en to her by old Lady Rockminster, whose speeches were as direct
and rapid as a slap on the face), the humbled girl winced a little at
the blow, but bore it meekly, and with a desperate acquiescence. "He has
a right to marry, he knows a great deal more of the world than I do,"
she argued with herself. "Blanche may not be so light-minded as she
seemed, and who am I to be her judge? I daresay it is very good that
Arthur should go into Parliament and distinguish himself, and my duty
is to do everything that lies in my power to aid him and Blanche, and to
make his home happy. I daresay I shall live with them. If I am godmother
to one of their children, I will leave her my three thousand pounds!"
And forthwith she began to think what she could give Blanche out of her
small treasures, and how best to conciliate her affection. She wrote her
forthwith a kind letter, in which, of course, no mention was made of the
plans in contemplation, but in which Laura recalled old times, and spoke
her goodwill, and in reply to this she received an eager answer from
Blanche: in which not a word about marriage was said, to be sure, but
Mr. Pendennis was mentioned two or three times in the letter, and they
were to be henceforth, dearest Laura, and dearest Blanche, and loving
sisters, and so forth.

When Pen and Laura reached home, after Laura's confession (Pen's noble
acknowledgment of his own inferiority and generous expression of love
for Warrington, causing the girl's heart to throb, and rendering doubly
keen those tears which she sobbed on his shoulder), a little slim letter
was awaiting Miss Bell in the hall, which she trembled rather guiltily
as she unsealed, and which Pen blushed as he recognised: for he saw
instantly that it was from Blanche.

Laura opened it hastily, and cast her eyes quickly over it, as Pen kept
his fixed on her, blushing.

"She dates from London," Laura said. "She has been with old Bonner, Lady
Clavering's maid. Bonner is going to marry Lightfoot the butler. Where
do you think Blanche has been?" she cried out eagerly.

"To Paris, to Scotland, to the Casino?"

"To Shepherd's Inn, to see Fanny; but Fanny wasn't there, and Blanche is
going to leave a present for her. Isn't it kind of her and thoughtful?"
And she handed the letter to Pen, who read--

"'I saw Madame Mere, who was scrubbing the room, and looked at me with
very scrubby looks; but la belle Fanny was not au logis; and as I heard
that she was in Captain