 Chapter 48 of THE HISTORY OF PEN DENIS Castigan never roused pen from his slumbers. There was no hostile message from Mr. Huckster to disturb him, and when Pen woke it was with a brisk or more lively feeling, then ordinarily attends that moment in the day of the tired and blasé London man. A city man wakes up to care and consoles, and the thoughts of change and the counting house take possession of him as soon as sleep flies from under his nightcap. A lawyer rouses himself with the early morning to think of the case that will take him all his day to work upon, and the inevitable attorney to whom he has promised his papers ere night, which of us has not his anxiety instantly present when his eyes are opened to it and to the world after his night's sleep. Kind strengthener that enables us to face the day's task with renewed heart, beautiful ordinance of providence that creates rest as it awards labour. Mr. Pen Dennis' labour, or rather his disposition, was of that sort that his daily occupations did not much interest him for the excitement of literary composition pretty soon subsides with the hired labourer, and the delight of seeing one self-imprint only extends to the first two or three appearances in the magazine or newspaper page. Pegasus put into harness and obliged to run a stage every day is as prosaic as any other hack and won't work without his whip or his feet of corn. So indeed Mr. Arthur performed his work at the Palmel Gazette and sensed his success as a novelist with an increased salary but without the least enthusiasm. Doing his best or pretty nearly and sometimes writing ill and sometimes well he was a literary hack naturally fast in pace and brilliant in action. Neither did society or that portion which he saw excite or muse him over much in spite of his bragging boast to the contrary he was too young as yet for women's society which probably can only be had in perfection when a man has ceased to think about his own person and has given up all designs of being a conqueror of ladies. He was too young to be admitted as an equal amongst men who had made their mark in the world and of whose conversation he could scarcely as yet expect to be more than a listener and he was too old for the men of pleasure of his own age too much a man of pleasure for the men of business destiny in a word to be a good deal alone. Fate awards the slot of solitude to many a man and many like it from taste as many without difficulty bear it. Pandenas in reality suffered it very equanimously but in words and according to his want grumbled over not a little. What a nice little artless creature that was Mr. Penn thought at the very instant of waking after the Vox Hall affair what a pretty natural manner she has how much pleasanter than the minorities of the young ladies in the ballrooms and here he recalled to himself some instances of what he could not help seeing was the artful simplicity of Miss Blanche and some of the stupid graces of other young ladies in the polite world who could have thought that such a pretty rose could grow in a porter's lodge or bloom in that dismal old flower pot of a shepherd's inn so she learns to sing from all bows if her singing voice is as sweet as her speaking voice it must be pretty i like those low voileys voices what would you like me to call you indeed poor little fanny it went to my heart to adopt the grand air with her and tell her to call me sir but we'll have no nonsense of that sort no fast and Margaret business for me that old bows so he teaches her to sing does he he's a dear old fellow old bows a gentleman in those old clothes a philosopher and with a kind heart too how good he was to me in the fathering gay business he too has had his griefs and his sorrows i must cultivate all bows a man ought to see people of all sorts i'm getting tired of genteel society besides there's nobody in town yes i'll go and see bows and costigan too what a rich character begat i'll study him and put him into a book in this way our young anthropologist talked with himself and as saturday was the holiday of the week the pal mel gazette making its appearance upon that day and the contributors to that journal having no further calls upon their brains or ink bottles mr. pendentist determined he would take advantage of his leisure and pay a visit to shepherds in of course to see all bows the truth is that if Arthur had been the most determined rue and artful loveless whoever said about deceiving a young girl he could hardly have adopted better means for fascinating and overcoming poor little fanny bolton than those which he had employed on the previous night his dan defied protecting air his conceit generosity and good humor the very sense of good and honesty which had enabled him to check the tremendous advances of the young creature and not to take advantage of that little fluttering sensibility his faults and his virtues at once contributed to make her admire him and if we could peep into fanny's bed which she shared in a cupboard along with those two little sisters to whom we have seen mr. costigan administering gingerbread and apples we should find the poor little maid tossing upon her mattress to the great disturbance of its other two occupants and thinking over all the delights and events of that delightful eventful night and all the words looks and actions of Arthur its splendid hero many novels had been he read in secret and at home in three volumes and in numbers periodical literature had not reached the height which it has attained subsequently and the girls at fanny's generation were not enabled to purchase 16 pages of excitement for a penny rich with histories of crime murder oppressed virtue and the heartless seductions of the aristocracy but she had had the benefit of the circulating library which in conjunction with her school and a small brandy ball and millenary business miss minifurket an author appeared to her at once as the type and realization of all the heroes of all those darling greasy volumes which the young girl had devoured mr. pen we have seen was rather a dandy about shirts and haberdashery in general fanny had looked with delight at the fineness of his linen at the brian save his shirt studs at his elegant cambrick pocket handkerchief and white gloves and at the jetty brightness of his charming boots the prince had appeared and subjugated the poor little handmade his image traversed constantly her restless slumbers the tone of his voice the bright light of his eyes the generous look half love half pity the manly protecting smile the frank winning laughter all these were repeated in the girl's fond memory she felt still his arm encircling her and saw him smiling so grand as he filled up that delicious glass of champagne and then she thought of the girls her friends who used to sneer at her of emma baker who was so proud for soothed because she was engaged to a cheese monger in a white apron near claire market and a betsy rogers who made such a to-do about her young man an attorney's clerk indeed that went about with a bag so that at about two o'clock in the afternoon the bolton family having concluded their dinner and mr. b who besides his place of order of the in was in the employee of messiers trestler the eminent undertakers of the strand being absent in the country with the countess of estrus hers when a gentleman in a white hat and white trousers made his appearance under the in archway and stopped at the port as wicked fanny was not in the least surprised only delightful only happy and blushing beyond all measure she knew it could be no other than he she knew he'd come there he was there was his royal highness beaming upon her from the gate she called her a mother who was busy in the upper apartment mama mama and ran to the wicked at once and opened it pushing aside the other children how she blessed as she gave her hand to him how affably he took off his white hat as he came in the children staring up at him he asked mrs. bolton if she had slept well after the fatigues of the night and hoped she had no headache and he said that as he was going that way he could not pass the door without asking news of his little partner mrs. bolton was perhaps rather shy and suspicious about these advances the mr. pensgood humor was inexhaustible he could not see that he was unwelcome he looked about the premises for a seat and none being disengaged for this cover was on one a work box on the other and so forth he took one of the children's chairs and perched himself upon that uncomfortable eminence at this the children began laughing the child fanny louder than all at least she was more amused than any of them and amazed at his royal highness's condescension he to sit down in that chair that little child's chair many and many a time after she regarded it haven't we almost all such furniture in our rooms that our fancy peoples with their figures that our memory fills with sweet smiling faces which may never look on us more so penn sat down and talked away with great valubility to mrs. bolton he asked about the undertaking business and how many mutes went down with lady asperges remains and about the inn and who live there he seemed very much interested about mr. campion's cabin horse and had met that gentleman in society he thought he should like shares in the pole beetle and fred did them did mrs. bolton do for those chambers were there any chambers to let in the inn it was better than the temple he should like to come to live in shepherds in as per captain strong and colonel altamont was his name he was deeply interested in them too the captain was an old friend at home he had died with him at chambers here before the colonel came to live with him what sort of man was the colonel wasn't he a stout man with a large quantity of jewelry and a wig and large black whiskers very black here pen was immensely waggish and caused hysteric giggles of delight from the ladies very black indeed in fact blue black that is to say a rich greenish purple that was the man he had met him too at sir f r blank since society oh we know said the ladies sir f blank it is sir f clovering he's often here two or three times a week with the captain my little boy has been out for bill stamps for him oh lord i beg pardon i shouldn't have mentioned no secrets mrs. bolton blurted out being talked perfectly into good nature by this time but we know you to be a gentleman mr. pendent is for i'm sure you have shown that you can behave as such hasn't mr. pendent is fanny fanny loved her mother for that speech she cast up her dark eyes to the low ceiling and said oh that he has i'm sure ma with a voice full of feeling pen was rather curious about the bill stamps and concerning the transactions in strong's chambers and he asked when ultimat came and joined the chivalier whether he too was out for bill stamps who he was whether he saw many people and so forth these questions put with considerable droidness by pen who was interested about sir francis clovering's doings from private motives of his own were artlessly answered by mrs. bolton and to the utmost of her knowledge and ability which in truth were not very great these questions answered and pen being at a loss for more luckily recollected his privilege as a member of the press and asked the ladies whether they would like any orders for the play the play was their delight as it is almost always the delight of every theatrical person when bolton was away professionally it appeared that of late the porter of shepherd's inn had taken a serious turn drank a good deal and otherwise made himself unpleasant to the ladies of his family they would like of all things to slip out and go to the theater little barney their