, who, whatever face she might put on the matter, could
have dispensed with the society of her niece, though she was not without
hope of gratifying her pique to Mrs. Pickle, by the intelligence she
would receive from the daughter of that lady's economy and domestic
behaviour. The mother herself seemed conscious of this advantage which
her sister-in-law had now gained over her, being as much chagrined at
the news of Julia's reception in the garrison, as if she had heard of
her own husband's death. She even tortured her invention to propagate
calumnies against the reputation of her own daughter, whom she slandered
in all companies; she exclaimed against the commodore as an old
ruffian, who spirited up rebellion among her children, and imputed the
hospitality of his wife, in countenancing them, to nothing else but her
inveterate enmity to their mother, whom they had disobliged. She now
insisted, in the most peremptory terms, upon her husband's renouncing
all commerce with the old lad of the castle and his adherents; and Mr.
Gamaliel, having by this time contracted other friendships, readily
submitted to her will; nay, even refused to communicate with the
commodore one night, when they happened to meet by accident at the
public-house.

CHAPTER XXXII.

The Commodore sends a Challenge to Gamaliel, and is imposed upon by a
waggish invention of the Lieutenant, Peregrine, and Gauntlet.

This affront Trunnion could by no means digest: he advised with the
lieutenant upon the subject; and the result of their consultation was a
defiance which the old commander sent to Pickle, demanding that he would
meet him at such a place on horseback with a brace of pistols, and give
satisfaction for the slight he had put upon him. Nothing could have
afforded more pleasure to Jack than the acceptance of this challenge,
which he delivered verbally to Mr. Gamaliel, who was called out from
the club at Tunley's for that purpose. The nature of this message had an
instantaneous effect upon the constitution of the pacific Pickle, whose
bowels yearned with apprehension, and underwent such violent agitation
on the spot, that one would have thought the operation proceeded from
some severe joke of the apothecary which he had swallowed in his beer.

The messenger, despairing of a satisfactory answer, left him in this
woeful condition; and being loath to lose any opportunity of raising the
laugh against the commodore, went immediately and communi