 Chapter 33 of the History of Pendentis. The History of Pendentis by William Maypeace Thackeray. Chapter 33, which is passed in the neighborhood of Ludgate Hill. Our imprisoned captain announced, in smart and emphatic language in his prospectus, that the time had come at last when it was necessary for the gentlemen of England to band together in defense of their common rights and their glorious order, menaced on all sides by foreign revolutions, by intestine radicalism, by the artful calamities of mill owners and cotton lords, and the stupid hostility of the masses whom they galled and led. The ancient monarchy was insulted, the captain said, by a ferocious Republican rabble. The church was deserted by envious dissent and undermined by stealthy infidelity. The good institutions which have made our country glorious and the name of English gentlemen, the proudest in the world, were left without defense and exposed to assault and contumely from men to whom no sanctuary was sacred, for they believed in nothing holy, no history venerable, for they were too ignorant to have heard of the past, and no law was binding, which they were strong enough to break when their leaders gave the signal for plunder. It was because the kings of France mistrusted their gentlemen, after Shandon remarked that the monarchy of Saint-Louis went down. It was because the people of England still believed in their gentlemen that this country encountered and overcame the greatest enemy a nation never met. It was because we were headed by gentlemen that the eagles retreated before us from the Donro to the Garon. It was a gentleman who broke the line at Trafalgar and swept the plain of Waterloo. Bungay nodded his head in a knowing manner and winked his eyes when the captain came to the Waterloo passage, and Warrington burst out laughing. You see how our venerable friend Bungay is affected. Shandon said slyly looking up from his papers, that's your true sort of test. I've used the Duke of Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo a hundred times, and I never knew the Duke to fail. The captain then went on to confess with much candor that up to the present time the gentlemen of England confident of their right and careless of those who questioned it had left the political interest of their order as they did the management of their estates or the settlement of their legal affairs to persons affected to each peculiar service and had permitted their interests to be represented in the press by professional proctors and advocates. That time Shandon professed to consider was now gone by. The gentlemen of England must be their own champions. The declared enemies of their order were brave, strong, numerous, and uncompromising. They must meet their foes in the field. They must not be belied and misrepresented by hireling advocates. They must not have grub street-publishing gazettes from Whitehall. That's a dig at Bacon's people, Mr. Bungay, said Shandon turning round to the publisher. Bungay clapped his stick on the floor, hang him, pitch into him, captain. He said with exaltation and turning to Warrington, wagged his dull head more vehemently than ever, and said for a slashing article, sir, there's nobody like the captain, nobody like him. The prospectus writer went on to say that some gentlemen whose names were for obvious reasons not brought before the public, at which Mr. Warrington began to laugh again, had determined to bring forward a journal of which the principles were so and so. These men are proud of their order and anxious to uphold it, cried out Captain Shandon, flourishing his paper with a grin. They are loyal to their sovereign by faithful conviction and ancestral allegiance. They love their church where they would have their children worship and for which their forefathers bled. They love their country and would keep it what the gentleman of England, yes, the gentleman of England, will have that in large caps. Bungay, my boy, have made it the greatest and freest in the world. And as the names of some of them are appended to the deed which secured our liberties at Rony Meade, what's that, asked Mr. Bungay. An ancestor of mine sealed it with his sword hilt, Penn said with great gravity. It's the habeas corpus, Mr. Bungay, Warrington said, on which the publisher answered, All right, I dare say, and yawned, though he said, Go on, Captain, at Rony Meade, they are ready to defend that freedom today with sword and pen. And now is then to rally round the old laws and liberties of England. Bravo, cried Warrington, the little child stood wondering the lady was working silently and looking with fond admiration. Come here, little Mary, said Warrington, and patted the child's bare curls with his large hand. But she shrank back from his rough caress and preferred to go and take refuge at Penn's knee and play with his fine watch chain. And Penn was very much pleased that she came to him, for he was very soft-hearted and simple, though he concealed his gentleness under a shy and pompous demeanor. So she clamored up on his lap, whilst her father continued to read his program. He were laughing, the captain said to Warrington, about the obvious reasons which I mentioned. Now I'll show you what they are, ye unbelieving heathen. We have said, he went on, that we cannot give the names of the parties engaged in this undertaking, and that there were obvious reasons for that concealment. We number influential friends in both houses of the Senate and have secured allies in every diplomatic circle in Europe. Our sources of intelligence are such as cannot by any possibility be made public, and indeed such as no other London or European journal could by any chance acquire. But this we are free to say that the very earliest information connected with the movement of English and continental politics will be found only in the columns of the pal Mel Gazette. The statesman and the capitalist, the country gentlemen, and the divine will be amongst our readers because our writers are amongst them. We address ourselves to the higher circles of society. We care not to disown it. The pal Mel Gazette is written by gentlemen. For gentlemen, its conductors speak to the classes in which they live and were born. The field preacher has his journal. The radical free thinker has his journal. Why should the gentlemen of England be unrepresented in the press? Mr. Shandon then went on with much modesty to discount upon the literary and fashionable departments of the pal Mel Gazette, which were to be conducted by gentlemen of acknowledged reputation, men famous at the universities at which Mr. Pendennis could scarcely help laughing and blushing, known at the clubs and of the society which they described. He pointed out delicately to advertisers that there would be no such medium as the pal Mel Gazette for giving publicity to their sales. And he eloquently called upon the nobility of England, the baronetage of England, the revered clergy of England, the bar of England, the matrons, the daughters, the homes and hearts of England, to rally round the good old cause. And Bungae at the conclusion of the reading woke up from a second snooze in which he had indulged himself and again said it was all right. The reading of the prospectus concluded that gentlemen present entered into some details regarding the political and literary management of the paper. And Mr. Bungae sat by listening and nodding his head as if he understood what was the subject of their conversation and approved of their opinions. Bungae's opinions in truth were pretty simple. He thought the captain could write the best smashing article in England. He wanted the opposition House of Bacon smashed and it was his opinion that the captain could do that business. If the captain had written a letter of Junius on a sheet of paper or copied a part of the church catechism, Mr. Bungae would have been perfectly contented and have considered that the article was a smashing article. And he pocketed the papers with the greatest satisfaction and he not only paid for the manuscript as we have seen but he called little Mary to him and gave her a penny as he went away. The reading of the manuscript over the party engaged in general conversation, Shandon leading with a jaunty fashionable air in compliment to the two guests who sat with him and who by their appearance and manner he presumed to be persons of the Beaumont. He knew very little indeed of the great world but he had seen it and made the most of what he had seen. He spoke of the characters of the day and great personages of the fashion with easy familiarity and jocular allusions as if it had been his habit to live amongst them. He told anecdotes of their private life and of conversations he had had and entertainments at which he had been present and at which such and such a thing occurred. Penn was amused to hear the shabby prisoner in a tattered dressing gown talking glibly about the great of the land. He was delighted when her husband told these tales and believed in them fondly every one. She did not want to mingle in the fashionable world herself. She was not clever enough but the great society was the very place for her Charles. He shone in it, he was respected in it. Indeed Shandon had once been asked to dinner by the Earl of the Ex his wife treasured the invitation card in her work box at that very day. Mr. Bungay presently had enough of this talk and got up to take leave whereupon Warrington and Penn rose to depart with the publisher though the latter would have liked to stay to make a further acquaintance with his family who interested him and touched him. He said something about hoping for permission to repeat his visit upon which Shandon with a roof or grin said he was always to