he latter took out and laid down (perhaps Pen
in these days was rather proud of having a card)--and so the young men
took leave.

Then Pen went down the rock, and walked about on the sand, biting his
nails by the shore of the much-sounding sea. It stretched before him
bright and immeasurable. The blue waters came rolling into the bay,
foaming and roaring hoarsely: Pen looked them in the face with blank
eyes, hardly regarding them. What a tide there was pouring into the
lad's own mind at the time, and what a little power had he to check it!
Pen flung stones into the sea, but it still kept coming on. He was in
a rage at not seeing Foker. He wanted to see Foker. He must see Foker.
"Suppose I go on--on the Chatteris road, just to see if I can meet him,"
Pen thought. Rebecca was saddled in another half hour, and galloping
on the grass by the Chatteris road. About four miles from Baymouth, the
Clavering road branches off, as everybody knows, and the mare naturally
was for taking that turn, but, cutting her over the shoulder, Pen passed
the turning, and rode on to the turnpike without seeing any sign of the
black tandem and red wheels.

As he was at the turnpike he might as well go on: that was quite clear.
So Pen rode to the George, and the hostler told him that Mr. Foker was
there sure enough, and that "he'd been a makin a tremendous row the
night afore, a drinkin and a singin, and wanting to fight Tom the
postboy: which I'm thinking he'd have had the worst of it," the man
added, with a grin. "Have you carried up your master's 'ot water to
shave with?" he added, in a very satirical manner, to Mr. Foker's
domestic, who here came down the yard bearing his master's clothes, most
beautifully brushed and arranged. "Show Mr. Pendennis up to 'un," and
Pen followed the man at last to the apartment, where, in the midst of an
immense bed, Mr. Harry Foker lay reposing.

The feather bed and bolsters swelled up all round Mr. Foker, so that you
could hardly see his little sallow face and red silk nightcap.

"Hullo!" said Pen.

"Who goes there? brother, quickly tell!" sang out the voice from the
bed. "What! Pendennis again? Is your Mamma acquainted with your absence?
Did you sup with us last night? No stop--who supped with us last night,
Stoopid?"

"There was the three officers, sir, and Mr. Bingley, sir, and Mr.
Costigan, sir," the man answered, who received all Mr. Foker's remarks
with perfect gravity.

"Ah yes: the cup and merr