will come back and make her dear soul happy by marrying Laura. She is
as good and as sweet-tempered a girl as ever lived, besides being really
very good-looking, and the engagement will serve to steady me,--won't
it, Ponto?" Thus, smoking his pipe, and talking to his dog as he
sauntered through the gardens and orchards of the little domain of
Fairoaks, this young day-dreamer built castles in the air for himself:
"Yes, she'll steady me, won't she? And you'll miss me when I've gone,
won't you, old boy?" he asked of Ponto, who quivered his tail and thrust
his brown nose into his master's fist. Ponto licked his hand and shoe,
as they all did in that house, and Mr. Pen received their homage as
other folks do the flattery which they get.

Laura came home rather late in the evening of the second day; and Mr.
Pynsent, as ill luck would have it, drove her from Clavering. The poor
girl could not refuse his offer, but his appearance brought a dark cloud
upon the brow of Arthur Pendennis. Laura saw this, and was pained by
it: the eager widow, however, was aware of nothing, and being anxious,
doubtless, that the delicate question should be asked at once, was for
going to bed very soon after Laura's arrival, and rose for that purpose
to leave the sofa where she now generally lay, and where Laura would
come and sit and work or read by her. But when Helen rose, Laura said,
with a blush and rather an alarmed voice, that she was also very tired
and wanted to go to bed: so that the widow was disappointed in her
scheme for that night at least, and Mr. Pen was left another day in
suspense regarding his fate.

His dignity was offended at being thus obliged to remain in the
ante-chamber when he wanted an audience. Such a sultan as he, could not
afford to be kept waiting. However, he went to bed and slept upon his
disappointment pretty comfortably, and did not wake until the early
morning, when he looked up and saw his mother standing in his room.

"Dear Pen, rouse up," said this lady. "Do not be lazy. It is the most
beautiful morning in the world. I have not been able to sleep since
daybreak; and Laura has been out for an hour. She is in the garden.
Everybody ought to be in the garden and out on such a morning as this."

Pen laughed. He saw what thoughts were uppermost in the simple woman's
heart. His good-natured laughter cheered the widow. "Oh you profound
dissembler," he said, kissing his mother. "Oh you artful creature! Can
nobody esc