanks to your master, with my little boy's thanks too. If he was of Leven's regiment" - I told him your honour was - "Then," said he, "I served three campaigns with him in Flanders, and remember him, but 'tis most likely that he knows nothing of me. My name is Le Fever, a lieutenant in Angus's; possibly he may know my story. Pray 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."
'"I remember the story very well," said I.
'"Do you?" said he, wiping his eyes; and drawing out a little ring tied with a black ribbon about his neck, he kissed it twice.
'"Here, Billy," said he. The boy flew across the room to the bed-side, and falling on his knee, took the ring in his hand, kissed his father, and then sat down upon the bed and wept.'
'I remember,' said my uncle Toby, sighing deeply, 'the story of the ensign and his wife, with a circumstance his modesty omitted; and particularly well because he, as well as she, upon some account or other (I forget what) was pitied by the whole regiment; but finish thy story.'
''Tis finished already,' said the corporal, 'for I could stay no longer. Young Le Fever saw me to the bottom of the stairs; and as we went down, told me they had come from Ireland, and were on their way to join the regiment in Flanders. But alas! the lieutenant's last march is over.'
'Then what is to become of his poor boy?' cried my uncle Toby.
Book 6 - Chapter 7: THE STORY OF LE FEVER CONTINUED