son keeping the lodge and mr. pendent is his most generous and most gentile compliment of orders was received with boundless gratitude by both mother and daughter fanny clapped her hands with pleasure her face beamed with it she looked and nodded and laughed at her mama who nodded and laughed in her turn mrs. bolton was not superannuated for pleasure yet or by any means too old for admiration she thought and very likely mr. pendent is in his conversation with her had insinuated some compliments or shaped his talk so as to please her at first against pen and suspicious of him she was his partisan now and almost as enthusiastic about him as her daughter when two women get together to like a man they help each other on each pushes the other forward and the second out of sheer sympathy becomes as eager as the principle at least so it is said by philosophers who have examined the science so the offer of the play tickets and other pleasantries put all parties into perfect good humor except for one brief moment when one of the younger children hearing the name of ash lease pronounced came forward and stated that she should like very much to go to on which fanny said don't bother rather sharply and mama said get long betsy jane do now and play in the court so that the two little ones namely betsy jane and amelior and went away in their little innocent pinafores and desported in the courtyard on the smooth gravel round about the statue of shepherd the great and here as they were playing they very possibly communicated with an old friend of theirs and dweller in the end for while pen was making himself agreeable to the ladies at the lodge who were laughing delighted at his sally's an old gentleman passed under the archway from the end square and came and looked in at the door of the lodge he made a very blank and rueful face when he saw mr. arthur seated upon a table like mckie in the play an easy discourse with mrs. bolton and her daughter what mr. bows how do you do bows cried out pen in a cheery loud voice i was coming to see you and was asking your address of these ladies you were coming to see me were you sir bows said and came in with a sad face and shook hands with harther plague on that old man somebody thought in the room and so perhaps someone else besides her end of chapter 48 chapter 49 of the history of pendentus this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org the history of pendentus by wiam make peace thackery chapter 49 in shepherd's in our friend pen said how do you do mr. bows in a loud cheery voice on perceiving that gentleman and saluted him in a dashing offhand manner yet you could have seen a blush upon arthur's face answered by fanny whose cheek straight way throughout a similar fluttering red signal and after bows and arthur had shaken hands and the former had ironically accepted the other's assertion that he was about to pay mr. costigan's chamber's a visit there was a gloomy and rather guilty silence in the company which penn presently tried to dispel by making a great rattling noise the silence of course departed at mr. arthur's noise but the gloom remained and deepened as the darkness does in a vault if you light up a single taper in it pendentus tried to describe in a jocular manner the transactions of the previous night and attempted to give an imitation of costigan vainly expostulating with the checktaker at valk's hall it was not a good imitation what stranger can imitate that perfection nobody laughed mrs. bowton did not in the least understand what part mr. pendentus was performing and whether it was the checktaker or the captain he was taking off fanny wore an alarmed face and tried a timid giggle oh mr. bows looked as glum as when he fiddled in the orchestra or played a difficult piece upon the piano at the back kitchen penn thought that his story was a failure his voice sank and went all the way dismally at the end of it flickered and went out and it was all dark again you could hear the ticket porter who laws about shepherds in as he passed on the flags under the archway the clink of his boot heels was noted by everybody you were coming to see me sir mr. bows said won't you have the kindness to walk up to my chambers with me you do them a great honor i'm sure they are rather high up but oh i live in a garret myself and shepherds in is twice as cheerful as lamb court mr. pendentus broke in i knew that you had third floor apartments mr. bows said and was going to say you will please not take my remark as discourteous that the air up three pair of stairs is wholesomeer for gentlemen than the air of a porter's lodge sir said penn whose candle flamed up again in his wrap and who was disposed to be as quarrelsome as men are when they are in the wrong will you permit me to choose my society without you were so polite as to say that you were about to honor my humble domicile with a visit mr. bows said with his sad voice shall i show you the way mr. pendentus and i are old friends mrs. bolton very old acquaintances and at the earliest dawn of his life we crossed each other the old man pointed towards the door with a trembling finger and a hat in the other hand and in an attitude slightly theatrical so were his words when he spoke somewhat artificial and chosen from the vocabulary which he had heard all his life from the painted lips of the orators before the stage lamps but he was not acting or masquerading as penn knew very well though he was disposed to poo poo the old fellow's melodramatic airs come along sir he said as you are so very pressing mrs. bolton i wish you a good day goodbye miss fanny i shall always think of our night at box hall with pleasure and be sure i will remember the theater tickets and he took her hand pressed it was pressed by it and was gone what a nice young man to be sure glad mrs. bolton do you think so ma said fanny i was a thinking who he was like when i was at the wells with mrs. sirl mrs bolton continued looking through the window curtain after penn as he went up the court with bows there was a young gentleman from the city that used to come in a tilbury in a white at the very image of him only his whiskers was only his whiskers was black and mr. peas is red law ma they are a most beautiful harbour fanny said he used to come for emily bud who danced columbine in orally kin orn pipe or the battle of navarino when miss d lot boski was to kill a pretty dancer in a fine stage figure of a woman and he was a great sugar baker in the city with a country house at omerton and he used to drive her in the tilbury down gospel street road and one day they drove and was married at st bartholomew's church smithfield where they had their bands read quite private and she now keeps her carriage and i saw her name in the paper as patroness of the man's shing house ball for the washy women's asylum and look at lady mirabelle capped in costigan's daughter she was professional as all very well know thus and more to this purpose mrs. bolton spoke now peeping through the window curtain now cleaning the mugs and plates and consigning them through the place in the corner cupboard and finishing her speech as she and fanny shook out and folded up the dinner cloth between them and restored it to its drawer in the table although costigan had once before been made pretty accurately to understand what pen's pecuniary means and expectations were i suppose cause had forgotten the information acquired at chatterers years ago or had been induced by his natural enthusiasm to exaggerate his friend's income he had described fair oaks park in the most glowing terms to mrs. bolton on the preceding evening as he was walking about with her during penn's little escapade with fanny had dilated upon the enormous wealth of penn's famous uncle the major and shown an intimate acquaintance with arthur's funded and landed property very likely mrs. bolton in her wisdom has speculated upon these matters during the night and had had visions of fanny driving in her carriage like mrs. bolton's old comrade the dancer of sadler's wells in the last operation of tablecloth folding these two foolish women of necessity came close together and as fanny took the cloth and gave it the last fold her mother put her finger under the young girl's gin and kissed her again the red signal flew out and flooded on fanny's cheek what did it mean it was not alarmed this time it was pleasure which caused the poor little fanny to blush so poor little fanny what is love's sin that it is so pleasant at the beginning and so bitter at the end after the embrace mrs. bolton thought proper to say that she was a going out upon business and that fanny must keep the lodge which fanny after a very faint objection indeed consented to do so mrs. bolton took her bonnet and market basket and departed in the instant she was gone fanny went and sat by the window which commanded bosa's door and never once took her eyes away from that quarter of shepherds in betsy jane and amelia and were buzzing in one corner of the place and making belief to read out of a picture book which one of them held topsy turvy it was a grave and dreadful tract of mr bolton's collection fanny did not hear her sister's prattling over it she noticed nothing but bosa's door at last she gave a little shake and her eyes lighted up he had come out he would pass the door again but her poor little countenance fell in an instant more pendenis and d came out but bose followed after him they passed under the archway together he only took off his head and bowed as he looked in he did not stop to speak in three or four minutes fanny did not know how long but she looked furiously at him when he came into the lodge bose returned alone and entered into the porter's room where's your ma dear he said to fanny i don't know fanny said with an angry toss i don't follow ma's steps wherever she goes i suppose mr bose in my my mother's keeper bose said with his usual melancholic bitterness come here betsey jane and amily an i've brought a cake for the one who can read her letters best and a cake for the other who can read them the next best when the young ladies had undergone the examination through which bose put them they were rewarded with their gingerbread medals and went off to discuss them in the court meanwhile fanny took out some work and pretended to busy herself with it her mind being in great excitement and anger as she applied her needle bose sat so that he could commend the entrance from the lodge to the street but the person whom perhaps he expected to see never made his appearance again and mrs bolton came in from market and found mr bose in place of the person whom she had expected to see the reader perhaps can guess what was his name the interview between bose and his guest when those two mounted to the apartment occupied by the former in common with the descendant of the malaysian kings was not particularly satisfactory to either party penn was sulky if bose had anything on his mind he did not care to deliver himself of his thoughts in the presence of captain costigan who remained in the apartment during the whole of penn's visit having quitted his bedchamber indeed but a very few minutes before the arrival of that gentleman we have witnessed the desabeau of major pendentists will any man wish to be valet de chambre to our other hero costigan it was seemed that the captain before issuing from his bedroom sent it himself with auto of whiskey a rich odor of that delicious perfume breathed from out him as he held out the grasp of cordiality to his visitor the hand which performed that grasp shook woefully it was a wonder how it could hold the razor with which the poor gentleman daily operated on his chin bose's room was