rter 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--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. Pendennis with
the greatest alacrity, and at the same time with the most polite
precautions. As for going himself to the lad, 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 honour, that if he could be of any use he
would rush to Pen's chambers. As it was, Morgan should go and see that
everything was right. The Doctor must write to him by every post to
Stillbrook: it was but forty miles distant from London, and if anything
happened he would come up at any sacrifice.

Major Pendennis transacted his benevolence by deputy and by post. "What
else could he do," as he said? "Gad, you know, in these cases, it's best
not disturbing a fellow. If a poor fellow goes to the bad, why, Gad, 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 way is 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 Stillbrook by railway (for railways have
sprung up in the course of this narrative, though they have not quite
penetrated into Pen's country yet), and made his appearance in his usual
trim order and curly wig, at the dinner-table of the Marquis of Steyne.
But we must do the Major the justice to say, that he was very unhappy
and gloomy in demeanour. Wagg and Wenham 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 whist 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 morrow he received a note in a handwriting which he di