be found at home and should be delighted to see Mr. Pennington. I'll see you to my park gate gentlemen said Captain Shandon seizing his hat in spite of a deprecatory look and a faint cry of Charles from Mrs. Shandon and the captain in shabby slippers shuffled out before his guests leading the way through the dismal passages of the prison. His hand was already fiddling with his waistcoat pocket where Bungay's five pound note was as he took leave of the three gentlemen at the wicket. One of them Mr. Arthur Pendennis being greatly relieved when he was out of the hard place and again freely treading the flags of Farrington Street. Mrs. Shandon sadly went on with her work at the window looking into the court. She saw Shandon with a couple of men at his heels run rapidly in the direction of the prison tavern. She had hoped to have had him to dinner herself that day there was a piece of meat and some salad in a basin on the ledge outside of the window of the room which she had expected that she and little Mary were to share with the child's father. But there was no chance of that now he would be in that tavern until the hours for closing it then he would go and play at cards or drink in some other man's room and come back silent with glazed eyes reeling a little on his walk that his wife might nurse him. Oh what varieties of pain do we not make our women suffer? So Mrs. Shandon went to the cupboard and in lieu of a dinner made herself some tea and in those varieties of pain of which we spoken on what a part of confidant has that poor teapot plate ever since the kindly plant was introduced among us. What myriads of women have cried over to be sure what sick beds it has smoked back what fevered lips have received refreshment from out of it nature meant very gently by women when she made that tea plant and with a little thought what a series of pictures and groups the fancy may conjure up and assemble round the teapot and cup. Melissa and Sakharissa are talking love secrets over it. Poor Polly has it and her lover's letters upon the table is letters who was her lover yesterday and when it was with pleasure not despair she wept over them. Mary, dripping noiselessly comes into her mother's bedroom bearing a cup of a consoler to the widow who won't take no other food. Ruth is busy concocting it for her husband who is coming home from the harvest field. One could fill a page with hints for such pictures. Finally Mrs. Shandon and little Mary sit down and drink their tea together while the captain goes out and takes his pleasure. They take hairs for nothing else but that when her husband is away. A gentleman with whom we are already slightly acquainted, Mr. Jack, Venue Cain, a townsman of Captain Shandon's found the captain's wife and little Mary for whom Jack always brought a sweet meat in his pocket over this meal. Jack thought Shandon the greatest of created geniuses had had one or two helps from the good-natured prodigal and word and sometimes a guinea for any friend in need and never missed a day in seeing his patron. He was ready to run Shandon's errands and transact his money business with publishers and newspaper editors, duns, creditors, holders of Shandon's acceptances, gentlemen disposed to speculate in those securities and to transact a thousand little affairs of an embarrassed Irish gentleman. I never knew an embarrassed Irish gentleman yet but he had an aid to camp of his own nation likewise in circumstances of pecuniary discomfort that aid to camp has subordinates of his own who again may have other insolvent dependence all through his life our captain marched at the head of a ragged staff who shared in the rough fortunes of their chieftain. He won't have that five-pound note very long, I bet a guinea Mr. Bange said of the captain as he and his two companions walked away from the prison and the publisher judged rightly for when Mrs. Shandon came to empty her husband's pockets she found but a couple of shillings and a few havens out of the morning's remittance Shandon had given a pound to one follower, had sent a leg of mutton and potatoes and beer to an acquaintance in the poor side of the prison had paid an outstanding bill at the tavern where he had changed his five-pound note had had a dinner with two friends there to whom he lost sundry half-crowns at cards afterwards so that the night left him as poor as the morning had found him the publisher and the two gentlemen had had some talk together after quitting Shandon and Warrington reiterated to Bange what he had said to his rival Bacon these, that Penn was a high fellow of great genius and what was more well with the great world and related to no end of the peerage Bange replied that he should be happy to have dealings with Mr. Pendenis and hoped to have the pleasure of seeing both gents to cut mutton with him before long and so with mutual politeness and protestations they parted it is hard to see such a man as Shandon Penn said musing and talking that night over the sight which he had witnessed of accomplishments so multifarious and of such an undoubted talent and humor and inmate of a jail for half his time and a bookseller's hangar on went out of prison I am a bookseller's hangar on you are going to try your paces as a hack, Warrington said with a laugh we are all hacks upon some road or other I would rather be myself than Paley our neighbor in chambers who has as much enjoyment of his life as a mole a deucid deal of undeserved compassion has been thrown away upon what you call your bookseller's drudge much solitary pipes and ale make a cynic of you said Penn you are a diogenes by a beer barrel Warrington no man shall tell me that a man a genius as Shandon is ought to be driven by such a vulgar slave driver as yonder Mr. Bungay whom we have just left who fattens on the profits of the other's brains and enriches himself out of his journeyman's labor it makes me indignant to see a gentleman the surf of such a creature as that of a man who can't speak the language that he lives by who is not fit to black Shandon's boots so you have began already to gird at the publishers and to take your side amongst our order Bravo Penn my B-boy Warrington answered laughing still what have you got to say against Bungay's relations with Shandon thank you who sent the author to prison is it Bungay who is tipping away the five pound note which we sought just now or Shandon Ms. Fortune drives a man into bad company Penn said it is easy to cry against a poor fellow who has no society but such as he finds in our prison and no resource except forgetfulness in the bottle we must deal kindly with the eccentricities of genius and remember that the very order and enthusiasm of temperament which makes the author delightful often leads the man astray a fiddle stick about men of genius Warrington cried out who was a very severe moralist upon some points though possibly a very bad practitioner I deny that there are so many geniuses as people who whimper about the fate of men of letters assert there are there are thousands of clever fellows in the world who could if they would turn versus write articles read books and deliver a judgment upon them the talk of professional critics and writers is not a wit more brilliant or profound or amusing than that of any other society of educated people if a lawyer or a soldier or a person outruns his income and does not pay his bills he must go to jail and an author must go too if an author fuddles himself I don't know why he should be let off a headache the next morning if he orders a coat from the tailors why he shouldn't pay for it I would give him more money to buy coats said pen smiling I suppose I should like to belong to a well-dressed profession I protest against that wretch of a middleman whom I see between genius and his great landlord the public and who stops more than half of the laborers earnings and fame I am a prose laborer Warrington said you my boy are a poet in a small way and so I suppose consider you are authorized to be flighty what is it you want do you want a body of capitalist that shall be forced to purchase the works of all authors who may present themselves manuscript in hand everybody who writes his epic every driveler who can or can't spell and produces his novel or his tragedy are they all to come and find a bag of sovereigns in exchange for their worthless reams of paper who is to settle what is good or bad or otherwise will you give the bio leave and find to purchase or not why sir when johnson sat behind the screen at saint john's gate and took his dinner apart because he was to shabby import to join the literary big wigs who were regaining themselves round mr. caves best tablecloth the tradesmen was doing him no wrong you couldn't force the publisher to recognize the man of genius in the young man who presented himself before him ragged gaunt and hungry rags are not a proof of genius whereas capital is absolute as times go and is perforce the bargain master it has a right to deal with the literary inventor as with any other if I produce a novelty in the book trade I must do the best I can with it but I can no more force mr. Murray to purchase my book of travels or sermons than I can compel mr. to give me a hundred guineas for my horse I may have my own ideas of the value of my pegasus and think him the most wonderful of animals but the dealer has a right to his opinion too and may want a lady's horse or a cob for a heavy timid rider or a sound hack for the road and my beast won't suit him you deal in metaphors warrington penn said but you rightly say that you are very prosaic poor shandon there's something about the kindness of that man and the gentleness of that sweet creature of a wife which touches me profoundly I like him I'm