as neat on the other hand as his comrades was disorderly his humble word drove hung behind a curtain his books and manuscript music were trimly arranged upon shelves a lithographed portrait of miss fathering gay as mrs holler with the actress's sprawling signature at the corner hung faithfully over the old gentleman's bed lady mirabelle wrote much better than miss fathering gay had been able to do her lady ship had labored assiduously to acquire the art of penmanship since her marriage and in a common note of invitation or acceptance acquitted herself very gently bose loved the old handwriting best though the fair artist's earlier manner he had but one specimen of the new style a note in reply to a song composed and dedicated to lady mirabelle by her most humble servant robert bose and which document was treasured in his desk amongst his other state papers he was teaching fanny bolton now to sing and to write as he had taught emily in former days it was the nature of the man to attach himself to something when emily was torn from him he took a substitute as a man looks out for a crutch when he loses a leg or lashes himself to a raft when he has suffered shipwreck latude had given his heart to a woman no doubt before he grew to be so fond of a mouse in the Bastille there are people who in their youth have felt an inspired and heroic passion and then by being happy in the caresses or agitated by the illness of a poodle but it was hard upon bose and grating to his feelings as a man and a sentimentalist that he should find panic in upon his track and in pursuit of this little fanny meanwhile costigan had not the least idea but that this company was perfectly welcome to mr's pendentus and bose and that the visit of the former was intended for himself he expressed himself greatly pleased with that mark of poloiteness and promised in his own mind that he would repay that obligation at least which was not the only debt which the captain owed in life by several visits to his young friend he entertained him affably with news of the day or rather of 10 days previous for pen and his quality of journalist remember to have seen some of the captain's opinions in the sporting and theatrical newspaper which was costigan's oracle he stated that sir charles and lady mirabelle were gone to bottom bottom and were most pressing in their invitations that he should join them there pen replied with great gravity that he had heard that boden was very pleasant and the grand duke exceedingly hospitable to english costigan answered that the laws of hospitality became a grand jew that he sorry as they would think about visiting him and made some remarks upon the splendid festivities at dublin castle when his excellency the earl of ponton sherry held the vice regal court there and to which he costigan had been a humble but pleased spectator and pen as he heard these offtold well remembered legends recollected the time when he had given a sort of credence to them and had a certain respect for the captain emily and first love and the little room at chatteris and the kind talk with bows on the bridge came back to him he felt quite kindly disposed towards his two old friends and cordially shook the hands of both of them when he rose to go away he had quite forgotten about little fanny bolton whilst the captain was talking and pen himself was absorbed in other selfish meditations he only remembered her again as bows came hobbling down the stairs after him bent evidently upon following him out of shepherds in mr bows's precaution was not a lucky one the wrath of mr arthur pendennis rose at the poor old fellow's feeble persecution confound him what does he mean by dogging me thought pen and he burst out laughing when he was in the strand and by himself as he thought of the elder's stratogen it was not an honest laugh arthur pendennis perhaps the thoughts struck arthur himself and he blushed at his own sense of humor he went off to endeavor to banish the thoughts which occupied him whatever those thoughts might be and tried various places of amusement with but indifferent success he struggled up the highest stairs of the panorama but when he had arrived panting at the height of the eminence care had come up with him and was bearing him company he went to the club and wrote a long letter home exceedingly witty and sarcastic and in which if he did not say a single word about box hall and fanny bolton it was because he thought that subject however interesting to himself would not be very interesting to his mother and laura nor could the novels or the library table fix his attention nor the grave and respectable jockens the only man in town who wished to engage him in conversation nor any of the amusements which he tried after flying from jockens he passed the comic theater on his way home and saw stunning farce roars of laughter good old english fun and frolic placard in vermilion letters on the gate he went into the pit and saw the lovely mrs leary as usual in a man's attire and that eminent buffalo actor tom horseman dressed as a woman horseman's travesty seemed to him a horrid and hideous degradation mrs leary's glances and ankles had not the least effect he laughed again and bitterly to himself as he thought of the effect which he had produced upon him on the first night of his arrival in london a short time what a long long time ago end of chapter 49 chapter 50 of the history of penn dennis this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org the history of penn dennis by william make peace bakery chapter 50 or near the temple garden fashion has long deserted the green and pretty temple garden which in shakespeare makes york and lancaster to pluck the innocent white and red roses which became the badges of their bloody wars and the learned and pleasant writer of the handbook of london tells us that the commonest and heartiest kind of rose as long ceased to put for the bud in that smoky air not many of the present occupiers of the building's round about the quarter know or care very likely whether or not roses grow there or pass the old gate except on their way to chambers the attorney's clerks don't carry flowers in their bags or posies under their arms as they run to the council's chambers the few lawyers who take constitutional walks think very little about york and lancaster especially since the railroad business is over only antiquarians and literary amateurs care to look at the gardens with much interest and fancy good sir roger de coverley and mr spectator with his short face pacing up and down the road for dear oliver goldsmith in the summer house perhaps meditating about the next citizen of the world or the new suit that mr philby the tailor is fashioning for him or the dining letter that mr newberry has sent treading heavily on the gravel and rolling majestically along in a snuff colored suit and a wig that sadly wants the barber's powder and irons one sees the great doctor step up to him his scotch lucky following at the lexicographer's heels a little the worse for port wine that they have been taking at the mitre and mr johnson asks mr goldsmith to come home and take a dish of tea with miss williams kind faith of fancy sir roger mr spectator are as real to us now as the two doctors and the boozy and faithful scotchmen the political figures live in art memory just as much as the real personages and as mr arthur pendentus was of a romantic and literary turn by no means addicted to the legal pursuits common in the neighborhood of the place he may presume that he was cherishing some such political reflections as these went upon the evening after the events recorded in the last chapter the young gentleman chose the temple gardens as a place for exercise and meditation on the sunday evening the temple is commonly calm the chambers are for the most part vacant the great lawyers are giving grand dinner parties at their houses in the bell graveyon or tiburnian districts the agreeable young barristers are absent attending those parties and paying their respects to mr qz's excellent claret or mr justus ermans accomplished daughters the uninvited are partaking of the economic joint and the modest half pint of wine at the club entertaining themselves and the rest of the company in the club room with circuit jokes and points of written law nobody is in chambers at all except poor mr cockle who is ill and whose laundress is making him gruel or mr doodle who is an amateur of the flute and whom you may hear piping solitary from his chambers in the second floor or young tiger the student from whose open windows comes a great gush of cigar smoke and at whose door are a quantity of dishes and covers bearing the insignia of dicks or the cock but stop whether does fancy leaders it is vacation time and with the exception of pendentists nobody is in chambers at all perhaps it was solitude then which drove pen into the garden for although he had never before passed the gate and it looked rather carelessly at the pretty flower beds and the groups of pleased citizens sauntering over the trim lawn and the broad gravel walks by the river on this evening it happened as we have said that the young gentleman who had dined alone at a tavern in the neighborhood of the temple took a fancy as he was returning home to his chambers to take a little walk in the gardens and enjoy the fresh evening air and the sight of the shining tims after walking for a brief space and looking at the many peaceful and happy groups round about him he grew tired of the exercise and he took himself to one of the summer houses which blank either end of the main walk and there modestly seated himself what were his cogitations the evening was delightfully bright and calm the sky was cloudless the chimneys on the opposite bank were not smoking the wharfs were houses looked rosy in the sunshine and as clear as if they too had washed for the holiday the steamers rushed rapidly up and down the stream laden with holiday passengers the bells of the multitude in his city churches were ringing to evening prayers such peaceful Sabbath evenings as this pen may have remembered in his early days as he paced with his arm around his mother's waist on the terrace before the lawn at home the sun was lighting up the little brawl too as well as the broad tims and sinking downwards majestically behind the clattering elms and the tower of the familiar village church was it thoughts of these or the sunset merely that caused the blush in the young man's face he beat time on the bench to the chorus of the bells without flicked the dust off his shining boots with his pocket handkerchief and starting up stamped with his foot and said no by jove i'll go home and with his resolution which indicated that some struggle as to the propriety of remaining where he was or of quitting the garden had been going on in his mind he stepped out of the summer house he nearly knocked down two little children who did not indeed reach much higher than his knee and were trotting along the gravel walk with their long blue shadows slanting towards the east one cried out oh the other began to laugh and with a knowing little infantile chuckle said nissa pendennis and arthur looking down saw his two little friends of the day before may demoiselle amelia and and betsy jane he blushed more than ever at seeing them and seizing the one whom he had nearly upset jumped her up into the air and kissed her at which suddenly saw amelia and began to cry in great alarm this cry brought up instantly two ladies in clean collars and new ribbons and grand shawls namely mrs bolton in a rich scarlet caledonian cashmere and a black silk dress and miss f bolton with a yellow scarf and a sweet sprig