d
Pen, who was distracted from his private grief by the various rows and
troubles which had risen round about him, gloomily said he would obey.

There were assizes, races, and the entertainments and the flux of
company consequent upon them, at Chatteris, during a part of the months
of August and September, and Miss Fotheringay still continued to act,
and take farewell of the audiences at the Chatteris Theatre during that
time. Nobody seemed to be particularly affected by her presence, or her
announced departure, except those persons whom we have named; nor could
the polite county folks, who had houses in London, and very likely
admired the Fotheringay prodigiously in the capital, when they had been
taught to do so by the Fashion which set in in her favour, find anything
remarkable in the actress performing on the little Chatteris boards.
Many genius and many a quack, for that matter, has met with a similar
fate before and since Miss Costigan's time. This honest woman meanwhile
bore up against the public neglect, and any other crosses or vexations
which she might have in life, with her usual equanimity; and ate, drank,
acted, slept, with that regularity and comfort which belongs to people
of her temperament. What a deal of grief, care, and other harmful
excitement does a healthy dulness and cheerful insensibility avoid! Nor
do I mean to say that Virtue is not Virtue because it is never tempted
to go astray; only that dulness is a much finer gift than we give it
credit for being; and that some people are very lucky whom Nature has
endowed with a good store of that great anodyne.

Pen used to go drearily in and out from the play at Chatteris during
this season, and pretty much according to his fancy. His proceedings
tortured his mother not a little, and her anxiety would have led her
often to interfere, had not the Major constantly checked, and at the
same time encouraged her; for the wily man of the world fancied he saw
that a favourable turn had occurred in Pen's malady. It was the violent
efflux of versification, among other symptoms, which gave Pen's guardian
and physician satisfaction. He might be heard spouting verses in the
shrubbery walks, or muttering them between his teeth as he sat with
the home party of evenings. One day prowling about the house in Pen's
absence, the Major found a great book full of verses in the lad's study.
They were in English, and in Latin; quotations from the classic authors
were given in