"She don't like it," said Foker, gently.

"Law bless you-she don't mind. Pendennis used to smoke regular," said the candid youth.

"It was but a short word I had to say," said Blanche to Pen, with great calm, when they were alone. "You never loved me, Mr. Pendennis."

"I told you how much," said Arthur. "I never deceived you."

"I suppose you will go back and marry Laura," continued Blanche.

"Was that what you had to say?" said Pen.

"You are going to her this very night, I am sure of it. There is no denying it. You never cared for me."

"Et vous?"

"Et moi, c'est différent. I have been spoilt early. I cannot live out of the world, out of excitement. I could have done so, but it is too late. If I cannot have emotions, I must have the world. You would offer me neither one nor the other. You are blasé in

everything, even in ambition. You had a career before you, and you would not take it. You give it up! - for what? — for a bétise, for an absurd scruple. Why would you not have that seat, and be such a puritain? Why should you refuse what is mine by right by right, entendez-vous ? "

"You know all then?" said Pen.

"Only within a month. But I have suspected ever since Baymouth-n'importe since when. It is not too late. He is as if he had never been; and there is a position in the world before you yet. Why not sit in Parliament, exert your talent, and give a place in the world to yourself, to your wife? I take celui-là. Il est bon. Il est riche. Il est vous le connaissez

mand qe me Think you that I would not grafer un homme i fera parler de moi? If the serpes spears. I am rich à millions. How does it kiet me? Is my fault. It will never appear." +Talk Harry everything, won't you?" *je momtrois Vous refusez," said Blanche sav ve Harry at my own time, when we You will not betray me, will you?

secret:

Tom haring a defenceless girl's secret, will not turn zpen her and use it? S'il me plait de le cacher, mon seemes: poczęci le donnerai-je ? Je l'aime, mon pure père, voyez-vous? I would rather live with thus man than with you fades intriguers of the world. I nas have emotions-il m'en donne. Il m'écrit. I en très-bien, voyez-vous-comme un piratecomme un Bchémien-comme un homme. But for this I would have said to my mother Ma mère! quicns ce lache mari, cette lâche société— retournons à mon père.”

The pirate would have wearied you like the rest," said Pen.

“Eh! Il me faut des émotions,” said Blanche. Pen had never seen her or known so much about her in all the years of their intimacy as he saw and knew now : though he saw more than existed in reality. For this young lady was not able to carry out any emotion to the full; but had a sham enthusiasm, a sham hatred, a sham love, a sham taste, a sham grief, each of which flared and shone very vehemently for an instant, but subsided and gave place to the next sham emotion.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A CHAPTER OF MATCH-MAKING.

UPON the platform at Tunbridge, Pen fumed and fretted until the arrival of the evening train to London, a full half-hour, - six hours it seemed to him; but even this immense interval was passed, the train arrived, the train sped on, the London lights came in view a gentleman who forgot his carpet-bag in the train rushed at a cab, and said to the man, "Drive as hard as you can go to Jermyn Street." The cab-man, although a Hansom cab-man, said "Thank you" for the gratuity which was put into his hand, and Pen ran up the stairs of the hotel to Lady Rockminster's apartments. Laura was alone in the drawing-room, reading, with a pale face, by the lamp. The pale face looked up when Pen opened the door. low him? The great moments of life

May we folare but mo

ments like the others. Your doom is spoken in a word or two. A single look from the eyes; a mere pressure of the hand, may decide it; or of the lips, though they cannot speak.

When Lady Rockminster, who has had her afterdinner nap, gets up and goes into her sitting-room, we may enter with her ladyship.

"Upon my word, young people!" are the first words she says, and her attendant makes wondering eyes over her shoulder. And well may she say so; and well may the attendant cast wondering eyes; for

Se que are in an actitude; and Pen in such A piston is every young lady who reads this has jer i frias seen, or hopes, or at any rate

vily be entered the room, Pen went 13 a lam tċ the pale face, who had not time even The back so soon?" and seizing her outsmestari and trembling hand just as she was rising from ber that fell down on his knees before her, and suni pruddly. I have seen her. She has engaged herself :: Harry Foker-and-and Now, Laura?"

The hand gives a pressure-the eyes beam a reFly-the quivering lips answer, though speechless. Pen's bead sinks down in the girl's lap, as he sobs cut-Come and bless us, dear mother!" and arms as tender as Helen's once more enfold him.

In this juncture it is that Lady Rockminster comes in and says, "Upon my word, young people! Beck! leave the room. What do you want poking your nose in here?"

Pen starts up with looks of triumph, still holding Laura's hand. "She is consoling me for my misfortune, Ma'am," he says.

"What do you mean by kissing her hand? I don't know what you will be next doing."

Pen kissed her ladyship's. "I have been to Tunbridge," he says, "and seen Miss Amory; and find on my arrival that—that a villain has transplanted me in her affections," he says with a tragedy air.

"Is that all? Is that what you were whimpering on your knees about?" says the old lady, growing angry. "You might have kept the news till tomorrow."

"Yes—another has superseded me," goes on Pen;

"but why call him villain? He is brave, he is constant, he is young, he is wealthy, he is beautiful.”

"What stuff are you talking, sir?" cried the old lady. "What has happened?"

"Miss Amory has jilted me, and accepted Henry Foker, Esq. I found her warbling ditties to him as he lay at her feet; presents had been accepted, vows exchanged, these ten days. Harry was old Mrs. Planter's rheumatism, which kept dearest Laura out of the house. He is the most constant and generous of men. He has promised the living of Logwood to Lady Ann's husband, and given her a splendid present on her marriage; and he rushed to fling himself at Blanche's feet the instant he found he was free."

"And so, as you can't get Blanche, you put up with Laura is that it, sir?" asked the old lady.

"He acted nobly," Laura said.

"Never mind

"I acted as she bade me," said Pen. how, Lady Rockminster; but to the best of my knowledge and power. And if you mean that I am not worthy of Laura, I know it, and pray Heaven to better me; and if the love and company of the best and purest creature in the world can do so, at least I shall have these to help me."

"Hm, hm," replied the old lady to this, looking with rather an appeased air at the young people. "It is all very well; but I should have preferred Bluebeard."

And now Pen, to divert the conversation from a theme which was growing painful to some parties present, bethought him of his interview with Huxter in the morning, and of Fanny Bolton's affairs, which he had forgotten under the immediate pressure and excitement of his own. And he told the ladies how