p with her child,
crying out that it was time to return or madame would scold.

"Mrs. Mackenzie has rather a short temper," the Colonel said with
a gentle smile. "Poor thing, she has had a great deal to bear in
consequence, Pen, of my imprudence. I am glad you never took shares
in our bank. I should not be so glad to see you as I am now, if I had
brought losses upon you as I have upon so many of my friends." I, for my
part, trembled to hear the good old man was under the domination of the
Campaigner.

"Bayham sends me the paper regularly; he is a very kind faithful
creature. How glad I am that he has got a snug berth in the City! His
company really prospers, I am happy to think, unlike some companies you
know of, Pen. I have read your two speeches, sir, and Clive and I liked
them very much. The poor boy works all day at his pictures. You know
he has sold one at the exhibition, which has given us a great deal of
heart--and he has completed two or three more--and I am sitting to
him now for--what do you think, sir? for Belisarius. Will you give
Belisarius and the Obolus kind word?"

"My dear, dear old friend," I said in great emotion, "if you will do
me the kindness to take my Obolus or to use my services in any way, you
will give me more pleasure than ever I had from your generous bounties
in old days. Look, sir, I wear the watch which you gave me when you went
to India. Did you not tell me then to look over Clive and serve him if
I could? Can't I serve him now?" and I went on further in this strain,
asseverating with great warmth and truth that my wife's affection and my
own were most sincere for both of them, and that our pride would be to
be able to help such dear friends.

The Colonel said I had a good heart, and my wife had, though--though--he
did not finish this sentence, but I could interpret it without need of
its completion. My wife and the two ladies of Colonel Newcome's family
never could be friends, however much my poor Laura tried to be intimate
with these women. Her very efforts at intimacy caused a frigidity and
hauteur which Laura could not overcome. Little Rosey and her mother set
us down as two aristocratic personages; nor for our parts were we very
much disturbed at this opinion of the Campaigner and little Rosa.

I talked with the Colonel for half an hour or more about his affairs,
which indeed were very gloomy, and Clive's prospects, of which he strove
to present as cheering a view as possible.