had not been
enabled, by a most accidental piece of good fortune, to lift himself
into the sphere of an officer, he had all the reason in the world to
believe that this gentleman, and all the rest of his wealthy relations,
would have suffered him to languish in obscurity and distress; and by
turning his misfortune into reproach, made it a plea for their want of
generosity and friendship.

Peregrine, understanding the situation of his friend's affairs, would
have accommodated him upon the instant with a sum to accelerate the
passage of his commission through the offices; but, being too well
acquainted with his scrupulous disposition, to manifest his benevolence
in that manner, he found means to introduce himself to one of the
gentlemen of the War Office, who was so well satisfied with the
arguments used in behalf of his friend, that Godfrey's business was
transacted in a very few days, though he himself knew nothing of his
interest being thus reinforced.

By this time, the season at Bath was begun; and our hero, panting with
the desire of distinguishing himself at that resort of the fashionable
world, communicated his design of going thither to his friend Godfrey,
whom he importuned to accompany him in the excursion; and leave of
absence from his regiment being obtained by the influence of Peregrine's
new quality friends, the two companions departed from London in a
post-chaise, attended, as usual, by the valet-de-chambre and Pipes, who
were become almost as necessary to our adventurer as any two of his own
organs.

At the inn, when they alighted for dinner, Godfrey perceived a person
walking by himself in the yard, with a very pensive air, and, upon
observing him more narrowly, recognised him to be a professed gamester,
whom he had formerly known at Tunbridge. On the strength of this
acquaintance, he accosted the peripatetic, who knew him immediately;
and, in the fulness of his grief and vexation, told him, that he was
now on his return from Bath, where he had been stripped by a company
of sharpers, who resented that he should presume to trade upon his own
bottom.

Peregrine, who was extremely curious in his inquiries, imagining that
he might learn some entertaining and useful anecdotes from this artist,
invited him to dinner, and was accordingly fully informed of all the
political systems at Bath. He understood that there was at London one
great company of adventurers, who employed agents in all the different
bra