were perfect of their kind as specimens of the costume of a military man
en retraite. At a distance, or seeing his back merely, you would have
taken him to be not more than thirty years old: it was only by a nearer
inspection that you saw the factitious nature of his rich brown hair, and
that there were a few crow's-feet round about the somewhat faded eyes of
his handsome mottled face. His nose was of the Wellington pattern. His
hands and wristbands were beautifully long and white. On the latter he
wore handsome gold buttons given to him by his Royal Highness the Duke of
York, and on the others more than one elegant ring, the chief and largest
of them being emblazoned with the famous arms of Pendennis.

He always took possession of the same table in the same corner of the
room, from which nobody ever now thought of ousting him. One or two mad
wags and wild fellows had in former days, and in freak or bravado,
endeavoured twice or thrice to deprive him of this place; but there was a
quiet dignity in the Major's manner as he took his seat at the next
table, and surveyed the interlopers, which rendered it impossible for any
man to sit and breakfast under his eye; and that table--by the fire, and
yet near the window--became his own. His letters were laid out there in
expectation of his arrival, and many was the young fellow about town who
looked with wonder at the number of those notes, and at the seals and
franks which they bore. If there was any question about etiquette,
society, who was married to whom, of what age such and such a duke was,
Pendennis was the man to whom every one appealed. Marchionesses used to
drive up to the Club, and leave notes for him, or fetch him out. He was
perfectly affable. The young men liked to walk with him in the Park or
down Pall Mall; for he touched his hat to everybody, and every other man
he met was a lord.

The Major sate down at his accustomed table then, and while the waiters