e young
man's success and dashing manners pleased his elder companion. He liked
to see Pen gay and spirited, and brimful of health, and life, and
hope; as a man who has long since left off being amused with clown and
harlequin, still gets a pleasure in watching a child at a pantomime.
Mr. Pen's former sulkiness disappeared with his better fortune: and he
bloomed as the sun began to shine upon him.

CHAPTER XXXIX. Colonel Altamont appears and disappears

On the day appointed, Major Pendennis, who had formed no better
engagement, and Arthur who desired none, arrived together to dine with
Sir Francis Clavering. The only tenants of the drawing-room when Pen
and his uncle reached it, were Sir Francis and his wife, and our friend
Captain Strong, whom Arthur was very glad to see, though the Major
looked very sulkily at Strong, being by no means well pleased to sit
down to dinner with Clavering's d---- house-steward, as he irreverently
called Strong. But Mr. Welbore Welbore, Clavering's country neighbour
and brother member of Parliament, speedily arriving, Pendennis the elder
was somewhat appeased, for Welbore, though perfectly dull, and taking
no more part in the conversation at dinner than the footman behind his
chair, was a respectable country gentleman of ancient family and seven
thousand a year: and the Major felt always at ease in such society. To
these were added other persons of note: the Dowager Lady Rockminster,
who had her reasons for being well with the Clavering family, and the
Lady Agnes Foker, with her son Mr. Harry, our old acquaintance. Mr.
Pynsent could not come, his parliamentary duties keeping him at the
House, duties which sate upon the two other senators very lightly. Miss
Blanche Amory was the last of the company who made her appearance. She
was dressed in a killing white silk dress which displayed her pearly
shoulders to the utmost advantage. Foker whisped to Pen, who regarded
her with eyes of evident admiration, that he considered her "a stunner."
She chose to be very gracious to Arthur upon this day, and held out her
hand most cordially, and talked about dear Fairoaks, and asked for
dear Laura and his mother, and said she was longing to go back to the
country, and in fact was entirely simple, affectionate, and artless.

Harry Foker thought he had never seen anybody so amiable and delightful
Not accustomed much to the society of ladies, and ordinarily being dumb
to their presence, he found tha