marrying her."

"Hay! What's making Pendennis swear now?"--Mr. Glowry asked of himself,
for rage and wonder were concentrated in the Major's open mouth, as he
read this astounding announcement.

"Do, my dear friend," the grief-stricken lady went on, "come to me
instantly on the receipt of this; and, as Arthur's guardian, entreat,
command, the wretched child to give up this most deplorable resolution."
And, after more entreaties to the above effect, the writer concluded by
signing herself the Major's 'unhappy affectionate sister, Helen
Pendennis.'

"Fairoaks, Tuesday"--the Major concluded, reading the last words of the
letter--"A d---d pretty business at Fairoaks, Tuesday; now let us see
what the boy has to say;" and he took the other letter, which was written
in a great floundering boy's hand, and sealed with the large signet of
the Pendennises, even larger than the Major's own, and with supplementary
wax sputtered all round the seal, in token of the writer's tremulousness
and agitation.

The epistle ran thus:

"Fairoaks, Monday, Midnight.

"My Dear Uncle,--In informing you of my engagement with Miss Costigan,
daughter of J. Chesterfield Costigan, Esq., of Costiganstown, but,
perhaps, better known to you under her professional name of Miss
Fotheringay, of the Theatres Royal Drury Lane and Crow Street, and of the
Norwich and Welsh Circuit, I am aware that I make an announcement which