y spouse parted, I bore my misfortune like a British man, and a
Christian. For why? He's no better than a fresh-water sailor, who knows
not how to stem the current of mischance."

Pickle being waked from a pleasant dream, in which the fair Emilia was
principally concerned, and hearing this strange preamble, sat up in his
bed, and unsealed the letter, in a state of mortification and disgust.
But what were the emotions of his soul, when he read the following
intimation:--

Dear Brother,--It hath pleased God to take your father
suddenly off by a fit of apoplexy; and as he has died
intestate, I give you this notice, that you may, with all
speed, come down and take possession of your right, in
despite of Master Gam and his mother, who, you may be sure,
do not sit easy under this unexpected dispensation of
Providence. I have, by virtue of being a justice of the
peace, taken such precautions as I thought necessary for
your advantage; and the funeral shall be deferred until
your pleasure be known. Your sister, though sincerely
afflicted by her father's fate, submits to the will of
Heaven with laudable resignation, and begs you will set
out for this place without delay; in which request she is
joined by, sir, your affectionate brother, and humble
servant, "Charles Clover."

Peregrine at first looked upon this epistle as a mere illusion of the
brain, and a continuation of the reverie in which he had been engaged.
He read it ten times over, without being persuaded that he was actually
awake. He rubbed his eyes, and shook his head, in order to shake off
the drowsy vapours that surrounded him. He hemmed thrice with great
vociferation, snapped his fingers, tweaked his nose, started up from his
bed, and, opening the casement, took a survey of the well-known
objects that appeared on each side of his habitation. Everything seemed
congruous and connected, and he said within himself, "Sure this is the
most distinct dream that ever sleep produced." Then he had recourse
again to the paper, which he carefully perused, without finding any
variation from his first notion of the contents.

Hatchway, seeing all his extravagances of action, accompanied with a
wild stare of distraction, began to believe that his head was at length
fairly turned, and was really meditating means for securing his person,
when Pickle, in a tone of surprise, exclaime