tter go away. Your
cousin is looking at us over Mr. Pynsent's shoulder."

"Will you waltz with me?" said Pen.

"Not this waltz. I can't, having just sent away that good Captain
Broadfoot. Look at Mr. Pynsent, did you ever see such a creature? But
I will dance the next waltz with you, and the quadrille too. I am
promised, but I will tell Mr. Poole that I had forgotten my engagement
to you."

"Women forget very readily," Pendennis said.

"But they always come back, and are very repentant and sorry for what
they've done," Blanche said. "See, here comes the Foker, and dear Laura
leaning on him. How pretty she looks!"

Laura came up, and put out her hand to Pen, to whom Pynsent made a
sort of bow, appearing to be not much more graceful than that domestic
instrument to which Miss Amory compared him.

But Laura's face was full of kindness. "I am so glad to have come, dear
Pen," she said. "I can speak to you now. How is mamma? The three dances
are over, and I am engaged to you for the next, Pen."

"I have just engaged myself to Miss Amory," said Pen; and Miss Amory
nodded her head, and made her usual little curtsey. "I don't intend to
give him up, dearest Laura," she said.

"Well, then, he'll waltz with me, dear Blanche," said the other. "Won't
you, Pen?"

"I promised to waltz with Miss Amory."

"Provoking!" said Laura, and making a curtsey in her turn she went and
placed herself under the ample wing of Lady Rockminster.

Pen was delighted with his mischief. The two prettiest girls in the room
were quarrelling about him. He flattered himself he had punished Miss
Laura. He leaned in a dandified air, with his elbow over the wall, and
talked to Blanche: he quizzed unmercifully all the men in the room--the
heavy dragoons in their tight jackets--the country dandies in their
queer attire--the strange toilettes of the ladies. One seemed to have a
bird's nest in her head; another had six pounds of grapes in her hair,
besides her false pearls. "It's a coiffure of almonds and raisins," said
Pen "and might be served up for dessert." In a word, he was exceedingly
satirical and amusing.

During the quadrille he carried on this kind of conversation with
unflinching bitterness and vivacity, and kept Blanche continually
laughing, both at his wickedness and jokes, which were good, and also
because Laura was again their vis-a-vis, and could see and hear how
merry and confidential they were.

"Arthur is charming to-night," she wh