afraid better than a better man and so do I warrington said let us give him the benefit of our sympathy and the pity that is due to his weakness though I fear that sort of kindness would be resented as contempt by a more hind-minded man you see he takes his consolation along with his misfortune and one generates the other or balances it as the way of the world he is a prisoner but he is not unhappy his genius sings within his prison bars penn said yes warrington said bitterly shandon accommodates himself to a cage pretty well he ought to be wretched but he has jack and tom to drink with and that consoles him he might have a high place but as he can't why he can drink with Tom and Jack he might be providing for his wife and children but Thomas and John have got a bottle of brandy which they want him to taste he might pay poor snip the tailor the twenty pounds rich the poor devil wants for his landlord but John and Thomas lay their hands upon his purse and so he drinks whilst his tradesman goes to jail and his family to ruin let us pity them as fortunes of genius and conspire against the publishing tyrants who oppress men of letters what are you going to have another glass of brandy and water penn said with a humorous look it was at the black kitchen that the above philosophical conversation took place between the two young men warrington began to laugh as usual wadeo meliora pro bouquet I mean bring it me hot with sugar John he said to waiter I would have some more to only I don't want it said pen it does not seem to me warrington that we are much better than our neighbors and warrington's last class having been dispatched the pair returned to their chambers they found a couple of notes in the letter box on their return which had been sent by their acquaintance of the morning Mr. Bunge that hospitable gentleman presented his compliments to each of the gentlemen and requested their pleasure of company at dinner on an early day to meet a few literary friends we shall have a grand spread warrington we shall meet all Bunge's core all except poor shandon said pen nodding a good night to his friend and he went into his own little room the events and acquaintances of the day had excited him a good deal and he lay for some time awake thinking over them as warrington's vigorous and regular snore from the neighboring apartment pronounced that that gentleman was engaged in deep slumber is it true thought pendentists lying on his bed and gazing at a bright moon without that lighted upper corner of his dressing table and the frame of a little sketch of Fair Oaks drawn by Laura and hung over his drawers is it true that I'm going to earn my bread at last and with my pen we shall impoverish the dear mother no longer that I may gain a name and reputation in the world perhaps these are welcome if they come thought the young visionary laughing and blushing to himself alone and in the night as he thought how dearly he would relish honor and fame if they could be his if fortune favors me I lot her if she frowns I resign her I pray heaven I may be honest if I fail or if I succeed I pray heaven I may tell the truth as far as I know it that I may swear from it through flattery or interest or personal enmity or party prejudice dearest old mother what a pride will you have if I can do anything worthy of our name I and you Laura you won't score me as the worthless idler and spin thrift when you see that I when I have achieved a Pasha what an all I am because I've made five pounds by my poems and I'm engaged to write half a dozen articles for a newspaper he went on with these musings more happy and hopeful and in a humbler frame of mind than he had felt to be for many a day he thought over the errors and idleness the passions extravagances disappointments of his wayward youth he got up from the bed through open the window and looked out into the night and then by some impulse which we hope was a good one he went up and kissed the picture of Fair Oaks and flinging himself down on his knees by the bed remained for some time in that posture of hope and submission when he rose it was with streaming eyes he had found himself repeating mechanically some little words which he had been accustomed to repeat as a child at his mother's side after the saying of which she would softly take him to his bed and close the curtains round him hushing him with a benediction the next day Mr. Pigeon their attendant brought in a large brown paper parcel directed to G. Warrington Esquire with Mr. Trotter's compliments on a note which Warrington read Ben Ubeger roared Warrington to Pen who was in his own room hello Sung Out Pen come here you're wanted cried the other and Pen came out what is it said he Warrington and flung the parcel at Pen's head who would have been knocked down had he not caught it it's books for review for the pal Mel Gazette pitch into him Warrington said as for Pen he never had been so delighted in his life his hand trembled as he cut the string of the packet and beheld within a smart set of new neat calico bound books travels and novels and poems sport the oak pigeon said he I'm not at home to anybody today and he flung into his easy chair and hardly gave himself time to drink his tea so eager was he to begin to read and to review end of chapter 33 chapter 34 of the history of Pen Dennis this is a Librevox recording all Librevox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Librevox.org the history of Pen Dennis but we make peace Thakaree in which the history still hovers about fleet street Captain Shandon urged on by his wife who seldom meddled in business matters had stipulated that John Finnicane Esquire of the Upper Temple should be appointed sub editor of the magazine and this post was conferred upon Mr. Finnicane by the spirited proprietor of the journal indeed he deserved any kindness at the hands of Shandon so fondly attached was he as we have said to the captain and his family and so eager to do him a service it was in Finnicane's chambers that Shandon in former days used to hide when danger was near to live so broad until it length his hiding place was known and the sheriff's officers came as regularly to wait for the captain on Finnicane's staircase as at his own door it was to Finnicane's chambers that poor Mrs. Shandon came often and often to explain her troubles and griefs and devise means of rescue for her adored captain many a meal did Finnicane furnish for her and the child there it was an honor to his little rooms to be visited by such a lady and as she went down the staircase with her veil over her face Fin would lean over the ballast rod looking after her to see that no temple lovelace assailed her upon the road perhaps hoping that some road might be induced to relay her so that he Fin might have the pleasure of rushing to her rescue and breaking the rascals bones it was a sincere pleasure to Mrs. Shandon when the arrangements were made by which her kind honors champion was appointed her husband's aide to camp in the newspaper he would have sat with Mrs. Shandon as late as the prison hours permitted and had indeed many a time witnessed the putting to bed of little Mary who occupied a crib in the room and to whose evening prayers that God might bless Papa Finnicane although of the Romish faith himself had said amen with a great deal of sympathy but he had an appointment with Mr. Bungate regarding the affairs of the paper which they worked to discuss over a quiet dinner so he went away at six o'clock from Mrs. Shandon but made his accustomed appearance at the fleet prison next morning having arrayed himself in his best clothes and ornaments which though cheap as to cost were very brilliant as to color and appearance and having in his pocket four pounds to shillings being the amount of his weak salary at the Daily Journal minus two shillings expended by him in the purchase of a pair of gloves on his way to the prison he had cut his mutton with Mr. Bungate as the latter gentleman phrased it and Mr. Trotter Bungate's reader and literary man of business at Dick's Coffee House on the previous day and entered at large into his views the conduct of the palmel gazette in a masterly manner he had pointed out what should be the sub editorial arrangements of the paper what should be the type for the various articles who should report the markets who the turf and ring who the church intelligence and who the fashionable chit chat he was acquainted with gentlemen engaged in cultivating these various departments of knowledge and afterwards to the public in fine Jack Finnegane was as Shandon had said of him and as he probably owned himself to be one of the best sub editors of a paper in London he knew the weekly earnings of every man connected with the press and was up to a thousand dodges or ingenious economic contrivances by which money could be saved to spirited capitalists who were going to set up a paper he had once dazzled and mystified Mr. Bungay who was slow of comprehension by the rapidity of the calculations which he exhibited on paper as they sat in the box and Bungay afterwards owned to his subordinate Mr. Trotter that that Irishman seemed a clever fellow and now having succeeded in making this impression upon Mr. Bungay the faithful fellow worked round to the point which he had very near at heart vis the liberation from prison of his admired friend and chief captain Shandon he knew to shilling the amount of the detainers which were against the captain at the porter's lodge of the fleet and indeed profess to know all his debts though this was impossible for no men in England certainly not the captain himself was acquainted with them he pointed out what Shandon's engagements already were and how much better he would work he moved from