ra to accept the proffered friendship
of that lady. When Lady Clara called, my wife was not at home; when she
invited us, Laura pleaded engagements. At first she bestowed on Miss
Newcome, too, a share of this haughty dislike, and rejected the advances
which that young lady, who professed to like my wife very much, made
towards an intimacy. When I appealed to her (for Newcome's house was
after all a very pleasant one, and you met the best people there), my
wife looked at me with an expression of something like scorn, and
said: "Why don't I like Miss Newcome? Of course because I am jealous of
her--all women, you know, Arthur, are jealous of such beauties." I could
get for a long while no better explanation than these sneers, for my
wife's antipathy towards this branch of the Newcome family; but an event
presently came which silenced my remonstrances, and showed to me, that
Laura had judged Barnes and his wife only too well.

Poor Mrs. Hobson Newcome had reason to be sulky at the neglect which all
the Richmond party showed her, for nobody, not even Major Pendennis, as
we have seen, would listen to her intellectual conversation; nobody, not
even Lord Highgate, would drive back to town in her carriage, though
the vehicle was large and empty, and Lady Clara's barouche, in which
his lordship chose to take a place, had already three occupants within
it:--but in spite of these rebuffs and disappointments the virtuous lady
of Bryanstone Square was bent upon being good-natured and hospitable;
and I have to record, in the present chapter, yet one more feast
of which Mr. and Mrs. Pendennis partook at the expense of the most
respectable Newcome family.

Although Mrs. Laura here also appeared, and had the place of honour in
her character of bride, I am bound to own my opinion that Mrs. Hobson
only made us the pretext of her party, and that in reality it was given
to persons of a much more exalted rank. We were the first to arrive,
our good old Major, the most punctual of men, bearing us company. Our
hostess was arrayed in unusual state and splendour; her fat neck was
ornamented with jewels, rich bracelets decorated her arms, and this
Bryanstone Square Cornelia had likewise her family jewels distributed
round her, priceless male and female Newcome gems, from the King's
College youth, with whom we have made a brief acquaintance, and his
elder sister, now entering into the world, down to the last little
ornament of the nursery, in a pro