Page:The Garden of Romance - 1897.djvu/139

Rh a spark of fire in his bosom, he left his Greek and Latin, without leave, and, throwing himself upon his knees before my uncle Toby, begged his father's sword, and my uncle Toby's leave along with it, to go and try his fortune under Eugene. Twice did my uncle Toby forget his wound and cry out, "Le Fevre, I will go with thee, and thou shalt fight beside me!" and twice he laid his hand upon his groin, and hung down his head in sorrow and disconsolation.

My uncle Toby took down the sword from the crook, where it had hung untouched ever since the Lieutenant's death, and delivered it to the Corporal to brighten up; and, having detained Le Fevre a single fortnight to equip him, and contract for his passage to Leghorn, he put the sword into his hand. "If thou art brave, Le Fevre," said my uncle Toby, "this will not fail thee; but Fortune," said he, musing a little, "Fortune may; and if she does," added my uncle Toby, embracing him, "come back again to me, Le Fevre, and we will shape thee another course."

The greatest injury could not have oppressed the heart of Le Fevre more than my uncle Toby's paternal kindness; he parted from my uncle Toby as the best of sons from the best of fathers: both dropped tears; and, as my uncle Toby gave him his last kiss, he slipped sixty guineas, tied up in an old purse of his father's, in which was his mother's ring, into his hand, and bid God bless him.