confinement though this Mr. Bungay denied for when the captain's locked up he said we are sure to find him at home whereas when he's free you can never catch hold of him finally he so worked on Mr. Bungay's feelings by describing Mrs. Shandon pining away in the prison and the child sickening there that the publisher was induced to promise that if Mrs. Shandon would come to him in the morning he would see what could be done and the colloquy ending at this time with the second round of brandy and water although Finnegane who had four guineas in his pocket would have discharged the tavern reckoning with delight Bungay said no sir this is my affair sir if you please James take the bill and 18 pence for yourself and he handed over the necessary funds to the waiter thus it was that Finnegane who went to bed at the temple after the dinner at Dix and found himself actually with his weak salary intact upon Saturday morning he gave Mrs. Shandon a wink so knowing and joyful that that kind creature knew some good news was in store for her and hastened to get her bonnet and shawl when Finnegane asked if he might have the honour of taking her a walk and giving her a little fresh air and little Mary jumped for joy at the idea of this holiday she neglected to give her a toy or to take her to a show and brought newspaper orders in his pocket for all sorts of London diversions to amuse the child indeed he loved them with all his heart and would cheerfully have dashed out his rambling brains to do them or his adored captain a service may I go Charlie or shall I stay with you for your poorly dear this morning he's got a headache Mr. Finnegane he suffers from headaches and I persuaded him to stay in bed Mrs. Shandon said go along with you and Polly Jack take care of him hand me over the Burton's Anatomy and leave me to my abominable devices Shandon said with perfect good humour he was writing and not uncommonly took his greek and latin quotations of which he knew the use as a public writer from that wonderful repertory of learning so Finnegane gave his arm to Mrs. Shandon and Mary went skipping down the passages of the prison and through the gate into the free air from Fleet Street to Paternoster Row is not very far as the three reached Mr. Bange's shop Mrs. Bange was also entering at the private door holding in her hand a paper parcel and a manuscript volume bound in red and indeed containing an account of her transactions with the butcher in the neighbouring market Mrs. Bange was in a gorgeous shot silk dress which flamed with red and purple she wore a yellow shawl and had red flowers inside her bonnet and a brilliant light blue parasol Mrs. Shandon was in an old black watered silk her bonnet had never seen very brilliant days of prosperity anymore than its owner but she could not help looking like a lady whatever her attire was the two women curtsied to each other each according to her fashion I hope you're pretty well mom said Mrs. Bange it's a very fine day said Mrs. Shandon won't you step in mom said Mrs. Bange looking so hard at the child as almost to frighten her I came about business with Mr. Bange I hope he's pretty well said timid Mrs. Shandon if you go to see him in the counting house couldn't you couldn't you leave that little girl with me said Mrs. Bange in a deep voice and with a tragic look as she held out one finger towards the child I want to stay with my mom cried little Mary bearing her face in her mother's dress go with this lady Mary my dear said the mother I'll show you some pretty pictures said Mrs. Bange with the voice of an ogre and some nice things besides look here an opening her brown paper parasol Mrs. Bange displayed some cute biscuits such as her Bange loved after his wine little Mary followed after this attraction the whole party entering at the private entrance from which a side door led into Mr. Bange's commercial apartments here however as the child was about to part from her mother her courage again failed her and again she ran to the maternal petticoat upon which the kind and gentle Mrs. Shandon seeing the look of disappointment in her mother's face good-naturedly said if you will let me I will come up to and sit for a few minutes and so the three females ascended the stairs together a second biscuit charmed little Mary into perfect confidence and in a minute or two she prodled away without the least restraint Faithful than a cane meanwhile found Mr. Bange in a severe mood than he had been on the night previous when two thirds of a bottle of port had warmed his soul into enthusiasm and made him generous in his promises towards Captain Shandon his impetuous wife had rebuked him on his return home she had ordered that he should give no relief to the captain he was a good for nothing fellow whom no money would help she disapproved of the plan of the palmel gazette and expected that Bange would only lose his money in it as they were losing over the way she always called her brother's establishment by the way by the Whitehall Journal let Shandon stop in prison and do his work it was the best place for him in vain Finne came pleaded and promised and implored for his friend Bange had had an hour's lecture in the morning and was inexorable but what honest Jack failed to do below stairs in the counting house the pretty faces and manners of the mother and child were affecting in the drawing room where they were melting the fierce but really soft Mrs. Bange there was an artless sweetness in Mrs. Shandon's voice and a winning frankness of manner which made most people fond of her and pity her and taking courage by the rugged kindness with which her host has received her the captain's lady told her story and described her husband's goodness and virtues and her child's failing health she was obliged to part with two of them she said and send them to school for it in a poor place that Mrs. Bange though as grim as Lady Macbeth melted under the influence of the simple tale and said she would go down and speak to Bange now in this household to speak was to command with Mrs. Bange and with Bange to hear was to obey it was just when poor Finne came was in despair about his negotiation that the majestic Mrs. Bange descended upon her spouse politely requested Mr. Finne came to step up to his friends in her drawing room while she held a few minutes conversation with Mr. Bange and when the pair were alone the publishers better half informed him of her intentions towards the captain's lady what's in the wind now my dear Miss Sinus asked surprised at his wife's altered tone you wouldn't hear of my doing anything for the captain this morning I wonder what has been a changing of you the captain is an Irishman Mrs. Bange replied and those Irish I've always said I couldn't abide but his wife is a lady as anyone can see and a good woman and a clergyman's daughter and a west of England woman be which I am myself by my mother's side and oh mama do didn't you remark the little girl yes Mrs. B I saw the little girl and didn't you see how like she was to our angel best see Mr. B Mrs. Bange's thoughts flew back to a period 18 years back when Bacon and Bange had just set up in business as small booksellers in her country town and when she had had a child named Bessie something like the little Mary who had moved her compassion well well my dear Mr. Bange said seeing the little eyes of his wife began to twinkle and grow red the captain ain't in for much there's only 130 pound against him half the money we'll take him out of the fleet Finnegane says and we'll pay him half salaries till he has made the account square when the little one said why don't you take par out of prison I did feel it for upon my honor I did now and the upshot of this conversation was that Mr. Mrs. Bange both ascended to the drawing room and Mr. Bange made a heavy and clumsy speech in which he announced to Mrs. Shandon that hearing 65 pounds free he was ready to advance that sum of money deducting it from the captain's salary and that he would give it to her on condition that she would personally settle with the creditors regarding her husband's liberation I think this was the happiest day that Mrs. Shandon and Mr. Finnegane had had for a long time the dad Bange you're a trump for it out fin in an overpowering brogue and emotion give us your fist oh boy and won't we send the pal mel gazette up to ten thousand a week that's all and he jumped about the room and tossed up little Mary with a hundred frantic antics if I could drive you anywhere in my carriage Mrs. Shandon I'm sure it's quite at your service Mrs. Bange said looking out at a one horse vehicle which had just driven up and in which this lady took the air considerably and the two ladies with little Mary between them who's tiny hand miscellaneous his wife kept fixed in her great grasp with the delighted Mr. Finnegane on the back seat drove away from Patternaster row as the owner of the vehicle through triumphant glances at the opposite windows at Bacon's he won't do the captain any good thought Bange going back to his desk and accounts for Mrs. B becomes regular upset when she thinks about her misfortune the child would have been of age yesterday if she'd lived for told me so and he wondered how women did remember things we were happy to say that Mrs. Shandon sped with very good success upon her errand she who had had to mollify creditors when she had no money at all and only tears and entreaties were worth to see them found no difficulty in making them relent by means of a bribe of ten shillings in the pound and the next Sunday was the last for some time at least which the captain spent in prison end of chapter 34 chapter 35 of the history of Pendenis this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the history