as early as the birds. Though she was very angry with
Bows, she went to his room at her accustomed hour in the day, and there
the good-hearted musician began to talk to her.

"I saw Mr. Pendennis 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 are going to say ill of him," said Fanny. "Do,
Mr. Bows--that will make me like you better."

"Indeed I shall 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 flushed, her frame trembled; her eyes beamed love, anger,
defiance. "You would like to speak ill of him," she said; "but you
daren't--you know you daren't!"

"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 Mirabel 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
'em."

"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. Pendennis has his way to make in the
world, and must marry a lady of his own rank. A woman who loves a man
will not ruin his prospects, cause him to quarrel with his family, and
lead him into poverty and misery for her gratification. An honest girl
won't do that, for her own sake, or for the man's."

Fanny's emotion, which but now had been that of defiance and anger,
here turned 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