tion in the course
of his gallantries; and took his word of honour, that he should drop
all measures of resentment against the person of Hornbeck during his
residence in that place.

The delinquent, thus honourably acquitted, thanked the prince in the
most respectful manner for his generosity and candour, and retired with
his two friends, who were amazed and bewildered in their thoughts
at what they had seen and heard, the whole adventure still remaining
without the sphere of their comprehension, which was not at all
enlarged by the unaccountable appearance of Pipes, who, with the
valet-de-chambre, joined them at the castle gate. Had Jolter been a man
of a luxuriant imagination, his brain would undoubtedly have suffered in
the investigation of his pupil's mysterious conduct, which he strove in
vain to unravel; but his intellects were too solid to be affected by the
miscarriage of his invention; and, as Peregrine did not think proper
to make him acquainted with the cause of his being apprehended, he
contented himself with supposing that there was a lady in the case.

The painter, whose imagination was of a more flimsy texture, formed a
thousand chimerical conjectures, which he communicated to Pickle,
in imperfect insinuations, hoping, by his answers and behaviour, to
discover the truth: but the youth, in order to tantalise him, eluded all
his inquiries, with such appearance of industry and art, as heightened
his curiosity, while it disappointed his aim, and inflamed him to such
a degree of impatience, that his wits began to be unsettled: then
Peregrine was fain to recompose his brain, by telling him in confidence,
that he had been arrested as a spy. This secret he found more
intolerable than his former uncertainty. He ran from one apartment to
another, like a goose in the agonies of egg-laying, with intention of
disburdening this important load; but Jolter being engaged with the
pupil, and all the people of the house ignorant of the only language
he could speak, he was compelled, with infinite reluctance, to address
himself to the doctor, who was at that time shut up in his own chamber.
Having knocked at the door to no purpose, he peeped through the
key-hole, and saw the physician sitting at a table, with a pen in one
hand, and paper before him, his head reclined upon his other hand, and
his eyes fixed upon the ceiling, as if he had been entranced. Pallet,
concluding that he was under the power of some convulsion, endea