Dr. Portman and his lady, on their way home to Clavering,
stopped at Helen's lodge-gate, with a brief note for her from Major
Pendennis, in which he said he should remain at Chatteris another day,
being anxious to have some talk with Messrs. Tatham, the lawyers, whom he
would meet that afternoon; but no mention was made of the transaction in
which the writer had been engaged during the morning. Indeed the note was
written at the pause after the first part of the engagement, and when the
Major had decidedly had the worst of the battle.
Pen did not care somehow to go into the town whilst his uncle was there.
He did not like to have to fancy that his guardian might be spying at him
from that abominable Dean's grass-plat, whilst he was making love in Miss
Costigan's drawing-room; and the pleasures of a walk (a delight which he
was very rarely permitted to enjoy) would have been spoiled if he had met
the man of the polished boots on that occasion. His modest love could not
show in public by any outward signs, except the eyes (with which the poor
fellow ogled and gazed violently to be sure), but it was dumb in the
presence of third parties; and so much the better, for of all the talk
which takes place in this world, that of love-makers is surely, to the
uninitiated, the most silly.
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