The History of Pendennis, Volume 2 - His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy by William Makepeace Thackeray
page 21 of 580 (03%)
page 21 of 580 (03%)
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fit for, is beer. I am a poor, ignorant little beggar, good for
nothing but Foker's Entire. I misspent my youth, and used to get the chaps to do my exercises. And what's the consequences now? O, Harry Foker, what a confounded little fool you have been!" As he made this dreary soliloquy, he had cantered out of Rotten Row into the Park, and there was on the point of riding down a large, old, roomy family carriage, of which he took no heed, when a cheery voice cried out, "Harry, Harry!" and looking up, he beheld his aunt, the Lady Rosherville, and two of her daughters, of whom the one who spoke was Harry's betrothed, the Lady Ann. He started back with a pale, scared look, as a truth about which he had not thought during the whole day, came across him. _There_ was his fate, there, in the back seat of that carriage. "What is the matter Harry? why are you so pale? You have been raking and smoking too much, you wicked boy," said Lady Ann. Foker said, "How do, aunt?" "How do, Ann?" in a perturbed manner--muttered something about a pressing engagement--indeed he saw by the Park clock that he must have been keeping his party in the drag waiting for nearly an hour--and waved a good-by. The little man and the little pony were out of sight in an instant--the great carriage rolled away. Nobody inside was very much interested about his coming or going; the countess being occupied with her spaniel, the Lady Lucy's thoughts and eyes being turned upon a volume of sermons, and those of Lady Ann upon a new novel, which the sisters had just procured from the library. |
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