muslin and a parasol quite the lady banny did not say one single word though her eyes flashed a welcome and shown as bright as bright as the most blazing windows in paper buildings the mrs bolton after admonishing betsy jane said lores sir how very odd that we should meet you here i hope you have your health well sir ain't it odd fanny that we should meet mr pendennis what do you mean by sniggering may dom when young creases has been staying at a country house have you never about any singular coincidence been walking with your fanny in the shrubberies have you and your fanny never happened to be listening to the band of the heavies at brighton when young debuts and captain padmore came clinking down the pier have you and your darling francis never chance to be visiting old widow weezy at the cottage on the common when the young curate has stepped in with a tract adapted to the rheumatism do you suppose that if singular coincidences occur at the hall they don't also happen at the lodge it was a coincidence no doubt that was all in the course of the conversation on the day previous mr pendennis had merely said in the simplest way imaginable and in reply to a question of miss bolton but although some of the courts were gloomy parts of the temple were very cheerful and agreeable especially the chambers looking on the river and around the gardens and that the gardens were a very pleasant walk on sunday evenings and frequented by a great number of people and hereby the mayor's chance all our acquaintances met together just like so many people in genteel life what could be more artless good natured or natural pen looked very grave pompous and undefined he was unusually smart and brilliant in his costume his white duck trousers and white hat his neck cloth of many colors his lightweight coat gold chains and shirts dad's gave him the air of a prince of the blood at least how his plunder became his figure was anybody ever like him someone thought he blushed how his blushers became him the same individual said to herself the children on seeing him the day before had been so struck with him that after he'd gone away they had been playing at him and amelia and sticking her little chubby fingers into the arm holes of a penivore as pen was want to do with his waistcoat it said now that's the jane i'll be missa pendennis banni had left till she cried and smothered her sister with kisses for that feat how happy too she was to see arthur embracing the child if arthur was red banni on the contrary was very worn and pale arthur remarked it and asked kindly why she looked so fatigued i was awake all night said banni and began to blushed a little i put out her candle and hoarded her to go to sleep and leave off reading interpose the fond mother you were reading and what was it that interested you so asked pen amused oh it's so beautiful said banni what walter lorraine fanning side out how i do hate that nyara nyara i don't know the pronunciation and i love leonora and walter oh how dear he is how had fanny discovered the novel of walter lorraine and that pen was the author this little person remembered every single word which mr. pendennis had spoken on the night previous and how he wrote in books and newspapers what books she was so eager to know that she'd almost a mind to be civil to all bows who was suffering under her displeasure since yesterday but she determined first to make application to castigan she began by coaxing the captain and smiling upon him in her most winning way as she helped to arrange his dinner and set his humble apartment in order she was sure his linen wanted mending and indeed the captain's linen closet contains some curious specimens of manufactured flaxen cotton she would mend his shirts all his shirts what horrid holes what funny holes she put a little face through one of them and laughed at the old warrior in the most winning manner she would have made a funny little picture looking through the holes then she daintily removed cost against dinner things tripping about the room as she had seen the dancers do at the play and she danced to the captain's cupboard and produced his whiskey bottle and mixed him up tumbler and must taste a drop of it a little drop and the captain must sing her one of his songs his dear songs and teach it to her and when he had sung an irish melody in his rich quavering voice fancing it was he who was fascinating the little siren she put little question about arthur pendentis and his novel and having got an answer cared for nothing more but left the captain at the piano about to sing her another song and the dinner tray on the passage and the shirts on the chair and ran downstairs quickening her pace as she spent captain costigan and as he said was not a literary character nor had he as yet found time to peruse his young friend's elegant per faro months though he intended to take an early opportunity of purchasing a copy of his work but he knew the name of pen's novel from the fact that mr's finu cane blendier and other frequenters of the back kitchen spoke of mr pendentis not all of them with great friendship for a bloodier called him a confounded cox comb and hulan wondered that dulan did not kick him etc by the surrogate of walter lorraine and was hence unable to give fanny the information which she required and she went and asked for it at the library this is both in said several libraries and some added and it was about and some added and one of the libraries as added wouldn't let her at it without a sovereign and she added one and she came back a crime to me didn't she fanny and i gave her a sovereign and though i was in such a fright lest anyone should have come to the library and took it while i was away fanny said her cheeks and eyes glowing and though i do like it so arthur was touched by this artless sympathy immensely flooded and moved by it do you like it he said if you will come up to my chambers i will know i will bring you one no i will send you one good night thank you fanny god bless you i mustn't stay with you goodbye goodbye i'm pressing her hand once and nodding to her mother and the other children drove out of the gardens he quickened his pace as he went from them and ran out of the gate talking to himself dear dear little thing he said darling little fanny you are worth them all i wish to heaven shandon was back i'd go home to my mother i mustn't see her i won't i won't so help me as he was talking thus and running the passes by turning to look at him he ran against a little old man and perceived it was mr bows your very humble servant sir said mr bows making a sarcastic bow and lifting his old hat from his forehead i wish you a good day arthur answered salkaly don't let me detain you or give you the trouble to follow me again i'm in a hurry sir good evening bow whose thought pan had some reason for hurrying to his rooms where are they explain the old gentleman you know whom i mean they're not in your room sir are they they told bolton they were going to church at the temple they weren't there they are in your chambers they mustn't stay in your chambers mr pendentus damn it sir cried out pendentus fiercely come and see if they are in my chambers here's the court in the door come in and see and bow is taking off his hat and bowing first followed the young man they were not in pen's chambers as we know but when the gardens were closed the two women who had had but a melancholy evening's amusement walked away sadly with the children and they entered into lamb court and stood under the lamp post which cheerfully ornaments the center of that quadrangle and looked up to the third floor of the house where pendentus's chambers were and where they saw a light presently kindle then this couple of fools went away the children dragging weirdly after them and returned to mr bolton who was immersed in rum and water had his lodge in shepherd's inn mr bows looked around the bank room which the young man occupied and which had received but very few ornaments or additions since the last time we saw them warrington's old bookcase and battered library pen's writing table with its litter of papers presented an aspect cheerless enough where you like to look in the bedrooms mr bows and see if my victims are there he said bitterly or whether i've made a way with the little girls and hid them in the cold hole your word is sufficient mr pendentus the other said in his sad tone you say they are not here and i know they are not and i hope they never have been here and never will come upon my word sir you are very good to choose my acquaintances for me arthur said in a haughty tone and to suppose that anybody would be the worst for my society i remember you and owe you kindness from all times mr bows where i should speak more angrily than i do about a very intolerable sort of persecution to which you seem inclined to subject me you followed me out of your inn yesterday as if you wanted to watch that i shouldn't steal something here penn stammered and turned red directly he had said the words he felt he had given the other an opening which bows instantly took i do think you came to steal something as you say the word sir bows said you mean to say that you came to pay a visit to poor all bows the fiddler or to mrs bolton at the porter's lodge oh five such a fine gentleman as arthur pendentus s square doesn't come to send a walk up to my gear or to sit in a laundresses kitchen but for reasons of his own and my belief is that you came to steal a pretty girl's heart away and to ruin it and to spurn it afterwards mr arthur pendentus that's what the world makes of you young dandies you gentlemen of fashion you high mighty aristocrats that trample upon the people it's sport to you but what is it to the poor thank you the toys of your pleasures whom you play with and whom you fling into the streets when you're tired i know your order sir i know your selfishness and your arrogance and your pride what does it matter to my lord that the poor man's daughter is made miserable and her family brought to shame you must have your pleasures and the people of course must pay for them what are we made for but for that it's the way with you all the way with you all sir bows was speaking beside the question and penn had his advantage here which he was not sorry to take not sorry to put off the debate from the point upon which his adversary had first engaged it arthur broke out with a sort of laugh for which he asked bows as pardon yes i am an aristocrat he said in a palace up three pair of stairs with a carpet nearly as handsome as yours mr bows my life is passed in grinding the people is it in ruining virgins and robbing the poor my good sir this is very well in a comedy where job thornberry slaps his breast and asks my lord how dare he trample on an honest man and poke out an englishman's fireside but in real life mr bows to a man who has to work for his bread as much as you do how can you talk about aristocrats tyrannizing over the people have i ever done you a wrong or assumed heirs of superiority over you did you not have an early regard for me in days when we were both of us romantic young fellows mr bows come don't be angry with me now and let us be as good friends as we were before those days were very different mr bows answered and mr arthur pendentus wasn't honest impetuous young fellow then rather selfish and conceited perhaps but honest he liked you then because you were ready to ruin yourself for a woman and now sir arthur asked and now times are changed and you want a woman to ruin herself for you bows answered i know this child sir i've always said this lot was hanging over her she has heated her little brain with novels until her whole