He made the sacrifice, and it was the greater that few knew the extent of
it. His letters came down franked from town, and he showed the
invitations to Helen with a sigh. It was beautiful and tragical to see
him refuse one party after another--at least to those who could
understand, as Helen didn't, the melancholy grandeur of his self-denial.
Helen did not, or only smiled at the awful pathos with which the Major
spoke of the Court Guide in general: but young Pen looked with great
respect at the great names upon the superscriptions of his uncle's
letters, and listened to the Major's stories about the fashionable world
with constant interest and sympathy.
The elder Pendennis's rich memory was stored with thousands of these
delightful tales, and he poured them into Pen's willing ear with
unfailing eloquence. He knew the name and pedigree of everybody in the
Peerage, and everybody's relations. "My dear boy," he would say, with a
mournful earnestness and veracity, "you cannot begin your genealogical
studies too early; I wish to Heavens you would read in Debrett every day.
Pages:
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215