easons I expressed when last I had the honour to
converse with you upon this subject. Though I am deprived
of my liberty by the villainy and ingratitude of mankind,
I am not yet destitute of the other conveniences of life;
and therefore beg to be excused for incurring an unnecessary
addition to that load of obligation you have already laid
upon, madam, your ladyship's most devoted, humble servant,
"Peregrine Pickle."

Having dressed himself, and repaired to the place of appointment, he
despatched this epistle by the hands of Pipes, who was ordered to leave
it at her ladyship's house, without staying for an answer; and in the
meantime gave directions for dinner, which he and his friend Hatchway
ate very cheerfully in his own apartment, after he had entertained him
with a sight of all the curiosities in the place. During their repast,
Jack repeated his kind offers to our adventurer, who declined them with
his former obstinacy, and begged he might be no more importuned on
that subject; but if he insisted upon giving some fresh proofs of his
friendship, he might have an opportunity of exhibiting it in taking
Pipes under his care and protection; for nothing affected him so much as
his inability to provide for such a faithful adherent.

The lieutenant desired he would give himself no trouble upon that score;
he being, of his own accord, perfectly well disposed to befriend his old
shipmate, who should never want while he had a shilling to spare. But
he began to drop some hints of an intention to fix his quarters in the
Fleet, observing, that the air seemed to be very good in that place, and
that he was tired of living in the country. What he said did not amount
to a plain declaration, and therefore Peregrine did not answer it
as such, though he perceived his drift; and took an opportunity of
describing the inconveniences of the place, in such a manner as,
he hoped, would deter him from putting such an extravagant plan in
execution.

This expedient, however, far from answering the end proposed, had a
quite contrary effect, and furnished Hatchway with an argument against
his own unwillingness to quit such a disagreeable place. In all
probability, Jack would have been more explicit with regard to the
scheme he had proposed, if the conversation had not been interrupted by
the arrival of Cadwallader, who never failed in the performance of his
diurnal visit. Hatch