of Pendenis by William Makepeace Thackeray dinner in the row upon the appointed day our two friends made their appearance at Mr. Bange's door in Patternaster not the public entrance through which booksellers boys issued with their sacks full of Bange's volumes and around which timid aspirants lingered with their virgin manuscript ready for sale to Salton Bange but at the private door of the house whence the splendid Mrs. Bange would come forth to step into her shez and take her drive settling herself on the cushions passing looks of defiance at Mrs. Bange's opposite windows at Mrs. Bange who was as yet a chaseless woman on such occasions when very much wroth at her sister-in-law's splendor Mrs. Bange would fling up the sash of her drawing room window and look out with her four children at the chaise as much as to say look at these four darlings Flora Bange is why I can't drive in my carriage you would give a coach in four to have the same reason and it was with these arrows out of her quiver that Emma Bacon shot Flora Bange as she sat in her chariot envious and childless as Penn and Warrington came to Bange's door a carriage and a cab drove up to Bange's old Dr. Slocum descended heavily from the first the doctor's equippage was as ponderous as his style but both had a fine sonorous effect upon the publishers in the row a couple of dazzling white waist coats stepped out of the cab Warrington left UC Bacon has his dinner party too that is Dr. Slocum, author of Memoirs of the Poisoners you would hardly have recognized our friend Hulan in that gallant white waistcoat Dulan is one of Bange's men and faith here he comes indeed Maciers Hulan and Dulan had come from the strand in the same cab tossing up by the way which should pay the shilling and Mr. D stepped from the other side of the way a raid in black with a large pair of white gloves which were spread out on his hands in which the owner could not help regarding with pleasure the house porter in an evening coat and gentlemen with gloves as large as Dulan's but of the famous Berlin web were on the passage of Mr. Bange's house to receive the guests hats and coats and ball their names up the stair some of the latter had arrived when the three new visitors made their appearance but there was only Mrs. Bange in red satin and a turban to represent her own charming sex she made curtsies to each newcomer as he entered the drawing room but her mind was evidently preoccupied by extraneous thoughts the fact is Mrs. Bange's dinner party was disturbing her and as soon as she had received each individual of her own company Flora Bange flew back to the embrasure of the window whence she could rake the carriages friends as they came rattling up the road the sight of Dr. Slocum's large carriage with the gaunt job horses crushed Flora none but hack cabs had given up to her own door on that day they were all literary gentlemen though unknown as yet to pen there was Mr. Boll the real editor of the magazine of which Mr. Wag was the nominal chief Mr. Trotter who from having broken out on the world as a poet of a tragic and suicidal cast had now subsided into one of Mr. Bange's back shops as reader for that gentleman and captain Sumpf an ex-bow reader about town and related in some indistinct manner to literature and the period he was said to have written a book once to have been a friend of Lord Byron to be related to Lord Sumpfington in fact, anecdotes of Byron formed his staple and he seldom spoke but with the name of that poet or some of his contemporaries in his mouth as does I remember poor Shelly at school being sent up for good for a copy of verses every line of which I wrote by Jove or I recollect when I was at Miss Solange with Byron offering to bet Gamba and so forth this gentleman pen remarked was listened to with great attention but Mrs. Bungate his anecdotes of the aristocracy of which he was a middle-aged member delighted the publisher's lady and he was almost a greater man than the great Mr. Wag himself in her eyes had he but come in his own carriage Mrs. Bungate would have made her Bungate purchase any given volume from his pen Mr. Bungate went about to his guests as they arrived and did the honors of his house with much cordiality how are you sir fine day sir glad to see you here sir floor my love let me have the honor of introducing Mr. Warrington to do you Mr. Warrington Mrs. Bungate Mr. Pendenis Mrs. Bungate hope you've brought good appetites with you gentlemen you doolin I now have for you've always had a do sova twist Laura Bungate said Mrs. Bungate they the man must be hard to please Bungate who can't eat a good dinner in this house doolin said and he winked and stroked his lean chops with his large gloves and made appeals of friendship to Mrs. Bungate which that honest woman refused with scorn from the timid man she couldn't abide that doolin she said in confidence to her friends indeed all his flatteries failed to win her as they talked Mrs. Bungate surveying mankind from her window a magnificent vision of an enormous grey cab horse appeared and neared rapidly a pair of white reins held by small white gloves were visible behind it a face pale but richly decorated with a chin tough the head of an exogenous groom bobbing over the cab head these bright things were revealed to the delighted Mrs. Bungate the Honorable Percy Pop Joy's quite punctual I declare she said and sailed to the door to be in waiting at the nobleman's arrival it's Percy Pop Joy said Penn he was very fond of window and seeing an individual in extremely lacquered boots to send from the swinging cab and in fact it was that young nobleman Lord Falconette's eldest son as we all very well know who was come to dine with the publisher his publisher of the row he was my faggot eaten Warrington said I ought to have licked him a little more Ian Penn had had some bouts of the Oxbridge Union debates in which Penn had had very much the presently appeared with his hat under his arm and a look of indescribable good humor and fertility in his round dimpled face upon which nature had burst out with a chin tough but exhausted with the effort had left the rest of the countenance bare of hair the temporary groom of the chambers balled out the Honorable Percy Pop Joy much to that gentleman's discomposure at hearing his titles announced what did the man want to take away his hat for Bungay he asked of the publisher can't do without my hat wanted to make my bow to Mrs. Bungay how well you look Mrs. Bungay today haven't seen your carriage in the park why haven't you been there I missed you indeed I did I'm afraid you're a sad quiz said Mrs. Bungay quiz never made a joke in my hello who's here how do you do Penn Dennis how do you do Warrington these are old friends of mine Mrs. Bungay I say how the deuce did you come here he asked of the two young men turn it his lacquered heels upon Mrs. Bungay who respected her husband's two young guests now that she found they were intimate with a lord son what do they know him she asked rapidly Mr. B high fellas I tell you the young one related to all the nobility said the publisher and both ran forward smiling and bowing to greet almost as great personages as the young Lord no less characters than the great Mr. Wenham and the great Mr. Wag who were now announced Mr. Wenham entered wearing the usual demure look and stealthy smile with which he commonly surveyed the tips of his neat little shining boots and which he but seldom bought to bear upon the person who addressed him Wag's white waistcoat spread out on the contrary with profuse brilliancy his burly red face shown resplendent over it lighted up the thoughts of good jokes and a good dinner he liked to make his entree into a drawing room with a laugh and when he went away at night to leave a joke exploding behind him no personal calamities or distresses of which that humorist had his share in common with the unjocular part of mankind could altogether keep his humor down whatever his griefs might be the thought of a dinner rallied his great soul and when he saw a lord he was done Wenham went up then with a smug smile and whisper to Mrs. Bungay and looked at her from under his eyes and showed her the tips of his shoes Wag said she looked charming and pushed on straight at the young nobleman whom he called Pop and whom he instantly related a funny story seasoned with what the French called Gros Cell he was delighted to seep into and shook hands with him and slapped him on the back cordially for a few minutes in good humor and he talked in a loud voice about their last place on occasion of meeting at Baymouth and asked how their friends of Clevering Park were and whether Sir Francis was not coming to London for the season and whether Penn had been to see Lady Rockminster who had arrived fine old Lady Rockminster these remarks Wag made not for panzer so much as for the edification of the company whom he was glad to inform that he was to gentlemen's country seats and was on intimate terms with the nobility. Wenham also shook hands with our young friend all of which scenes Mrs. Bungay remarked with respectful pleasure and communicated her ideas to Bungay afterwards regarding the importance of Mr. Penn Dennis ideas by which Penn profited much more than he was aware Penn who had read and rather admired some of her works and expected to find a Miss person somewhat resembling her own description of herself in the passion flower in which she stated that her youth resembled a violet shrinking meanly when blows the March wind keenly a timid fawn on Wildwood lawn where oak bows rustle greenly and that her mature beauty was something very different certainly to the artless loveliness of her prime but still exceedingly captivating and striking beheld