ention to renew his inquiries, after that affair should be
transacted. He communicated his demands to his supposed patron, who had
assumed the merit of making him a captain, and been gratified with a
valuable present on that consideration; and was cajoled with hopes of
succeeding in his present aim by the same interest.

Meanwhile, he became acquainted with one of the clerks belonging to
the War Office, whose advice and assistance, he was told, would be a
furtherance to his scheme. As he had occasion to discourse with this
gentleman upon the circumstances of his expectation, he learned that the
nobleman, upon whom he depended, was a person of no consequence in the
state, and altogether incapable of assisting him in his advancement.
At the same time, his counsellor expressed his surprise that Captain
Gauntlet did not rather interest in his cause the noble peer to whose
good offices he owed his last commission.

This remark introduced an explanation, by which Godfrey discovered, to
his infinite astonishment, the mistake in which he had continued so long
with regard to his patron; though he could not divine the motive which
induced a nobleman, with whom he had no acquaintance or connection,
to interpose his influence in his behalf. Whatsoever that might be, he
thought it was his duty to make his acknowledgment; and for that purpose
went next morning to his house, where he was politely received, and
given to understand that Mr. Pickle was the person to whose friendship
he was indebted for his last promotion.

Inexpressible were the transports of gratitude, affection, and remorse
that took possession of the soul of Gauntlet, when this mystery was
unfolded. "Good Heaven!" cried he, lifting up his hands, "have I lived
so long in a state of animosity with my benefactor? I intended to have
reconciled myself at any rate before I was sensible of this obligation,
but now I shall not enjoy a moment's quiet until I have an opportunity
of expressing to him my sense of his heroic friendship. I presume,
from the nature of the favour conferred upon him in my behalf, that
Mr. Pickle is well known to your lordship; and I should think myself
extremely happy if you could inform me in what part of the country he is
to be found; for the person with whom he lodged some time ago could give
me no intelligence of his motions."

The nobleman, touched with this instance of generous self-denial in
Peregrine, as well as with the sensibility of his