elor to do
with partners and waltzing? what was he about, dancing attendance here?
drinking in sweet pleasure at a risk he knows not of what after-sadness,
and regret, and lonely longing? But yet he stayed on. You would have
said he was the widow's son, to watch his constant care and watchfulness
of her; or that he was an adventurer, and wanted to marry her fortune,
or, at any rate, that he wanted some very great treasure or benefit
from her,--and very likely he did,--for ours, as the reader has possibly
already discovered, is a Selfish Story, and almost every person,
according to his nature, more or less generous than George, and
according to the way of the world as it seems to us, is occupied about
Number One. So Warrington selfishly devoted himself to Helen, who
selfishly devoted herself to Pen, who selfishly devoted himself to
himself at this present period, having no other personage or object
to occupy him, except, indeed, his mother's health, which gave him a
serious and real disquiet; but though they, sate together, they did not
talk much, and the cloud was always between them.

Every day Laura looked for Warrington, and received him with more frank
and eager welcome. He found himself talking to her as he didn't
know himself that he could talk. He found himself performing acts of
gallantry which astounded him after the performance: he found himself
looking blankly in the glass at the crow's feet round his eyes, and at
some streaks of white in his hair, and some intrusive silver bristles in
his grim, blue beard. He found himself looking at the young bucks at the
bath--at the bland, tight-waisted Germans--at the capering Frenchmen,
with their lacquered mustachios and trim varnished boots--at the English
dandies, Pen amongst them, with their calm domineering air, and insolent
languor: and envied each one of these some excellence or quality of
youth, or good looks, which he possessed, and of which Warrington felt
the need. And every night, as the night came, he quitted the little
circle with greater reluctance; and, retiring to his own lodging in
their neighbourhood, felt himself the more lonely and unhappy. The widow
could not help seeing his attachment. She understood, now, why Major
Pendennis (always a tacit enemy of her darling project) had been so
eager that Warrington should be of their party. Laura frankly owned
her great, her enthusiastic, regard for him: and Arthur would make no
movement. Arthur did not choo