bed, etc. , to do this⸺she consulted no thermometer but that of her own passions; and so performed it standing—kneeling—or squatting, according 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 bedchamber in Christendom .
The first night, as soon as the corporal had conducted my uncle Toby upstairs, which was about ten⸺ Mrs. Wadman threw herself into her armchair, 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 northeast 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 .