ng to Mr. Bows,
Arthur behaved like a good fellow," Warrington said.

"My dear Warrington," said the Major, with a look of some alarm, "in
Mrs. Pendennis's agitated state of health and that sort of thing, the
best way, I think, is not to say a single word about the subject--or,
stay, leave it to me: and I'll talk to her--break it to her gently,
you know, and that sort of thing. I give you my word I will. And so
Calypso's consoled, is she," And he sniggered over this gratifying
truth, happy in the corner of the omnibus during the rest of the
journey.

Pen was very anxious to hear from his envoy what had been the result of
the latter's mission; and as soon as the two young men could be alone,
the ambassador spoke in reply to Arthur's eager queries.

"You remember your poem, Pen, of Ariadne in Naxos," Warrington said;
"devilish bad poetry it was, to be sure."

"Apres?" asked Pen, in a great state of excitement.

"When Theseus left Ariadne, do you remember what happened to her, young
fellow?"

"It's a lie, it's a lie! You don't mean that!" cried out Pen, starting
up, his face turning red.

"Sit down, stoopid," Warrington said, and with two fingers pushed Pen
back into his seat again. "It's better for you as it is, young one," he
said sadly, in reply to the savage flush in Arthur's face.

CHAPTER LVII. Foreign Ground

Worthy Major Pendennis fulfilled his promise to Warrington so far as to
satisfy his own conscience, and in so far to ease poor Helen with regard
to her son, as to make her understand that all connexion between Arthur
and the odious little gatekeeper was at an end, and that she need
have no further anxiety with respect to an imprudent attachment or a
degrading marriage on Pen's part. And that young fellow's mind was also
relieved (after he had recovered the shock to his vanity) by thinking
that Miss Fanny was not going to die of love for him, and that no
unpleasant consequences were to be apprehended from the luckless and
brief connexion.

So the whole party were free to carry into effect their projected
Continental trip, and Arthur Pendennis, rentier, voyageant avec Madame
Pendennis and Mademoiselle Bell, and George Warrington, particulier, age
de 32 ans, taille 6 pieds (Anglais), figure ordinaire, cheveux noirs,
barbe idem, etc., procured passports from the consul of H.M. the King of
the Belgians at Dover, and passed over from that port to Ostend, whence
the party took their way leisurely,