Lady Rockminster came in whilst this curtsey was being performed, and gave to Arthur one finger to shake; which he took, and over which he bowed as well as he could, which, in truth, was very clumsily.
“So you are going to be married, sir,” said the old lady.
“Scold him, Lady Rockminster, for not telling us,” Laura said, going away: which, in truth, the old lady began instantly to do. “So you are going to marry, and to go into Parliament in place of that good-for-nothing Sir Francis Clavering. I wanted him to give my grandson his seat—why did he not give my grandson his seat? I hope you are to have a great deal of money with Miss Amory. I wouldn’t take her without a great deal.”
“Sir Francis Clavering is tired of Parliament,” Pen said, wincing, “and—and I rather wish to attempt that career. The rest of the story is at least premature.”
“I wonder, when you had Laura at home, you could take up with such an affected little creature as that,” the old lady continued.
“I am very sorry Miss Amory does not please your ladyship,” said Pen, smiling.
“You mean—that it is no affair of mine, and that I am not going to marry her. Well, I’m not, and I’m very glad I am not—a little odious thing—when I think that a man could prefer her to my Laura, I’ve no patience with him, and so I tell you, Mr. Arthur Pendennis.”
“I am very glad you see Laura with such favourable eyes,” Pen said.
“You are very glad, and you are very sorry. What does it matter, sir, whether you are very glad or very sorry? A young man who prefers Miss Amory to Miss Bell has no business to be sorry or glad. A young man who takes up with such a crooked lump of affectation as that little Amory,—for she is crooked, I tell you she is,—after seeing my Laura, has no right to hold up his head again. Where is your friend Bluebeard? The tall young man, I mean,—Warrington, isn’t his name? Why does he not come down, and marry Laura? What do the young men mean by not marrying such a girl as that? They all marry for money now. You are all selfish and cowards. We ran away with each other, and made foolish matches in my time. I have no patience with the young men! When I was at Paris in the winter, I asked all the three attaches at the Embassy why they did not fall in love with Miss Bell? They laughed—they said they wanted money. You are all selfish—you are all cowards.”
“I hope before you offered Miss Bell to the attaches,” said Pen, with some heat, “you did her the favour to consult her?”