He was wild to find some means of repaying her.
He left off drinking wine, and betook himself, but with great moderation,
to the refreshment of whisky-and-water. He gave up cigar-smoking; but it
must be confessed that of late years he had liked pipes and tobacco as
well or even better, so that this sacrifice was not a very severe one.
He fell asleep a great deal after dinner when he joined the ladies in the
drawing-room, and was certainly very moody and melancholy. He watched the
coaches with great interest, walked in to read the papers at Clavering
assiduously, dined with anybody who would ask him (and the widow was glad
that he should have any entertainment in their solitary place), and
played a good deal at cribbage with Captain Glanders.
He avoided Dr. Portman, who, in his turn, whenever Pen passed, gave him
very severe looks from under his shovel-hat. He went to church with his
mother, however, very regularly, and read prayers for her at home to the
little household. Always humble, it was greatly diminished now: a couple
of maids did the work of the house of Fairoaks: the silver dish-covers
never saw the light at all.
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