to tea with
him; and the last announcement is the most stupendous of all. Stop, I
have it in my greatcoat;" and, ringing the bell, George orders a servant
to bring him a newspaper from his great-coat pocket. "Here it is,
actually in print," Warrington continues, and reads to us:--"'Newcome
Athenaeum. 1, for the benefit of the Newcome Orphan Children's Home, and
2, for the benefit of the Newcome Soup Association, without distinction
of denomination. Sir Barnes Newcome Newcome, Bart., proposes to give two
lectures, on Friday the 23rd, and Friday the 30th, instant. No. 1, The
Poetry of Childhood: Doctor Watts, Mrs. Barbauld, Jane Taylor, No.
2, The Poetry of Womanhood, and the Affections: Mrs. Hemans, L. E. L.
Threepence will be charged at the doors, which will go to the use of the
above two admirable Societies.' Potts wants me to go down and hear him.
He has an eye to business. He has had a quarrel with Sir Barnes, and
wants me to go down and hear him, and smash him, he kindly says. Let
us go down, Clive. You shall draw your cousin as you have drawn his
villainous little mug a hundred times before; and I will do the smashing
part, and we will have some fun out of the transaction."

"Besides, Florac will be in the country; going to Rosebury is a journey
worth the taking, I can tell you; and we have old Mrs. Mason to go and
see, who sighs after you, Colonel. My wife went to see her," remarks Mr.
Pendennis, "and----"

"And Miss Newcome, I know," says the Colonel.

"She is away at Brighton, with her little charges, for sea air. My wife
heard from her to-day."

"Oh, indeed. Mrs. Pendennis corresponds with her?" says our host,
darkling under his eyebrows; and, at this moment, my neighbour, F. B.,
is kind enough to scrunch my foot under the table with the weight of
his heel, as much as to warn me, by an appeal to my own corns, to avoid
treading on so delicate a subject in that house. "Yes," said I, in
spite, perhaps in consequence, of this interruption. "My wife does
correspond with Miss Ethel, who is a noble creature, and whom those who
know her know how to love and admire. She is very much changed since you
knew her, Colonel Newcome; since the misfortunes in Sir Barnes's family,
and the differences between you and him. Very much changed and very
much improved. Ask my wife about her, who knows her most intimately, and
hears from her constantly."

"Very likely, very likely," cried the Colonel, hurriedly, "I hope she is
im