rather to a surprise an amusement, a large and bony woman in her crumpled satin dress who came creaking into the room with a steppus heavy as a grenadiers where again instantly noted the straw which she brought in at the rumpled skirt of her dress and would have stooped to pick it up but Miss Bunyan disarmed all criticism by observing this ornament herself and putting her own large foot upon it so as to separate it from her robe she stooped and picked up the straw that Miss Bunyan gave that she was very sorry to be a little late but that the omnibus was very slow and what a comfort it was to get it right all the way from Brompton for six pence nobody laughed at the poetess's speech it was uttered so simply indeed the worthy woman had not the least notion of being ashamed of an action incidental upon her poverty is that passion flowers Penn said to Wenham by whom he was standing while her picture in the volume treats her as a very well looking young woman you know passion flowers like all others will run to seed Wenham said Miss Bunyan's portrait was probably painted some years ago well I like her for not being ashamed of her poverty so do I said Mr. Wenham who would have starved rather than have come to dinner in an omnibus but I don't think that she need flourish the straw about do you Mr. Penn Dennis my dear Miss Bunyan how do you do I was in a great ladies drawing room this morning and everybody was charming with your new volume those lines on the christening of Lady Fanny Fantail brought tears into the Duchess's eyes I said that I thought I should have the pleasure of meeting you today and she begged me to thank you and say how greatly she was pleased this history told in a bland smiling manner of a Duchess whom Wenham had met that very morning to quite put poor Wags Dowager and Baronette out of court and placed Wenham beyond Wag as a man of fashion Wenham kept this inestimable advantage in having the conversation to himself ran on with a number of anecdotes regarding the aristocracy he tried to bring Mr. Pop Joy into the conversation by making appeals to him and saying I was telling your father this morning or I think you were present at W House the other night when the Duke said so and so but Mr. Pop Joy would not gratify him by joining in the talk to fall back into the window recess with Mrs. Bungay and watch the calves that drove up to the opposite door at least if he would not talk the hostess hoped that those odious bacons would see how she had secured the noble Percy Pop Joy for her party and now the bell of St. Paul's told half an hour later than that for which Mr. Bungay had invited his party and it was complete with the exception of two guests who at last made their appearance and in whom Penn was pleased to recognize Captain and Mrs. Shandon when these two had made their greetings to the master and mistress of the house and exchanged nods of more or less recognition with most of the people present Penn and Warrington went up and shook hands very warmly with Mrs. Shandon who perhaps was affected to meet them and think where it was she had seen them but a few days before Shandon was brushed up and looked pretty smart in a red velvet waistcoat and a frill into which his wife had stuck her best brooch in spite of Mrs. Bungay's kindness perhaps in consequence of it Mrs. Shandon felt great terror and timidity in approaching her indeed she was more awful than ever in her red satin and bird of paradise and it was not until she had asked in her great voice about the little girl that the latter was somewhat encouraged and then she had to speak nice looking woman Pop Joy whispered to Warrington and introduced me to Captain Shandon Warrington I'm told he's a tremendous clever fellow and Dami I adore intellect by Joe Vaidu this was the truth heaven had not endowed young Mr. Pop Joy with much intellect of his own but had given him a generous faculty for admiring if not for appreciating the intellect of others and introduced me to Miss Bunyan I'm told she's very clever too she's wrong to look at certainly but that don't matter Dami I consider myself a literary man and I wish to know all the clever fellows so Mr. Pop Joy and Mr. Shandon had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with one another and now the doors of the adjoining dining room being flung open the party entered and took their seats at table Penn found himself next to Bunyan on one side and to Mr. Wag the truth is Wag fled alarmed from the vacant place by the poetess and Penn was compelled to take it the gifted being did not talk much at Penn remark that she ate with a vast appetite and never refused any of the supplies of wine which were offered to her by the butler indeed Miss Bunyan having considered Mr. Pendennis for a minute who gave himself rather grand airs and who was a tired in an extremely fashionable style with his very best chains, shirts, studs, and cambrick fronts he was set down and not without reason as a preg by the poetess who thought it was much better to attend to her dinner than to take any notice of him she told him as much and after days with her usual candor I took you for one of the little mayfair dandies she said to Penn you looked as solemn as a little undertaker and as I disliked beyond measure the odious creature who was on the other side of me I thought it was best to eat my dinner and hold my tongue and you did both very well my dear Miss Bunyan Penn said with a laugh well so I do but I intend to talk to you the next time a great deal for you are neither so solemn nor so stupid nor so pert as you look ah Miss Bunyan how I pine for that next time to come Penn said with an air of comical gallantry but we must return to the day and the dinner at Padden Oster Row the repast was of the richest description what I call of the florid gothic style wag whisper to Penn who sat beside the humors in his side winged voice the men in creaking shoes and burlin gloves were numerous and solemn carrying on rapid conversations behind the guests as they moved to and fro with the dishes Doolan called out Waither to one of them and blushed when he thought of his blunder Mrs. Bungay's foot boy was lost amidst those large and black coated attendants look at that very bow windowed man Wag said he's an undertaker in our man corner and attends funerals and dinners cold meat and hot don't you perceive he's the sham butler here and I've served my dear Mr. Penn Dennis as you will through life that wherever there is a sham butler at a London dinner there is sham wine this sherry is filthy Bungay my boy where did you get this delicious brown sherry I'm glad you like it Mr. Wag glass with you said the publisher it's some I got from Alderman Benning's store and gave a good figure for it I can tell you Mr. Penn Dennis will you join us gentlemen the old rogue where does he expect to go to it came from the public house Wag said it requires two men to carry off that sherry to so uncommonly strong I wish I had a bottle of old Stain's wine here Penn Dennis your uncle and I have had many or one he sends it about to people where he is in the habit of dining I remember poor Rodden Crawley's Sir Pitt Crawley's brother he was governor of Coventry Island Stain's chef always came in the morning and the butler arrived with the champagne from God House in the ice pales ready how good this is said Pop Joy good naturedly you must have a cordon blur in your kitchen oh yes Mrs. Bungay said thinking he spoke of a jack chain very likely I mean a French chef said the polite guest oh yes your lordship again said the lady does your artist say he's a Frenchman Mrs. B called out wag well I'm sure I don't know answer the publisher's lady because if he does he's a quiz and your pride Mr. Wag but nobody saw the pun which disconcerted somewhat the bashful ponder the dinners from Greeks in St. Paul's churchyard so his bacons he whispered Penn Bungay writes to give half a crown ahead more than bacon so does bacon they would poison each other's ices if they could get near them and as for the made dishes they are poison this hum ha this brimborean Allah Sabanya is delicious Mrs. B he said helping himself to a dish which the undertaker handed to him well I'm glad you like it Mrs. Bungay answered blushing and not knowing whether the name of the dish was actually that which Wag gave to it but dimly conscious that that individual was quizzing her accordingly she hated Mr. Wag with female ardor and would have deposed him from his command over Mr. Bungay's periodical but that his name was great in the trade and his reputation in the land considerable by the displacement of persons Warrington had found himself on the right hand of Mrs. Shandon who sat in plain black silk and faded ornaments by the side of the floor publisher the sad smile of the lady moved his rough heart to pity nobody seemed to interest himself about her she sat looking at her husband who himself seemed rather abashed in the presence of some of the company when him and Wag both knew him and his circumstances he'd worked with the latter and was immeasurably his superior in wit genius and requirement but Wag's star was brilliant in the world and poor Shandon was unknown there he could not speak before the noisy talk of the course a more successful man but drank his wine in silence and as much of it as the people would give him he was under surveillance Bungay had warned the undertaker not to fill the captain's glass too often or too full it was a melancholy precaution that and the more melancholy that it was necessary Mrs. Shandon too cast alarm glances across the table to see that her husband did not exceed abashed by the failure of his first pun for he was impudent and easily disconcerted Wag kept his conversation pretty much