his father. Was it possible that any man could grow to be three inches
taller than Mr. Pendennis?

You may be certain he never went back to school; the discipline of the
establishment did not suit him, and he liked being at home much better.
The question of his return was debated, and his uncle was for his going
back. The Doctor wrote his opinion that it was most important for
Arthur's success in after-life that he should know a Greek play
thoroughly, but Pen adroitly managed to hint to his mother what a
dangerous place Greyfriars was, and what sad wild fellows some of the
chaps there were, and the timid soul, taking alarm at once, acceded to
his desire to stay at home.

Then Pen's uncle offered to use his influence with His Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief, who was pleased to be very kind to him, and proposed
to get Pen a commission in the Foot Guards. Pen's heart leaped at this:
he had been to hear the band at St. James's play on a Sunday, when he
went out to his uncle. He had seen Tom Ricketts, of the fourth form, who
used to wear a jacket and trousers so ludicrously tight, that the elder
boys could not forbear using him in the quality of a butt or 'cockshy'--
he had seen this very Ricketts arrayed in crimson and gold, with an
immense bear-skin cap on his head, staggering under the colours of the
regiment. Tom had recognised him and gave him a patronising nod. Tom, a
little wretch whom he had cut over the back with a hockey-stick last
quarter--and there he was in the centre of the square, rallying round the
flag of his country, surrounded by bayonets, crossbelts, and scarlet, the
band blowing trumpets and banging cymbals--talking familiarly to immense
warriors with tufts to their chins and Waterloo medals. What would not
Pen have given to wear such epaulettes and enter such a service?