thoughts are about love and lovers and she scarcely sees that she treads on a kitchen floor i've taught the little thing she is full of many talents and winning ways i grant you i'm fond of the girl sir i'm a lonely old man i lead a life that i don't like among boon companions who make me melancholy i have got this child that i care for have pity upon me and don't take her away from me mr pendentus don't take her away the old man's voice broke as he spoke its accents touched pen much more than the menacing or sarcastic tone which bows had commenced by adopting indeed said he kindly you do me a wrong if you fancy i intend one two poor little fanny i never saw her till friday night it was the mirror's chance that our friend castigan threw her into my way i have no intentions regarding her that is that is you know very well that she is a foolish girl and her mother a foolish woman that is you meet her in the temple gardens and of course without previous concert that is that when i found her yesterday reading the book you've wrote she scorned me those said what am i good for but to be laughed at a deformed old fellow like me an old fiddler that wears a threadbare coat and gets his bread by playing tunes at an ale house you are a fine gentleman you are you were sent in your handkerchief and a ring on your finger you go to dine with great people whoever gives a cross to all bows and yet i might have been as good a man as the best of you i might have been a man of genius if i'd had the chance i and have lived with the master spirits of the land but everything had failed with me i'd ambition once and wrote plays poems music nobody would give me a hearing i never loved a woman but she laughed at me and here i am in my old age alone don't take this girl from me mr pandenis i say again leave her with me a little longer she was like a child to me till yesterday why did you step in and made her to mock my deformity and old age i'm guiltless about at least arthur said with something of a sigh about my word of honor i wish i'd never seen the girl my calling is not seduction mr bows i did not imagine that i had made an impression on poor fanny until until tonight and then sir i was sorry and was flying from my temptation as you came upon me and he added with a glow upon his cheek which in the gathering darkness his companion could not see and with an audible tremor in his voice i do not mind telling you sir that on this Sabbath evening as the church bells were ringing i thought of my own home and of women angelically pure and good who dwell there and i was running hither as i met you that i might avoid the danger which beset me and asked strength of god almighty to do my duty after these words from arthur a silence ensued and when the conversation was resumed by his guest the letter spoke in a tone which was much more gentle and friendly and on taking farewell a pen bows asked leave to shake hands with him and with a very warm and affectionate greeting on both sides apologized to arthur for having mistaken him and paid him some compliments which caused the young man to squeeze his old friend's hand heartily again and as they parted at penn's door arthur said he had given a promise and he hoped entrusted that mr bows might rely on it amen to that prayer said mr bows and went slowly down the stair end of chapter 50 chapter 51 of the history of pendentus this is a liber box recording all liber box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liber box dot org the history of pendentus by william make peace vacary chapter 51 the happy village again early in this history we have had occasion to speak of the little town of clathering near which penn's paternal home of pharaoh stood and of some of the people who inhabit the place and as the society there was by no means amusing or pleasant our reports concerning it were not carried to any very great length mr samuel huckster the gentleman whose acquaintance we lately made at box hall was one of the choice spirits of the little town when he visited it during his vacation and enlivened the tables of his friends there by the wit of barthel amuse and the gossip of the fashionable london circles which he frequented mr hobnall the young gentleman whom penn had thrashed in consequence of the quarrel in the father and gay affair was lost a pupil at the grammar school at clathering made very welcome at the tea table of mrs huckster samuel's mother and was free of the surgery where he knew the way to the tamarin pots and could send his pocket handkerchief with rose water and it was at this period of his life that he formed an attachment for miss sophie huckster whom on his father's demise he married and took home to his house of the warren at a few miles from clathering the family had possessed and cultivated and a state there for many years as yeoman and farmers mr hobnall's father pulled down the old farmhouse built a flaring new white washed mansion with capacious stables and a piano in the drawing room kept a pack of harriers and assumed the title of squire hobnall when he died and his son reigned in his stead the family might be fairly considered to be established as county gentry and sam huckster at london did no great wrong in boasting about his brother-in-law's place his hounds horses and hospitality to his admiring comrades at bartholomews every year at a time commonly when mrs hobnall could not leave the increasing duties of her nursery hobnall came up to london for a lark had rooms at the tavern stuck and he and sam and dogs did the pleasures of the town together as scott the theaters box hall and the convivial taverns in the joyous neighborhood of coven garden were visited by the vivacious squire in company with his learned brother when he was in london as he said he liked to do as london does and to go it a bit and when he returned to the west he took a new bonnet and shawl to mrs hobnall and relinquished for country sports and occupations during the next 11 months the elegant amusements of london life sam huckster kept up a correspondence with his relative and supplied him with joys news of the metropolis in return for the baskets of hairs partridges and clouded cream which the squire and his good-natured wife forwarded to sam a youth more brilliant and distinguished they did not know he was the life and soul of their house when he made his appearance in his native place his songs jokes and fun kept the warm in a roar he'd save their eldest darling's life by taking a fish bone out of her throat and find he was the delight of their circle as ill luck would have it pen again fell in with mr huckster only three days after the wrong contra at box hall faithful to his vow he had not been to see little fanny he was trying to drive her from his mind by occupation or other mental excitement he labored though not too much profit incessantly in his rooms and in his capacity of critic for the pal mel gazette made woeful and savage onslaught on a poem and a romance which came before him for judgment these authors slain he went to dine alone at the lonely club of the polyanthus where the vast solitudes frightened him and made him only the more moody he had been to more theaters for relaxation the whole house was roaring with laughter and applause and he saw only an ignoble forest that made him sad it would have damped the spirits of the buffoon on the stage to have seen pens dismal face he already knew what was happening the scene and the drama passed before him like a dream or a fever then he thought he would go to the back kitchen his old haunt with warrington he was not a bit sleepy yet the day before he had walked 20 miles in search after rest over hamstead common and hendon lanes and had got no sleep at night he would go to the back kitchen it was a sort of comfort to him to think he should see bows bows was there very calm presiding at the old piano some tremendous comic songs were sung which made the room crack with laughter how strange they seemed to pan he could only see bows in an extinct volcano such as he boasted that his breast was it was wonderful how he should feel such a flame two days indulgence had kindled it two days abstinence had set it burning in fury so musing upon this and drinking down one glass after another as ill luck would have it arthur's eyes lighted upon mr huckster who had been to the theater like himself and with two or three comrades now entered the room huckster whispered to his companions greatly to penn's annoyance arthur felt that the other was talking about him huckster then worked through the room bothered by his friends and came and took a place opposite penn nodding familiarly to him and holding him out a dirty hand to shake penn shook hands with his fellow townsman he thought he had been needlessly savage to him on the last night when they had met as for huckster perfectly at good humor with himself and the world it never entered his mind that he could be disagreeable to anybody and the little dispute or chaff as he started a box hall was a trifle which he did not in the least regard the disciple of galen having called for stouts with which he and his party refreshed themselves began to think what would be the most amusing topic of conversation with penn and hit upon that precise one which was most painful to our young gentleman jolly night at box hall wasn't it he said and winked in a very knowing way i'm glad you liked it poor penn said groaning in spirit i was devilish cut uncommon been downing with some chaps at greenwich that was a pretty bit of muslin hanging on your arm who was she asked the fascinating student the question was too much for arthur have i asked you any questions about yourself mr huckster he said i didn't mean any offense beg pardon hang it you cut up quite savage said penn's astonished interlocutor do you remember what took place between us the other night penn asked with gathering wrap you forget very probably you were tipsy as you observed just now and very rude hang it sir i asked your pardon huckster said looking red you did certainly and it was granted with all my heart i am sure but if you recollect i beg that you would have the goodness to omit me from the list of your acquaintance for the future and when we met in public that you would not take the trouble to recognize me were you pleased to remember this hereafter and as the song is beginning permit me to leave you to the unrestrained enjoyment of the music he took his hat and making a bow to the amazed mr huckster left the table as huckster's comrades after a pause of wonder set up such a roar of laughter at huckster as called for the intervention of the president of the room who bowed out silence gentlemen do have silence for the body snatcher which popular song began as penn left the back kitchen he flattered himself that he had commanded his temper perfectly he rather wished that huckster had been pugnacious he would have liked to fight him or somebody he went home the day's work the dinner the play the whiskey and water the coral nothing sued him he slept no better than on the previous night a few days afterwards mr sam huckster wrote home a letter to mr hobnall in the country of which mr arthur pendennis formed the principal subject sam described arthur's pursuits in london and his confounded insolence of behavior to his old friends from home he said he was an abundant criminal a regular don Juan a fellow who when he did come into the country ought to be kept out of honest people's houses he had seen him at box hall dancing with an innocent girl in the lower ranks of life of whom he was making a victim he had found out from an irish gentleman formerly in the army who frequented a club of which he