CHAPTER VIII
THE STORY OF LE FEVER CONTINUED
It was to my uncle _Toby’s_ eternal honour, ----though I tell it only for the sake of those, who, when coop’d in betwixt a natural and a positive law, know not, for their souls, which way in the world to turn themselves ----That notwithstanding my uncle _Toby_ was warmly engaged at that time in carrying on the siege of _Dendermond_, parallel with the allies, who pressed theirs on so vigorously, that they scarce allowed him time to get his dinner----that nevertheless he gave up _Dendermond_, though he had already made a lodgment upon the counterscarp; --and bent his whole thoughts towards the private distresses at the inn; and except that he ordered the garden gate to be bolted up, by which he might be said to have turned the siege of _Dendermond_ into a blockade, --he left _Dendermond_ to itself--to be relieved or not by the _French_ king, as the _French_ king thought good; and only considered how he himself should relieve the poor lieutenant and his son.
----That kind BEING, who is a friend to the friendless, shall recompence thee for this.
Thou hast left this matter short, said my uncle _Toby_ to the corporal, as he was putting him to bed, ----and I will tell thee in what, _Trim_. ----In the first place, when thou madest an offer of my services to _Le Fever_, ----as sickness and travelling are both expensive, and thou knowest he was but a poor lieutenant, with a son to subsist as well as himself out of his pay, --that thou didst not make an offer to him of my purse; because, had he stood in need, thou knowest, _Trim_, he had been as welcome to it as myself. ----Your honour knows, said the corporal, I had no orders; ----True, quoth my uncle _Toby_, --thou didst very right, _Trim_, as a soldier, --but certainly very wrong as a man.
In the second place, for which, indeed, thou hast the same excuse, continued my uncle _Toby_, ----when thou offeredst him whatever was in my house, ----thou shouldst have offered him my house too: ----A sick brother officer should have the best quarters, _Trim_, and if we had him with us, --we could tend and look to him: ----Thou art an excellent nurse thyself, _Trim_, --and what with thy care of him, and the old woman’s, and his boy’s, and mine together, we might recruit him again at once, and set him upon his legs.------
----In a fortnight or three weeks, added my uncle _Toby_, smiling, ----he might march. ----He will never march; an’ please your honour, in this world, said the corporal: ----He will march; said my uncle _Toby_, rising up, from the side of the bed, with one shoe off: ----An’ please your honour, said the corporal, he will never march but to his grave: ----He shall march, cried my uncle _Toby_, marching the foot which had a shoe on, though without advancing an inch, --he shall march to his regiment. ----He cannot stand it, said the corporal; ----He shall be supported, said my uncle _Toby_; ----He’ll drop at last, said the corporal, and what will become of his boy? ----He shall not drop, said my uncle _Toby_, firmly. ----A-well-o’-day, --do what we can for him, said _Trim_, maintaining his point, --the poor soul will die: ----He shall not die, by G--, cried my uncle _Toby_.
--The ACCUSING SPIRIT, which flew up to heaven’s chancery with the oath, blush’d as he gave it in; --and the RECORDING ANGEL, as he wrote it down, dropp’d a tear upon the word, and blotted it out for ever.
## CHAPTER IX ----My uncle _Toby_ went to his bureau, --put his purse into his breeches pocket, and having ordered the corporal to go early in the morning for a physician, --he went to bed, and fell asleep.
##