to pen during the rest of dinner and of course chiefly spoke about their neighbors this is one of Bungay's grand field days he said we are all Bungabians here did you read Pop Joy's novel it was an old magazine story written by poor buzzard years ago and forgotten here until Mr. Trotter that is Trotter with a large short collar fished it out and be thought him that it was applicable to the late elopement so Bob wrote a few chapters apropos Pop Joy permitted the use of his name and idea say supplied a page here and there and desperation or the fugitive Duchess made its the great fun is to examine Pop Joy about his own work of which he doesn't know a word I say Pop Joy what a capital passage that is in volume three where the cardinal in disguise after being converted by the Bishop of London proposes marriage to the Duchess's daughter glad you like it Pop Joy answered it's a favorite bit of my own there's no such thing in the whole book whispered wag to pen invented it myself yet it wouldn't be a bad plot for a high church novel of poor Byron Hobhouse to Lonnie and myself dining with Cardinal Mezzo Caldo at Rome captain some began and we had some or vietto wine for dinner which Byron liked very much and I remember how the Cardinal regretted that he was a single man we went to Savita Vectia two days afterwards where Byron's job was and by Joe the Cardinal died within three weeks and Byron was very sorry for you rather liked him a deadly interesting story some indeed wag said you should publish some of those stories captain some you really should such a volume would make our friend Bongays fortune Shandon said why don't you ask some to publish them in your new paper though what do you call them hey Shandon balled out wag why don't you ask him to publish them in your old magazine the thing and Bob Shandon replied is there going to be a new paper asked Wenham who knew perfectly well but his connection with the press Bungay going to bring out a paper cried pop joy who on the contrary was proud of his literary reputation and acquaintances you must employ me Mrs. Bungay use your influence with him and make him employ me pros or verse what shall it be novels poems travels or leading articles begad anything or everything only let Bungay pay me and I'm ready I'm now my dear Mrs. Bungay begad now it's to be called the small beer chronicle grout wag and little pop joy is to be engaged for the infantine department it is to be called the palmel gazette sir and we shall be very happy to have you with us Shandon said palmel gazette why palmel gazette asked wag because the editor was born at Dublin the sub editor at court because the proprietor lives in Paternostero and the paper is published in Catherine Street Strand won't that reason suffice you Shandon said he was getting rather angry everything must have a name my dog Ponto has got a name me you've got a name and a name which you deserve more or less indeed why do you grudge the name to our paper by any other name it would smell a sweet said wag I'll have you remember its name not what do you call them Mr. Wag said Shandon you know its name well enough and and you know mine and I know your address to said wag but this was spoken in and the good natured Irishman was appeased almost in an instant after his ebullition of spleen and asked wag to drink wine with him in a friendly voice when the ladies retired from the table the talk grew louder still and presently when him in a courtly speech proposed that everybody should drink to the health of the new journal eulogizing highly the talents with and learning of its editor captain Shandon it was his maxim never to lose the support of a newspaper man in the course of that evening he went round and saluted every literary gentleman present with a privy compliment specially addressed to him informing this one how great an impression had been made in Downing Street by his last article and telling that one how profoundly his good friend the Duke of so-and-so had been struck by the ability of the late numbers the evening came to a close and in spite of all the precautions to the contrary poor Shandon reeled in his walk and went home to his new lodgings with his faithful wife by his side in the cabin on his box jeering at him when him had a chariot of his own which he put at Popjoy's seat and that timid Miss Bunyan seeing Mr. Wag who was her neighbor about to depart insisted upon a seat in his carriage much to that gentleman's discomforture Ben and Warrington walked home together in the moonlight and now Warrington said that you have seen the men of letters tell me was I far wrong in saying there are thousands of people in this town who don't write books who are to the full as clever and intellectual as people who do pen was forced to confess that the literary personages with whom he had become acquainted had not said much in the course of the night's conversation that was worthy to be remembered or quoted in fact not one word about literature have been said during the whole course of the night and it may be whispered to those uninitiated people who are anxious to know the habits and make the sense of men of letters that there are no race of people who talk about books or perhaps who read books so little as literary men in chapter 35 chapter 36 of the history of Pendenis this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the Palmaal Gazette considerable success at first attended the new journal it was generally stated that an influential political party supported the paper and great names were cited amongst the contributors to its columns was there any foundation for these rumors? we are not at liberty to say whether they were ill-founded but this much we may divulge an article upon foreign policy which was generally attributed to Noble Lord whose connection with the foreign offices very well known was in reality composed by Captain Shandon in the parlor of the Bear and Staff public house near Whitehall Stairs whether the printer's boy had tracked him and were a literary ally of his Mr. Bludger had a temporary residence and that a series of papers on finance questions which were universally supposed to be written by a great statesman of the House of Commons were in reality composed by Mr. George Warrington of the Upper Temple that there may have been some dealings between the Palmaal Gazette and this influential party is very possible Percy Popjoy whose father Lord Falconet was a member of the party might be seen not unfrequently ascending the stairs to Warrington's chambers and some information appeared in the paper which gave it a character and could only be got from very peculiar sources several poems feeble in thought but loud and vigorous in expression appeared in the Palmaal Gazette with the signature of P.P. and it must be owned that his novel was praised in the new journal in a very outrageous manner in the political department of the paper Mr. Penn did not take any share but he was a most active literary contributor the Palmaal Gazette had its offices as we have heard in Catherine Street in the Strand and Hither Penn often came with his manuscripts in his pocket and with a great deal of bustle and pleasure such as a man feels at the outset of his literary career when to see himself in print is still a novel sensation and he yet pleases himself to think creating some noise in the world here was that Mr. Jack Funicane the sub editor compiled with past and scissors the journal of which he was supervisor with an eagle eye he scanned all the paragraphs of all the newspapers which had anything to do with the world of fashion over which he presided he didn't let a death or a dinner party of the aristocracy pass without having the event recorded in the columns of his journal and from the most recondite provincial prints and distant Scotch and Irish newspapers he fished out astonishing paragraphs and intelligence regarding the upper classes of society it was a grand nay a touching sight for a philosopher to see Jack Funicane Esquire with a plate of meat from the cook shop and a glass of porter from the public house for his meal including the feasts of the great as if he had been present at them and in tattered trousers and dingy shirt sleeves cheerfully describing and arranging the most brilliant fates of the world of fashion the incongruity of Funicane's avocation and his manners and appearance amused his new friend Penn since he left his own native village where his rank probably was not very lofty Jack had seldom seen any society but such as use the parlor of the taverns which he frequented whereas from his writing you would have suppose that he dined with ambassadors and that his common lounge was the bow window of whites errors of description it is true occasionally slipped from his pen but the bellen affaud sentinel of which he was own correspondent suffered by these not the Paul Maul Gazette in which Jack was not permitted to write much his London chiefs thinking that the scissors in the paste were better wielded by him than the Penn Penn took a great deal of pains with the writing of his reviews and having a pretty fair share of disultery reading acquired in the early years of his life an eager fancy and a keen sense of fun his articles pleased his chief and the public and he was proud to think that he deserved the money which he earned. We may be sure that the Paul Maul Gazette was taken in regularly at Fair Oaks and read with delight by the two ladies there. It was received at Clabbering Park too where we know that there was a young lady of great literary tastes and old Dr. Portman himself to whom the widow sent her paper after she had got her son's articles by heart signified his approval of Penn's productions saying that the lad had