huckster was member who the girl was on whom this conceded humbug was practicing his infernal arts and he thought he should warn her father etc etc the letter then touched on general news conveyed the writer's thanks for the last parcel and the rabbits and hinted his extreme readiness for further favors about once a year as we have stated there was occasion for christening after warring and it happened that this ceremony took place the day after hobnall had received the letter of his brother-in-law in town the infant a darling little girl was christened myra lucretia after its two godmothers miss portman and mrs pibus of clevering and as of course hobnall had communicated sam's letter to his wife mrs hobnall imparted its horde contents to her two gossips a pretty story it was and prettily it was told throughout clevering in the course of that day myra did not she was too much shocked to do so speak on the matter to her mama but mrs pibus had no such feelings of reserve she talked over the matter not only with mrs portman but with mr and the honorable mrs simcoe with mrs glanders her daughter's being to that end ordered out of the room with madame fribs b and in a word with the whole of the clevering society madame fribs b looking furtively up at her picture of the dragoon and onwards into her own wounded memory said that men would be men and as long as they were men would be deceivers and she pensively quoted some lines from marmian requesting to know where deceiving lovers should rest mrs pibus had no words of hatred or contempt strong enough for a villain who could be capable of conduct so base this was what came of early indulgence and insolence and extravagance and aristocratic heirs it is certain that pen had refused to drink tea with mrs pibus and attending the corrupt and horrid parties in the dreadful modern babelon mrs portman was afraid that she must acknowledge that the mother's fatal partiality had spoiled this boy that his literary successes had turned his head and his horrid passions had made him forget the principles which dr portman had instilled into him in early life glanders the atrocious captain of dragoons when informed of the occurrence by mrs glander's whistle and majorcular allusions to it at dinner time on which mrs glanders called him a brute and ordered the girls again out of the room as the horrid captain burst out laughing mr simcoe was calm under the intelligence but rather pleased than otherwise it only served to confirm the opinion which he had always had of that wretched young man not that he knew anything about him not that he had read one line of his dangerous and poisonous works have been forbid that he should but what could be expected from such a youth and such frightful such lamentable such deplorable want of seriousness pen formed a subject for a second sermon at the clevering chapel of ease where the dangers of london and the crime of reading or writing novels were pointed out on a sunday evening to a large and warm congregation they did not wait to hear whether he was guilty or not they took his wickedness for granted and with these admirable moralists it was who should fling the stone at poor pen the next day mrs pendennis alone and almost fainting with emotion and fatigue walked or rather ran to dr portman's house to consult a good doctor she had had an anonymous letter some christian had thought it is or her duty to stab the good soul who had never done mortal or wrong an anonymous letter with references to scripture pointing out the dune of such sinners and a detailed account of penn's crime she was in a state of terror and excitement pitiable to witness two or three hours of this pain had aged her already in her first moment of agitation she had dropped the letter and laura had read it laura blushed when she read it her whole frame trembled but it was with anger the cowards she said it isn't true no mother it isn't true it is true and you've done it laura cried out ellen fiercely why did you refuse him when he asked you why did you break my heart and refuse him it is you who led him into crime it is you who flung him into the arms of this this woman don't speak to me don't answer me i will never forgive you never martha bring me my bonnet and shawl i'll go out i won't have you come with me go away leave me cruel girl why have you brought this shame on me and bidding her daughter and her servants keep away from her she ran down the road to clavoring dr. portman glancing over the letter thought he knew the handwriting and of course was already acquainted with the charge made against poor penn against his own conscience perhaps for the worthy doctor like most of us had a considerable natural aptitude for receiving any report unfavorable to his neighbors he strove to console helen he pointed out that the slander came from an anonymous quarter and therefore must be the work of a rascal that the charge might not be true was not true most likely at least that penn must be heard before he was condemned that the son of such a mother was not likely to commit such a crime etc etc helen at once saw through his faint of objection and denial you think he has done it she said you know you think he has done it oh why did i ever leave him dr. portman or suffer him away from me but he can't be dishonest pray god not dishonest you don't think that do you remember his conduct about that other person how madly he was attached to her he was an honest boy then he is now and i thank god yes i fall down on my knees and thank god he paid laura you said he was good you did yourself and now if this woman loves him and you know they must if he has taken her from her home or if she tempted him which is most likely why still she must be his wife and my daughter and he must leave the dreadful world and come back to me to his mother dr. portman let us go away and bring him back yes bring him back and there shall be joy for the the sinner that repented let us go now directly dear friend this very helen could say no more she fell back and fainted she was carried to a bed in the house of the pitying doctor and the surgeon was called to attend her she lay all night in an alarming state laura came to her or to the rectory rather for she would not see laura and dr. portman still beseeching her to be tranquil and growing bolder and more confident of arthur's innocence as he witnessed the terrible grief of the poor mother wrote a letter to penn warning him of the rumors that were against him and earnestly praying that he would break off and repent of a connection so fatal to his best interests and his soul's welfare and laura was her heart not wrong by the thought of arthur's crime and helen's estrangement was it not a bitter blow for the innocent girl to think that at one stroke she should lose all the love which she cared for in the world end of chapter 51 chapter 52 of the history of pendentis this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org the history of pendentis by william make peace that curry chapter 52 which had very nearly been the last of the story dr. portman's letter was sent off to its destination in london and the worthy clergyman endeavored to soothe down mrs. pendentis into some state of composure until an answer should arrive which the doctor tried to think or at any rate persisted in saying would be satisfactory as regarded the morality of mr. pendentis at least tellens wisdom of moving upon london and appearing in person to warn her son of his wickedness was impracticable for a day or two the apothecary for bad her moving even so far as fair oaks for the first day and it was not until the subsequent morning that she found herself again back on her sofa at home with the faithful though silent law nursing at her side unlikely for himself and our parties pen never read that homily which dr. portman addressed to him until many weeks after the epistle had been composed and day after day the widow waited for her son's reply to the charges against him her own illness increasing with every day's delay it was a hard task for law to bear the anxiety to witness her dearest friend suffering worst of all to support helens estrangement and the pain caused to her by that averted affection but it was the custom of this young lady to the utmost of her power and by means of that gracious assistance which heaven awarded to her pure and constant prayers to do her duty and as that duty was performed quite noiselessly while the supplications which endowed her with the requisite strength for fulfillment it also took place in our own chamber away from all mortal sight we too must be before silent about these virtues of hers which no more bear public talking about than a flower will bear to bloom in a ballroom this only we will say that a good woman is the loveliest flower that blooms under heaven and that we look with love and wonder upon its silent grace its pure fragrance its delicate bloom of beauty sweet and beautiful the fairest and the most spotless is it not pity to see them bowed down or devoured by grief or death inexorable wasting in disease pining with long pain or cut off by a sudden fate in their prime we may deserve grief but why should these be unhappy except that we know that heaven chastens those whom it loves best being pleased by repeated trials to make these pure spirits more pure so pen never got the letter although it was duly posted and faithfully discharged by the postman into his letter box in lamb court and then scared by the laundress to his writing table with the rest of his lordship's correspondence into which room have we not seen a picture of him entering from his little bedroom adjoining as mrs. Flanagan his laundress was in the act of drinking his gin those kind readers who have watched mr. Arthur's career hitherto and have made as they naturally would do observations upon the moral character and peculiarities of their acquaintance have probably discovered by this time what was the prevailing fault in mr. Penn's disposition and who was that greatest enemy artfully indicated in the title page with whom he had to contend not a few of us my beloved public have the very same rascal to contend with a scoundrel who takes every opportunity of bringing us into mischief of plunging us into quarrels of leading us into idleness and unprofitable company and whatnot in a word pen's greatest enemy was himself and as he had been pampering and coaxing and indulging that individual all his life the rogue grew insolent as all spoiled servants will be and at the slightest attempt to coerce him or make him do that which was unpleasant to him became frantically rude and unruly a person who is used to making sacrifices lower for instance who had got such a habit of giving up her own pleasure for others can do the business quite easily but pen and accustomed as he was to any sort of self-denial suffered woundily when called on to pay his share and savagely grumbled at being obliged to forego anything he liked he had resolved in his mighty mind then that he would not see fanny and he wouldn't he tried to drive the thoughts of that fascinating little person out of his head by constant occupation by exercise by dissipation and society he worked then too much he walked and rode too much he ate drank and smoked too much nor could all the cigars and the punch of which he partook drive little fanny's image out of his inflamed brain and at the end of the week of this discipline and self-denial our young gentleman was in bed with a fever let the reader who has never had a fever in chambers pity the wretch who is bound to undergo that calamity a committee of marriageable ladies or of any christian persons interested in the propagation of the