"Capital Madeira, Captain Costigan," he said. "Where do you get it? I drink the health of that charming creature in a bumper. Faith, captain, I don't wonder that the men are wild about her. I never saw such eyes in my life, or such a grand manner. I am sure she is as intellectual as she is beautiful; and I have no doubt she's as good as she is clever."
"A good girl, sir—a good girl, sir," said the delighted father; "and I pledge a toast to her with all my heart. Shall I send to the—to the cellar for another pint? It's handy by. No? Well, indeed, sir, ye may say she is a good girl, and the pride and glory of her father—honest old Jack Costigan. The man who gets her will have a jew'l to a wife, sir; and I drink his health, sir, and ye know who I mean, major."
"I am not surprised at young or old falling in love with her," said the major, "and frankly must tell you, that though I was very angry with my poor nephew Arthur, when I heard of the boy's passion—now I have seen the lady I can pardon him any extent of it. By George, I should like to enter for the race myself, if I wern't an old fellow and a poor one."
"And no better man, major, I'm sure," cried Jack, enraptured. "Your friendship, sir, delights me. Your admiration for my girl brings tears to me eyes—tears, sir—manlee tears—and when she leaves me humble home for your own more splendid mansion, I hope she'll keep a place for her poor old father, poor old Jack Costigan."—The captain suited the action to the word, and his blood-shot eyes were suffused with water, as he addressed the major.
"Your sentiments do you honor," the other said. "But, Captain Costigan, I can't help smiling at one thing you have just said."
"And what's that, sir?" asked Jack, who was at a too heroic and sentimental pitch to descend from it.
"You were speaking about our splendid mansion—my sister's house, I mean."
"I mane the park and mansion of Arthur Pendennis, Esquire, of Fairoaks Park, whom I hope to see a Mimber of Parliament for his native town of Clavering, when he is of ege to take that responsible stetion," cried the captain, with much dignity.
The major smiled as he recognized a shaft out of his own bow. It was he who had set Pen upon the idea of sitting in parliament for the neighboring borough—and the poor lad had evidently been bragging on the subject to Costigan and the lady of his affections. "Fairoaks Park, my dear sir," he said. "Do you know our history? We are of excessively ancient family certainly, but I began life with scarce enough money to purchase my commission, and my eldest brother was a country apothecary; who made every shilling he died possessed of out of his pestle and mortar."