a spirit, taste, and fancy and wrote, if not like a scholar at any rate, like a gentleman. And what was the astonishment and delight of our friend Major Penn Dennis on walking into one of his clubs, the Regent where Wenham, Lord Falconet and some other gentlemen of good reputation and fashion were assembled to hear them one day talking over a number of the Paul Maul Gazette and of an article which appeared in its columns making some bitter fun of the book recently published by the wife of a celebrated member of the opposition party. The book in question, a book of travels in Spain and Italy by the countess of Mothborough in which it was difficult to say which was the most wonderful the French or the English in which languages her ladieship wrote indifferently and upon the blunders of which the critic pounced with delightful mischief the critic was no other than Penn. He jumped and danced round about his subject with the greatest jocularity and high spirits. He showed up the noble ladies' faults with admirable mock gravity and decorum. There was not a word in the article which was not polite and gentlemen-like and the unfortunate subject of the criticism was scarified and laughed at during the operation. Wenham's bilious countenance was puckered up with malign pleasure as he read the critique. Lady Mothborough had not asked him to her parties during the last year. Lord Falconet giggled and laughed with all his heart. Lord Mothborough and he had been rivals ever since they began life and these complimented major Penn Dennis who until now had scarcely paid any attention to some hints which his fair oaks correspondence threw out of dear Arthur's constant and severe literary occupations which a fear would undermine the poor boy's health and had thought any notice of Mr. Penn and his newspaper connections quite below his dignity as a major and a gentleman. But when the irracular Wenham praised the boy's production when Lord Falconet who had had the news from Percy Popjoy approved of the genius of young Penn when the great Lord Stain himself to whom the major referred the article laughed and sniggered over it swore it was capital the Mothborough would writhe under it like a whale under a harpoon the major as in duty bound began to admire his nephew very much and said by God the young Rascal had some stuff in him and would do something he always said he would do something and with a hand quite tremulous with pleasure the old gentleman sat down to write to the widow at Fair Oaks all that the great folks had said in praise of Penn and he wrote to the young Rascal too asking when he would come and eat a chop with his old uncle and saying that he was commissioned to take him to dinner at Gaunt House for Lord Stain like anybody who could entertain him whether by his folly, whip or by his dullness, by his oddity, affectation, good spirits or any other quality. Penn flung his letter across the table to Warrington perhaps he was disappointed that the other did not seem to be much affected by it. The courage of young critics is prodigious they clamber up to the judgment seat and with scarce a hesitation give their opinion upon works the most intricate or profound. Had Macaulay's history or Herschel's astronomy been put before Penn at this period he would have looked through the volumes, meditated his opinion over a cigar and signified his august approval of either author as if the critic had been there born superior an indulgent master and patron. By the help of the biography universell or the British Museum he would be able to make a rapid resume of a historical period and allude to names, dates and facts in such a masterly easy way as to astonish his mama at home who wondered where her boy could have acquired such a prodigious store of reading and himself too when he came to read over his articles two or three months after they had been composed and when he had forgotten the subject in the books which he had consulted at that period of his life Mr. Penn owns that he would not have hesitated at 24 hours notice to pass his opinion upon the greatest scholars or to give a judgment upon the encyclopedia luckily he had Warrington to laugh at him and to keep down his impertinence by a constant and wholesome ridicule or he might have become conceded beyond all sufferance. For Shandon liked the dash and flippancy of his young aid to camp and was indeed better pleased with Penn's light and brilliant flashes than with the heavier metal which his elder co-editor brought to bear. But though he might justly be blamed on the score of impertinence and a certain prematurity of judgment Mr. Penn was a perfectly honest critic a great deal too candid for Mr. Bungay's purposes indeed who grumbled sadly at his impartiality Penn and his chief, the captain had a dispute upon this subject one day in the name of common sense Mr. Penn Dennis, Shandon asked what have you been doing praising one of Mr. Bacon's books Bungay has been with me in a fury this morning at seeing a laudatory article upon one of the works of the odious firm over the way Penn's eyes opened with astonishment do you mean to say he asked that we are to praise no books that Bacon publishes or that if the books are good we are to say that they are bad my good friend for what do you suppose a benevolent publisher undertakes a critical journal to benefit his rival Shandon inquired to benefit himself certainly but to tell the truth too Penn said Ruat Kualum to tell the truth and my prospectus said Shandon with a laugh and a snare do you consider that was a work of mathematical accuracy of statement pardon me that is not the question Penn said and I don't think you very much care to argue it I had some qualms of conscience about that same prospectus and debated the matter with my friend Warrington we agreed however Penn said laughing that because the prospectus was rather declamatory and poetical and the giant was painted upon the show board rather larger than the original who was inside the caravan we need not be too scrupulous about this trifling in accuracy but might do our part of the show without loss of character or remorse of conscience we are the fiddlers and play our tunes only you are the showman and the leader of the van said Shandon well I am glad that your conscience gave you leave to play for us yes but Penn with a fine sense of the dignity of his position we are all party men in England and will stick to my party like a Britain I will be as good natured as you like to our own side he is a fool who quarrels with his own nest and I will hit the enemy as hard as you like but with fair play captain if you please one can't tell all the truth I suppose but one can tell nothing but the truth and I would rather starve by Jove and never earn another penny by my pen this redoubted instrument had now been in use for some six weeks and Penn spoke of it with vast enthusiasm and respect then strike an opponent with an unfair blow or if called upon to place him rank him below his honest dessert well Mr. Penn done us when we want bacon smashed we must get some other hammer to do it Shandon said with fatal good nature and very likely thought with him himself a few years hence perhaps the young gentleman won't be so squeamish the veteran conditieri himself was no longer so scrupulous he had fought and killed on so many a side for many a years past that remorse had long left him dad said he you've a tender conscience Mr. Penn Dennis it's the luxury of all novices and I may have had one once myself but that sort of bloom wears off with the rubbing of the world and I'm not going to trouble myself of putting on an artificial complexion like our pious friend Wenham or our model of virtue wag I don't know whether some people's hypocrisy is not better captain than other cynicism it's more profitable at any rate said the captain biting his nails that Wenham is as dull a quack as ever quacked and you see the carriage in which he drove to dinner faith it'll be a long time before Mrs. Shandon will take a drive in her own chariot God help her poor thing and Penn went away from his chief after their little dispute and colloquy pointing his own moral to the captain's tale and thinking to himself behold this man stored with genius wit learning and a hundred good natural gifts see how he has wrecked them by paltering with his honesty respect himself wilt thou remember thyself oh Penn thou are conceded enough wilt thou sell thy honor for a bottle no by heaven's grace we will be honest whatever befalls in our mouths shall only speak the truth when they open a punishment or at least a trial was in store for Mr. Penn in the very next number of the Paul Maul Gazette, Warrington read out with roars of laughter an article by no means amused Arthur Penn Dennis who was himself at work with a criticism for the next week's number of the same journal and in which the spring annual was ferociously maltreated by some unknown writer the person of all most cruelly mauled was Penn himself his verses had not appeared with his own name in the spring annual but under an assumed signature as he had refused to review the book Shandon had handed it over to Mr. Bludger with directions to that author to dispose of it and he had done so effectually Mr. Bludger who was a man of very considerable talent and of a race which I believe he is quite extinct in the press of our time had a certain notoriety in his profession and reputation for savage humor he smashed and trampled down the poor spring flowers then with no more mercy than a bull would have on a partera and having cut the volume in his heart's content went and sold it at a bookstore and purchased a pint of brandy with the proceeds from the volume End of Chapter 36 Recording by Joseph Tabler