domestic virtues should employ a quick shank or leech or some other kindly expositor of the follies of the day to make a series of designs representing the horrors of a bachelor's life in chambers and leading the beholder to think of better things and a more wholesome condition what can be more uncomfortable than the bachelor's lonely breakfast with the black kettle in the dreary fire in mid-summer or was still with the fire gone out at christmas half an hour after the laundress has quitted the sitting room into the solitude the owner enters shivering and has to commence his day by hunting for coals and wood and before he begins the work of a student has to discharge the duties of a housemaid vice mrs. Flanagan who is absent without leave or again what can form a finer subject for the classical designer than the bachelor's shirt that garment which he wants to assume just at dinner time and which he finds without any buttons to fasten then there is the bachelor's return to chambers after a merry christmas holiday spent in a cozy country house full of pretty faces and kind welcomes and regrets he leaves his portmanteau at the barbers in the court he lights his dismal old candle at the sputtering little lamp on the stair he enters the blank familiar room where the only tokens to greet him that show any interest in his personal welfare are the christmas bills which are lying and wait for him amiably spread out on his reading table after these scenes an appalling picture of bachelor's illness and the rents in the temple will begin to fall from the day of the publication of the dismal diorama to be well in chambers as melancholy and lonely and selfish enough but to be ill in chambers to pass long nights of pain and watchfulness to long for the morning and the laundress to serve yourself your own medicine by your own watch to have no other companion for long hours but your own sickening fancies and fever thoughts no kind hand to give you drink if you are thirsty or to smooth the hot billow that cramples under you this indeed is a fate so dismal and tragic that we shall not enlarge upon its horrors and shall only heartily pity those bachelors in the temple who brave it every day this lot befell arthur pendennis after the various excesses which we have mentioned and to which he had subjected his unfortunate brains one night he went to bed ill and the next day awoke worse his only visitor that day besides the laundress was the printer's devil from the palmel gazette office whom the writer endeavored as best he could to satisfy his exertions to complete his work rendered his fever the greater he could only furnish a part of the quantity of copy usually supplied by him and shandon being absent in warrington not in london to give a help but political and editorial columns of the gazette looked very blank indeed nor did the sub-editor know how to fill them mr finou cane washed up to pens chambers and found that gentleman so exceedingly unwell that the good-natured Irishman said to work to supply his place if possible and produced a series of political and critical compositions such as no doubt greatly edified the readers of the periodical in which he and pen were concerned allusions to the greatness of Ireland and the genius and virtue of the inhabitants of that injured country flowed magnificently from finou cane's pen and shandoned the chief of the paper who was enjoying himself placidly at Boulogne-sur-mer looking over the columns of the journal which was forwarded to him instantly recognized the hand of the great sub-editor and said laughing as he flung over the paper to his wife look here mary my dear here is jack at work again indeed jack was a warm friend and a gallant partisan and when he had the pen in hand seldom let slip an opportunity of letting the world know that rafferty was the greatest painter in europe and wondering at the petty jealousy of the academy which refused to make him an r.a of stating that it was generally reported at the west end that mr rooney mp was appointed governor of barataria or of introducing into the subject in hand whatever it might be a compliment to the round towers or the giants causeway and besides doing pens work for him to the best of his ability his kind hearted comrade offered to forego his saturdays and sundays holiday and past those days of holiday and rest as nurse tender to arthur who however insisted that the other should not forego his pleasure and thankfully assured him that he could bear best his malady alone taking his supper at the back kitchen on the friday night after having achieved the work of the paper benucane informed captain costigan of the illness of the young friend in the temple and remembering the fact two days afterwards the captain went to lamb court and paid a visit to the invalid on sunday afternoon he found mrs panigan the laundress in tears in the sitting room and got a bad report of the poor dear young gentleman within penn's condition had so much alarmed her that she was obliged to have recourse to the stimulus of brandy to enable her to support the grief which his illness occasioned as she hung about his bed and endeavor to minister to him her attentions became intolerable to the invalid and he begged her previously not to come near him hence the laundresses tears and redouble grief and renewed application to the bottle which she was accustomed to use as an anodine the captain rated the woman soundly for her intemperance and pointed out to her the fatal consequences which must ensue if she persisted in her imprudent courses pen who was by this time in a very fevered state he was greatly pleased to receive costigan's visit he heard the well-known voice in his sitting room as he lay in the bedroom within and called the captain eagerly to him and thanked him for coming and begged him to take a chair and talk to him the captain felt the young man's pulse with great gravity his own tremulous and clammy hand growing steady for the instant while his finger pressed Arthur's throbbing vein the pulse was beating very fiercely penn's face was hygrate and hot his eyes were bloodshot and gloomy his bird as the captain pronounced the word afterwards giving a description of his condition had not been shaved for nearly a week penn made his visitors sit down and tossing and turning in his comfortless bed began to try and talk to the captain in a lively manner about the back kitchen about box hall and when they should go again and about fanny how was little fanny indeed how was she we know how she went home very sadly on the previous Sunday evening after she had seen Arthur light his lamp in his chambers whilst he was having his interview with bows bows came back to his own rooms presently passing by the large door and looking into Mrs. Bolton's according to his want as he passed but with a very melancholy face she had another weary night that night her restlessness waking little bad fellows more than once she dared read more of Walter Lorraine father was at home and would suffer no light she kept the book under a pillow and felt for it in the night she had only just got to sleep when the children began to stir with the morning almost as early as the birds though she was very angry with bows she went to his room and at her accustomed hour in the day and there the good hearted musician began to talk to her I saw Mr. Pandenas last night fanny he said did you I thought you did fanny answered looking fiercely at the melancholy old gentleman I've been fond of you ever since we came to live in this place he continued you were a child when I came and you used to like me fanny until three or four days ago until you saw this gentleman and now I suppose you're going to say ill of him said fanny do mr bows that won't make me like you better indeed I should do no such thing bows answered I think he is a very good and honest young man indeed you know that if you said a word against him I would never speak a word to you again never cried miss fanny and clenched her little hand and paced up and down the room bows noted watched and followed the ardent little creature with admiration and gloomy sympathy her cheeks blushed her frame crumbled her eyes being blood anger defines he would like to speak ill of him she said but you darren you know you darren I knew him many years since bows continued when he was almost as young as you are and he had a romantic attachment for our friend the captain's daughter lady mirabelle that is now fanny laughed I suppose there was other people too that had romantic attachments for miss costigan she said I don't want to hear about him he wanted to marry her but their ages were quite disproportionate and their rank in life she would not have him because he had no money she acted very wisely in refusing him for the two would have been very unhappy and she wasn't a fit person to go and live with his family or to make his home comfortable mr pendentist has his way to make in the world the most merry lady of his own rank a woman who loves a man will not ruin his prospects cause them to quarrel with his family and lead him into poverty misery for her gratification an honest girl won't do that for her own sake or for the man's then his emotion which but now had been that of defiance and anger he returned to dismay and supplication what do I know about marrying bows she said when was there any talk of it what has there been between this young gentleman and me that's to make people speak so cruel it was not my doing nor Arthur's mr pendentist's that I met him at box hall it was the captain took me and ma there we never thought of nothing wrong I'm sure he came and rescued us and he was so very kind then he came to call and ask for us and very very good it was of such a grand gentleman to be so polite to humble folks like us and yesterday ma and me just went to walk in the temple gardens and then here she broke out with that usual unanswerable female argument of tears and cried oh I wish I was dead I wish I was laid in my grave and had never never seen him he said as much himself then he both said and then he asked through her sobs why why should he wish he had never seen her had she ever done him any harm oh she would perish rather than do him any harm whereupon the musician informed her of the conversation of the day previous showed her that pen could not and must not think of her as a wife fitting for him and that she as she valued her honest reputation must strive to to forget him and fanny leaving the musician convinced but still of the same mind and promising that she would avoid the danger which minister went back to the porter's lodge and told her mother all she talked to her love for arthur and bewailed in her artless manner the inequality of their condition that set barriers between them there's the lady of leon fanny said oh ma how I did love mr. mccready when I saw him do it and pauline for being faithful to poor claud and always thinking of him and he coming back to her an officer through all his dangers and if everybody admires pauline and I'm sure everybody does for being so true to a poor man why should a gentleman be ashamed of loving a poor girl not that mr. arthur loves me oh no no I ain't worthy of him only a princess is worthy of such a gentleman as him such a poet writing so beautifully and looking so grand I'm sure he's a nobleman and of ancient family and kept out of his estate perhaps his uncle has it if I might know how I'd serve him and work for him and slave for him that I would I wouldn't ask for more than that ma just to be allowed to see him of a morning and sometimes he'd say how do you fanny or god bless you fanny as he said on sunday and I'd work and work and I'd sit up