whom he
lived, and whom he quitted on such light pretexts.

The Fotheringay affair, too, when Laura came to hear of it (which she
did first by some sarcastic allusions of Major Pendennis, when on a
visit to Fairoaks, and then from their neighbours at Clavering, who
had plenty of information to give her on this head), vastly shocked and
outraged Miss Laura. A Pendennis fling himself away on such a woman as
that! Helen's boy galloping away from home, day after day, to fall on
his knees to an actress, and drink with her horrid father! A good son
want to bring such a man and such a woman into his house, and set her
over his mother! "I would have run away, mamma; I would, if I had had to
walk barefoot through the snow," Laura said.

"And you would have left me too, then?" Helen answered; on which, of
course, Laura withdrew her previous observation, and the two women
rushed into each other's embraces with that warmth which belonged to
both their natures, and which characterises not a few of their sex.
Whence came all Whence came all the indignation of Miss Laura about
Arthur's passion? Perhaps she did not know, that, if men throw
themselves away upon women, women throw themselves away upon men,
too; and that there is no more accounting for love, than for any other
physical liking or antipathy: perhaps she had been misinformed by the
Clavering people and old Mrs. Portman, who was vastly bitter against
Pen, especially since his impertinent behaviour to the Doctor and since
the wretch had smoked cigars in church-time: perhaps, finally, she was
jealous; but this is a vice in which it is said the ladies very seldom
indulge.

Albeit she was angry with Pen, against his mother she had no such
feeling; but devoted herself to Helen with the utmost force of her
girlish affection--such affection as women, whose hearts are disengaged,
are apt to bestow upon the near female friend. It was devotion--it was
passion--it was all sorts of fondness and folly; it was a profusion of
caresses, tender epithets and endearments, such as it does not become
sober historians with beards to narrate. Do not let us men despise these
instincts because we cannot feel them. These women were made for our
comfort and delectation, gentlemen,--with all the rest of the minor
animals.

But as soon as Miss Laura heard that Pen was unfortunate and unhappy,
all her wrath against him straightway vanished, and gave place to the
most tender and unreasonable compassio