resentative of an ancient race, who had sat
for their own borough of Clavering time out of mind in the House. "If
that man is wanted for a division," Hotspur said, "ten to one he is to
be found in a hell. He was educated in the Fleet, and he has not heard
the end of Newgate yet, take my word for it. He'll muddle away the
Begum's fortune at thimble-rig, be caught picking pockets, and finish on
board the hulks." And if the high-born Hotspur, with such an opinion
of Clavering, could yet from professional reasons be civil to him,
why should not Major Pendennis also have reasons of his own for being
attentive to this unlucky gentleman?

"He has a very good cellar and a very good cook," the Major said; "as
long as he is silent he is not offensive, and he very seldom speaks. If
he chooses to frequent gambling-tables, and lose his money to blacklegs,
what matters to me? Don't look too curiously into any man's affairs,
Pen, my boy; every fellow has some cupboard in his house, begad, which
he would not like you and me to peep into. Why should we try, when the
rest of the house is open to us? And a devilish good house, too, as you
and I know. And if the man of the family is not all one could wish, the
women are excellent. The Begum is not over-refined, but as kind a woman
as ever lived, and devilish clever too; and as for the little Blanche,
you know my opinion about her, you rogue; you know my belief is that she
is sweet on you, and would have you for the asking. But you are growing
such a great man, that I suppose you won't be content under a Duke's
daughter--Hey, sir? I recommend you to ask one of them, and try."

Perhaps Pen was somewhat intoxicated by his success in the world; and it
may also have entered into the young man's mind (his uncle's perpetual
hints serving not a little to encourage the notion) that Miss Amory was
tolerably well disposed to renew the little flirtation which had been
carried on in the early days of both of them, by the banks of the rural
Brawl. But he was little disposed to marriage, he said, at that
moment, and, adopting some of his uncle's worldly tone, spoke rather
contemptuously of the institution, and in favour of a bachelor life.

"You are very happy, sir," said he, "and you get on very well alone, and
so do I. With a wife at my side, I should lose my place in society; and
I don't, for my part, much fancy retiring into the country with a Mrs.
Pendennis; or taking my wife into lodgings to be wa