a
to such a degree, that her charming eyes kindled with fury, and he
saw great reason to think, that if he did not fall upon some method to
deprecate her wrath, she would, in a twinkling, sacrifice all her esteem
for him to her own zeal for the glory of the French nation. Moved by
this apprehension, his ardour cooled by degrees, and he insensibly
detached himself from the argument, leaving the whole care of supporting
it to the Jew, who, finding himself deserted, was fain to yield at
discretion; so that the French remained masters of the field, and their
young heroine resumed her good humour.

Our hero having prudently submitted to the superior intelligence of his
fair enslaver, began to be harassed with the fears of losing her
for ever; and set his invention at work, to contrive some means
of indemnifying himself for his assiduities, presents, and the
disappointment he had already undergone. On pretence of enjoying a free
air, he mounted the box, and employed his elocution and generosity with
such success, that the driver undertook to disable the diligence from
proceeding beyond the town of Alost for that day; and, in consequence
of his promise, gently overturned it when they were but a mile short of
that baiting-place. He had taken his measures so discreetly, that this
accident was attended with no other inconvenience than a fit of fear
that took possession of the ladies, and the necessity to which they
were reduced by the declaration of the coachman, who, upon examining
the carriage, assured the company that the axle-tree had given way, and
advised them to walk forward to the inn, while he would jog after them
at a slow pace, and do his endeavour the damage should be immediately
repaired.

Peregrine pretended to be very much concerned at what had happened,
and even cursed the driver for his inadvertency, expressing infinite
impatience to be at Brussels, and wishing that this misfortune might
not detain them another night upon the road; but when his understrapper,
according to his instructions, came afterwards to the inn, and gave them
to understand that the workman he had employed could not possibly refit
the machine in less then six hours, the crafty youth affected to
lose all temper, stormed at his emissary, whom he reviled in the most
opprobrious terms, and threatened to cane for his misconduct. The fellow
protested, with great humility, that their being overturned was owing to
the failure of the axle-tree, and