Morning, Noon
It is necessary to inform you , Sir , in this Place , That the Parson was earnestly bent to serve Trim in this Affair , not only from the Motive of Generality , which I have justly ascribed to him , but likewise from another Motive ; and that was by way of making some Sort of Recompence for a Multitude of small Services which Trim had occasionally done , and indeed was continually doing , -LRB- as he was much about the House -RRB- when his own Man was out of the Way . For all these Reasons together , I say , the Parson of the Parish intended to serve Trim in this Matter to the utmost of his Power : All that was wanting was previously to inquire , if any one had a Claim to it ; -- or whether , as it had , Time immemorial , hung up in the Church , the taking it down might not raise a Clamour in the Parish . These Inquiries were the very Thing that Trim dreaded in his Heart -- He knew very well that if the Parson should but say one Word to the Church - Wardens about it , there would be an End of the whole Affair . For this , and some other Reasons not necessary to be told you , at present , Trim was for allowing no Time in this Matter ; -- but , on the contrary , doubled his Diligence and Importunity at the Vicarage-House ; -- plagued the whole Family to Death ; -- pressed his Suit Morning , Noon , and Night ; and , to shorten my Story , teazed the poor Gentleman , who was but in an ill State of Health , almost out of his Life about it . You will not wonder , when I tell you , that all this Hurry and Precipitation , on the Side of Master Trim , produced its natural Effect on the Side of the Parson , and that was , a Suspicion that all was not right at the Bottom . He was one Evening sitting alone in his Study , weighing and turning this Doubt every Way in his Mind ; and , after an Hour and a half 's serious Deliberation upon the Affair , and running over Trim 's Behaviour throughout , -- he was just saying to himself , It must be so ; -- when a sudden Rap at the Door put an End to his Soliloquy , -- and , in a few Minutes , to his Doubts too ; for a Labourer in the Town , who deem 'd himself past his fifty-second Year , had been returned by the Constable in the Militia-List , -- and he had come , with a Groat in his Hand , to search the Parish Register for his Age . -- The Parson bid the poor Fellow put the Groat into his Pocket , and go into the Kitchen : -- Then shutting the Study Door , and taking down the Parish Register , -- Who knows , says he , but I may find something here about this self-same Watch-Coat ?