the moonlight nights twice a year, coming a dozen miles to these
festivals; and besides the county, the Pendennises had the society of the
town of Clavering, as much as, nay, more than they liked: for Mrs. Pybus
was always poking about Helen's conservatories, and intercepting the
operation of her soup-tickets and coal-clubs Captain Glanders (H. P.,
50th Dragoon Guards) was for ever swaggering about the Squire's stables
and gardens, and endeavouring to enlist him in his quarrels with the
Vicar, with the Postmaster, with the Reverend F. Wapshot of Clavering
Grammar School, for overflogging his son, Anglesea Glanders,--with all
the village in fine. And Pendennis and his wife often blessed themselves,
that their house of Fairoaks was nearly a mile out of Clavering, or their
premises would never have been free from the prying eyes and prattle of
one or other of the male and female inhabitants there.

Fairoaks lawn comes down to the little river Brawl, and on the other side
were the plantations and woods (as much as were left of them) of
Clavering Park, Sir Francis Clavering, Bart. The park was let out in
pasture and fed down by sheep and cattle, when the Pendennises came first
to live at Fairoaks. Shutters were up in the house; a splendid freestone
palace, with great stairs, statues, and porticos, whereof you may see a
picture in the 'Beauties of England and Wales.' Sir Richard Clavering,
Sir Francis's-grandfather, had commenced the ruin of the family by the
building of this palace: his successor had achieved the ruin by living in
it. The present Sir Francis was abroad somewhere; nor could anybody be
found rich enough to rent that enormous mansion, through the deserted
rooms, mouldy clanking halls, and dismal galleries of which, Arthur
Pendennis many a time walked trembling when he was a boy. At sunset, from
the lawn of Fairoaks, there was a pretty sight: it and the opposite park
of Clavering were in the habit of putting on a rich golden tinge, which
became them both wonderfully. The upper windows of the great house flamed