all night and read and learn and make myself worthy of him captain says his mother lives in the country and is a grand lady there or how I wish I might go and be her servant ma I can do plenty of things and work very neat and and sometimes he'd come home and I should see him the girls had fell on her mother's shoulder as she spoke and she gave way to a plentiful outpouring of girlish tears to which the matron of course joined her own you mustn't think no more of him fanny she said if he don't come to you he's a horrid wicked man don't call him so mother fanny replied he's the best of men the best in the kindest bo says he thinks he is unhappy at leaving poor little fanny he wasn't his fault was it that we met and it ain't his that I mustn't see him again he says I mustn't and I mustn't mother he'll forgive me but I shall never forget him no I'll pray for him and love him always until I die and I shall die I know I shall and then my spirit will always go and be with him you forget your poor mother fanny and you break my heart by going on so Mrs Bolton said perhaps you will see him I'm sure you'll see him I'm sure he'll come today if ever I saw a man and love that man is him when Emily Buds young man first came about her he was sent away by old bud a most respectable man and be alone jello in the orchestra at the wells and his own family wouldn't hear of it either but he came back we all knew he would and I always said so and he married her and this one will come back to and you mark my mother's words and see if he don't dear at this point of the conversation mr bolton entered the lodge for his evening meal at the father's appearance the talk between mother and daughter ceased instantly mrs bolton caressed and cajole the surly undertakers ate the camp and said well mr be who'd have thought to see you away from the club of a saturday night fanny dear get your paw some supper what will you have be the poor girls got gathering in her eye or something in it i was looking at it just now as you came in and she squeezed her daughter's hand as a signal of prudence and secrecy and fanny's tears were dried up likewise and by that wondrous hypocrisy and power of disguise which women practice and with which weapons of defense nature endows them the traces of her emotion disappeared and she went and took her work and sat in the corner so demure and quiet that the careless male parent never suspected that anything ailed her thus as if fate determined to inflame and increase the poor child's malady and passion all circumstances and all parties round about her urged it on her mother encouraged and applauded it and the very words which both used in endeavoring to repress her flame only augmented this unlucky fever pen was not wicked and a seducer pen was high-minded in wishing to avoid her pen loved her the good and the great the magnificent youth with the chains of gold and the scented alburn hair and so he did or so he would have loved her five years back perhaps before the world had hardened the ardent and reckless boy before he was ashamed of a foolish and improved in passion and strangled it as poor women do their illicit children not on account of the crime but of the shame and from dread that the finger of the world should point to them what respectable person in the world will not say he was quite right to avoid a marriage with an ill educated person of low degree whose relations a gentleman could not well acknowledge and whose manners would not become her new station and what philosopher would not tell him that the best thing to do with these little passions if they spring up is to get rid of them and let them pass over and cure them that no man dies it's about a woman or vice versa and that one or the other having found the impossibility of gratifying his or her desire in the particular instance must make the best of matters forget each other look out elsewhere and choose again and yet perhaps there may be something said on the other side perhaps posed as right and admiring that passion of pens lined and unreasoning as it was that made him ready to stake his all for his love perhaps if self-sacrifice is a laudable virtue mere worldly self-sacrifice is not very much to be praised and find let this be a reserve point to be settled by the individual moralist who chooses to debate it so much is certain that with the experience of the world which mr. Penn now had he would have laughed at and scouted the idea of marrying a penniless girl out of a kitchen and this point being fixed in his mind he was but doing his duty as an honest man in crushing any unlucky fondness which he might feel towards poor little fanny so she waited and waited in hopes that Arthur would come she waited for a whole week and it was at the end of that time that the poor little creature heard from costigan of the illness under which Arthur was suffering it chanced on that very evening after costigan had visited Penn that Arthur's uncle the excellent major arrived in town from Buxton where his health had been mended and sent his fellow Morgan to make inquiries for Arthur and to request that gentleman to breakfast with the major the next morning the major was merely passing through London on his way to the Marquis of Stain's house of Stillbrook where he was engaged to shoot partridges Morgan came back to his master with a very long face he'd seen mr. Arthur mr. Arthur was very bad indeed mr. Arthur was in bed with a fever a doctor ought to be sent to him and Morgan thought his case most alarming gracious goodness this was sad news indeed he'd hope that Arthur would come down to Stillbrook he had arranged that he should go and procured an invitation for his nephew from Lord Stain he must go himself he couldn't throw Lord Stain over the fever might be catching it might be measles he'd never himself had the measles they were dangerous when contracted at his age was anybody with mr. Arthur Morgan said there was somebody unnusting of mr. Arthur the major then asked had his nephew taken any advice Morgan said he had asked that question and had been told that mr. Pendenis had had no doctor Morgan's master was sincerely vexed at hearing of Arthur's calamity he would have gone to him but what good could it do Arthur that he the major should catch a fever his own ailments rendered it absolutely impossible that he should attend to anybody but himself but the young man must have advice the best advice and Morgan was straightway dispatched with an art from major Pendenis to his friend Dr. Goodenough who by good luck happened to be in London and at home and who quitted his dinner instantly and whose carriage was in half an hour in Upper Temple Lane near Penn's chambers the major had asked the kind-hearted physician to bring him news of his nephew at the club where he himself was dining and in the course of the night the doctor made his appearance the affair was very serious the patient was in a high fever he had had pen blood instantly and would see him the first thing in the morning the major went disconsolate to bed with this unfortunate news when Goodenough came to see him according to his promise the next day the doctor had to listen for a quarter of an hour to an account of the major's own maladies before the latter had leisure to hear about Arthur he had had a very bad night his nurse said at one hour he had been delirious it might end badly his mother had better be sent for immediately the major wrote the letter to Mrs. Pendenis with the greatest alacrity and at the same time with the most polite precautions as for going himself to the lab in his state it was impossible could I be of any use to him my dear doctor he asked the doctor with a peculiar laugh said no he didn't think the major could be of any use that his own precious health required the most delicate treatment and that he had best go into the country and stay that he himself would take care to see the patient twice a day and do all in his power for him the major declared upon his honor that if he could be of any use he would rush to Penn's chambers as it was Morgan should go and see that everything was right the doctor must write to him by every post to still work it was about 40 miles distant from London and if anything happened he would come up at any sacrifice major Pendenis transacted his benevolence by deputy and by post what else could he do yes he said God you know in these cases it's best not disturbing a fellow if a poor fellow goes to the bad why God you know he's disposed of but in order to get well and in this my dear doctor I'm sure that you will agree with me the best ways to keep him quiet perfectly quiet thus it was the old gentleman tried to satisfy his conscience and he went his way that day to still book by railway for railways have sprung up in the course of this narrative though they have not quite penetrated into Penn's country yet and made his appearance in his usual trim order and curly wig at the dinner table of the mark was sustained but we must do the major the justice to say that he was very unhappy and gloomy and demeanor rag and when him rallied him about his low spirits asked whether he was crossed in love and otherwise diverted themselves at his expense he lost his money at West after dinner and actually trumped his partner's highest spade and the thoughts of the suffering boy of whom he was proud and whom he loved after his manner kept the old fellow awake half through the night and made him feverish and uneasy on the mara he received a note in a handwriting which he did not know it was that a mr. Bose indeed saying that mr. Arthur pendennis had had a tolerable night and that as dr. good enough had stated that the major desired to be informed of his nephew's health he rb had sent him the news per rail the next day he was going out shooting about noon for some of the gentlemen staying at lord stain's house and the company waiting for the carriages were assembled on the terrace in front of the house when a fly drove up from the neighboring station and a gray-headed rather shabby old gentleman jumped out and asked for a major pendennis it was mr. Bose he took the major aside and spoke to him most of the gentlemen round about saw that something serious had happened from the alarmed look of the major's face rag said it's a bailiff come down to nap the major but nobody laughed at the pleasantry hello what's the matter pendennis cried lord stain with his driving voice anything wrong it's it's my boy that's dead said the major and burst into a psalm the old man was quite overcome not dead my lord but very ill when i left london mr. Bose said in a low voice uh britzka came up at this moment as the three men were speaking the peer looked at his watch you have 20 minutes to catch the male train jump in pendennis and drive like havoc served you here the carriage drove off swiftly with pendennis and his companions and let us trust that the earth will be pardoned to the mark was sustained the major drove rapidly from the station to the temple and found a traveling carriage already before him and blocking up the narrow temple lane two ladies got out of it and were asking their where of the porters the major looked by chance at the panel of the carriage and saw the worn out crest of the eagle looking at the sun nests tenue penna painted beneath it was his brother's oak carriage built many many years ago it was hellen and lore that were asking their way to pen's room he ran up to them hastily clasped his sister's arm and kissed her hand and the three entered into lamb court and mounted the long gloomy stair they knocked very gently at the door on which arthur's name was written and it was opened by fanny bolton end of chapter 52