continued Major Pendennis, "I dare say you could give me one."

"No, no, that would be too bad," Foker replied. "Perhaps I oughtn't to
have said as much as I have. Miss F.'s writin' ain't so very bad, I dare
say; only she got Miss R. to write the first letter, and has gone on ever
since. But you mark my word, that till they are friends again the letters
will stop."

"I hope they will never be reconciled," the Major said with great
sincerity; "and I can't tell you how delighted I am to have had the good
fortune of making your acquaintance. You must feel, my dear sir, as a man
of the world, how fatal to my nephew's prospects in life is this step
which he contemplates, and how eager we all must be to free him from this
absurd engagement."

"He has come out uncommon strong," said Mr. Foker; "I have seen his
verses; Rouncy copied 'em. And I said to myself when I saw 'em, 'Catch me
writin' verses to a woman,--that's all.'"

"He has made a fool of himself, as many a good fellow has before him. How
can we make him see his folly, and cure it? I am sure you will give us
what aid you can in extricating a generous young man from such a pair of
schemers as this father and daughter seem to be. Love on the lady's side
is out of the question."

"Love, indeed!" Foker said. "If Pen hadn't two thousand a year when he
came of age----"

"If Pen hadn't what?" cried out the Major in astonishment.