gain made a feeble remark. She did not
seem pleased or sorry when her husband came in; and presently, dropping
me a little curtsey, went to bed under charge of the Campaigner. So
Bayham and I and Clive retired to the studio, where smoking was allowed,
and where we brought that Christmas day to an end.

At the appointed time on the next forenoon I called upon Miss Newcome at
her brother's house. Sir Barnes Newcome was quitting his own door as I
entered it, and he eyed me with such a severe countenance, as made
me augur but ill of the business upon which I came. The expression of
Ethel's face was scarcely more cheering: she was standing at the window,
sternly looking at Sir Barnes, who yet lingered at his own threshold,
having some altercation with his cab-boy ere he mounted his vehicle to
drive into the City.

Miss Newcome was very pale when she advanced and gave me her hand. I
looked with some alarm into her face, and inquired what news?

"It is as you expected, Mr. Pendennis," she said--"not as I did. My
brother is averse to making restitution. He just now parted from me in
some anger. But it does not matter; the restitution must be made, if not
by Barnes, by one of our family--must it not?"

"God bless you for a noble creature, my dear, dear Miss Newcome!" was
all I could say.

"For doing what is right? Ought I not to do it? I am the eldest of our
family after Barnes: I am the richest after him. Our father left all his
younger children the very sum of money which Mrs. Newcome here devises
to Clive; and you know, besides, I have all my grandmother's, Lady
Kew's, property. Why, I don't think I could sleep if this act of justice
were not done. Will you come with me to my lawyer's? He and my brother
Barnes are trustees of my property; and I have been thinking, dear Mr.
Pendennis--and you are very good to be so kind, and to express so kind
an opinion of me, and you and Laura have always, always been the best
friends to me"--(she says this, taking one of my hands and placing her
other hand over it)--"I have been thinking, you know, that this transfer
had better be made through Mr. Luce, you understand, and as coming from
the family, and then I need not appear in it at all, you see; and--and
my dear good uncle's pride need not be wounded." She fairly gave way to
tears as she spoke--and for me, I longed to kiss the hem of her robe, or
anything else she would let me embrace, I was so happy, and so touched
by the simple de