Grizzle, who (as we have already hinted) was more interested in the preservation of the family-name, than in any other consideration whatever. She therefore no sooner discovered appearances to justify and confirm her hopes, than postponing her own purpose, and laying aside that pique and resentment she had conceived from the behaviour of Mrs. Pickle, when she superseded her authority; or perhaps, considering her in no other light than that of the vehicle which contained, and was destined to convey her brother's heir to light, she determined to exert her uttermost in nursing, tending, and cherishing her, during the term of her important charge. With this view she purchased Culpepper's midwifery, which, with that sagacious performance dignified with Aristotle's name, she studied with indefatigable care, and diligently perused the Compleat House-wife, together with Quincy's dispensatory, culling every jelly, marmalade and conserve which these authors recommend as either salutory or toothsome, for the benefit and comfort of her sister-in-law, during her gestation. She restricted her from eating roots, pot-herbs, fruit, and all sort of vegetables; and one day when Mrs. Pickle had plucked a peach with her own hand, and was in the very act of putting it between her teeth, Mrs. Grizzle perceived the rash attempt, and running up to her, fell upon her knees in the garden, intreating her, with tears in her eyes, to resist such a pernicious appetite. Her request was no sooner complied with, than recollecting that if her sister's longing was baulked, the child might be affected with some disagreeable mark, or deplorable disease, she begged as earnestly that she would swallow the fruit, and in the mean time ran for some cordial water of her own composing, which she forced upon her sister, as an antidote to the poison she had received.

This excessive zeal and tenderness did not fail to be very troublesome to Mrs. Pickle, who having revolved divers plans for the recovery of her own ease, at length determined to engage Mrs. Grizzle in such employment as would interrupt that close attendance which she found so teizing and disagreeable. Neither did she wait long for an opportunity of putting her resolution in practice. The very next day, a gentleman happening to dine with Mr. Pickle, unfortunately mentioned a pine-apple, part of which he had eaten a week before at the house of a nobleman who lived in another part of the country, at the distance of an hundred miles at least.

The name of this fatal fruit was no sooner pronounced, than Mrs. Grizzle, who incessantly watched her sister's looks, took the alarm, because she thought they gave certain indications of curiosity and desire; and after having observed that she herself never could eat pine-apples, which were altogether unnatural productions, extorted by the force of artificial fire, out of filthy manure, asked with a faltering voice, if Mrs. Pickle was not of her way of thinking? This young lady, who wanted neither slyness nor penetration, at once divined her meaning, and replied with seeming unconcern, that for her own part she should never repine, if there was not a pine-apple in the universe, provided she could indulge herself with the fruits of her own country.

This answer, which was calculated for the benefit of the stranger, who would certainly have suffered for his imprudence by the resentment of Mrs. Grizzle, had her sister expressed the least relish for the fruit in question: I say, this answer had the desired effect, and re-established the peace of the company, which was not a little endangered by the gentleman's want of consideration. Next morning, however, after breakfast, the pregnant lady, in pursuance of her plan, yawned (as it were by accident) full in the face of her maiden sister, who being infinitely disturbed by this convulsion, affirmed it was a symptom of longing; and insisted upon knowing the object in desire, when Mrs. Pickle affecting an affected smile, told her she had eaten a most delicious pine-apple in her sleep. This declaration was attended with an immediate scream uttered by Mrs. Grizzle, who instantly perceiving her sister surprized at the exclamation, clasped her in her arms, and assured her, with a sort of hysterical laugh, importing horror rather than delight, that she could not help screaming with joy, because she had it in her power to gratify her dear sister's wish; a lady in the neighbourhood having promised to send her, in a present, a couple of fine pine-apples, which she would that very day go in quest of.

Mrs. Pickle would by no means consent to this proposal, on pretence of sparing the other unnecessary fatigue; and assured her, that if she had any desire to eat a pine-apple, it was so faint, that the disappointment could produce no bad consequence. But this assurance was conveyed in a manner (which she knew very well how to adopt) that instead of dissuading, rather stimulated Mrs. Grizzle to set out immediately, not on a visit to that lady, whose promise she herself had feigned with a view of consulting her sister's tranquillity, but on a random search thro' the whole county for this unlucky fruit, which was like to produce so much vexation and prejudice to her and her father's house.

During three whole days and nights, did she, attended by a valet, ride from place to place without success, unmindful of her health, and careless of her reputation, that began to suffer from the nature of her inquiry, which was pursued with such peculiar eagerness and distraction, that every body with whom she conversed, looked upon her as an unhappy person, whose intellects were not a little disordered.

Baffled in all her researches within the county, she at length resolved to visit that very nobleman, at whose house the officious stranger had been (for her) so unfortunately regaled, and actually arrived in a post-chaise at the place of his habitation, where she introduced her business as an affair on which the happiness of a whole family depended. But, alas! she had come too late; his lordship lamented, in very polite and pathetic terms, that he was disabled from exerting his humanity, and enjoying the pleasure he should feel in contributing to the happiness of his fellow-creatures, at such an easy rate; telling her, that he had unluckily, the very day before, sent the two last pine-apples his garden had produced, in a present to a certain lady in the neighbourhood.

Mrs. Grizzle was so affected with this explanation, that she fainted away, and was immediately carried to the public house, where she had left her horses, and where she remained inconsolable for the disappointment, which in all likelihood would have proved more fatal to her than to the person for whom she was so piously concerned, had not she in the evening, by the medium of her own servant, received a hint from the nobleman's gardener, that for five pieces she should be furnished with a couple of as fine apples as ever were seen in England. The terms (I scarce need say) were greedily embraced, the fruit secured in her possession; and she departed that very night on her return to her brother's house, where she safely arrived with her acquisition, and was most cordially received by her sister, who had been under some apprehensions on her account. Neither was his lordship forgotten in Mrs. Grizzle's benediction, when she understood from the valet who accompanied her, that he had, with his own eyes, seen above an hundred pine-apples ripe for cutting in his garden the evening of that very day on which he had assured her that there was not one left.

 

 

Chapter VI

Mrs. Grizzle is indefatigable in gratifying her Sister's Longings. Peregrine is born, and managed contrary to the Directions and Remonstrances of his Aunt, who is disgusted upon that Account; and resumes the Plan which she had before rejected

 

The success of this device would have encouraged Mrs.