if
possible, her mother's wrath with humiliation, and even appeal to the
influence of her father, weak as it was, before she would despair
of being forgiven. But the good lady spared her this unnecessary
application, by telling her, through the keyhole, that she must never
expect to come within her father's door again; for, from that hour, she
renounced her as unworthy of her affection and regard. Julia, weeping
bitterly, endeavoured to soften the rigour of this sentence by the most
submissive and reasonable remonstrances; but as, in her vindication, she
of necessity espoused her elder brother's cause, her endeavours, instead
of soothing, served only to exasperate her mother to a higher pitch of
indignation, which discharged itself in invectives against Peregrine,
whom she reviled with the epithets of a worthless, abandoned reprobate.

The youth, hearing these unjust aspersions, trembled with resentment
through every limb, assuring the upbraider that he considered her as an
object of compassion; "for without all doubt," said he, "your diabolical
rancour must be severely punished by the thorns of your own conscience,
which this very instant taxes you with the malice and falsehood of your
reproaches. As for my sister, I bless God that you have not been able
to infect her with your unnatural prejudice, which, because she is too
just, too virtuous, too humane to imbibe, you reject her as an alien to
your blood, and turn her out unprovided into a barbarous world. But even
there your vicious purpose shall be defeated: that same Providence, that
screened me from the cruelty of your hate, shall extend its protection
to her, until I shall find it convenient to assert by law that right of
maintenance which Nature, it seems, hath bestowed upon us in vain. In
the mean time, you will enjoy the satisfaction of paying an undivided
attention to that darling son, whose amiable qualities have so long
engaged and engrossed your love and esteem."

This freedom of expostulation exalted his mother's ire to mere frenzy:
she cursed him with the bitterest imprecations, and raved like a
bedlamite at the door, which she attempted to burst open. Her efforts
were seconded by her favourite son, who denounced vengeance against
Peregrine, and made furious assaults against the lock, which resisted
all their applications, until our hero espying his friends Gauntlet and
Pipes stepping over a stile that stood about a furlong from the window,
called them