eathed a word to her son, though it was present in her mind always,
and occasioned her inexpressible anxiety and disquiet. She had caused
the brass knocker to be screwed off the inner door of the chambers,
where upon the postman's startling double rap would, as she justly
argued, disturb the rest of her patient, and she did not allow him to
see any letter which arrived, whether from bootmakers who importuned
him, or hatters who had a heavy account to make up against next
Saturday, and would be very much obliged if Mr. Arthur Pendennis would
have the kindness to settle, etc. Of these documents, Pen, who was
always freehanded and careless, of course had his share, and though no
great one, one quite enough to alarm his scrupulous and conscientious
mother. She had some savings; Pen's magnificent self-denial, and her own
economy, amounting from her great simplicity and avoidance of show to
parsimony almost, had enabled her to put by a little sum of money, a
part of which she delightedly consecrated to the paying off the
young gentleman's obligations. At this price, many a worthy youth and
respected reader would hand over his correspondence to his parents; and
perhaps there is no greater test of a man's regularity and easiness of
conscience, than his readiness to face the postman. Blessed is he who is
made happy by the sound of the rat-tat! The good are eager for it: but
the naughty tremble at the sound thereof. So it was very kind of Mrs.
Pendennis doubly to spare Pen the trouble of hearing or answering
letters during his illness.

There could have been nothing in the young man's chest of drawers and
wardrobes which could be considered as inculpating him in any way,
nor any satisfactory documents regarding the Fanny Bolton affair found
there, for the widow had to ask her brother-in-law if he knew anything
about the odious transaction, and the dreadful intrigue about which
her son was engaged. When they were at Richmond one day, and Pen with
Warrington had taken a seat on a bench on the terrace, the widow kept
Major Pendennis in consultation, and laid her terrors and perplexities
before him, such of them at least (for as is the wont of men and women,
she did not make quite a clean confession, and I suppose no spendthrift
asked for a schedule of his debts, no lady of fashion asked by her
husband for her dressmaker's bills, ever sent in the whole of them
yet)--such, we say, of her perplexities, at least, as she chose to
confide