ding to the different degrees of faith, hope, and charity, she was
in, and bore towards her mistress that night. In every other respect,
the etiquette was sacred, and might have vied with the most mechanical
one of the most inflexible bed-chamber in Christendom.

The first night, as soon as the corporal had conducted my uncle Toby
up stairs, which was about ten--Mrs. Wadman threw herself into her
arm-chair, and crossing her left knee with her right, which formed a
resting-place for her elbow, she reclin'd her cheek upon the palm of her
hand, and leaning forwards, ruminated till midnight upon both sides of
the question.

The second night she went to her bureau, and having ordered Bridget to
bring her up a couple of fresh candles and leave them upon the table,
she took out her marriage-settlement, and read it over with great
devotion: and the third night (which was the last of my uncle Toby's
stay) when Bridget had pull'd down the night-shift, and was assaying to
stick in the corking pin--

--With a kick of both heels at once, but at the same time the
most natural kick that could be kick'd in her situation--for
supposing......... to be the sun in its meridian, it was a north-east
kick--she kick'd the pin out of her fingers--the etiquette which hung
upon it, down--down it fell to the ground, and was shiver'd into a
thousand atoms.

From all which it was plain that widow Wadman was in love with my uncle
Toby.

Chapter 4.XXXIV.

My uncle Toby's head at that time was full of other matters, so that it
was not till the demolition of Dunkirk, when all the other civilities of
Europe were settled, that he found leisure to return this.

This made an armistice (that is, speaking with regard to my uncle
Toby--but with respect to Mrs. Wadman, a vacancy)--of almost eleven
years. But in all cases of this nature, as it is the second blow, happen
at what distance of time it will, which makes the fray--I chuse for
that reason to call these the amours of my uncle Toby with Mrs. Wadman,
rather than the amours of Mrs. Wadman with my uncle Toby.

This is not a distinction without a difference.

It is not like the affair of an old hat cock'd--and a cock'd old
hat, about which your reverences have so often been at odds with one
another--but there is a difference here in the nature of things--

And let me tell you, gentry, a wide one too.

Chapter 4.XXXV.

Now as widow Wadman did love my uncle Toby--and my uncle Toby did no