"Mr. Warrington, the claret happens to stand with you; and
exercise does it good, sir. Yes, the articles, trifling as they may
appear, have attracted notice," continued F. B., sipping his wine with
great gusto. "They are noticed, Pendennis, give me leave to say, by
parties who don't value so much the literary or even the political part
of the Pall Mall Gazette, though both, I am told by those who read them,
are conducted with considerable--consummate ability. John Ridley sent a
hundred pounds over to his father, the other day, who funded it in his
son's name. And Ridley told the story to Lord Todmorden, when the
venerable nobleman congratulated him on having such a child. I wish F. B.
had one of the same sort, sir." In which sweet prayer we all of us joined
with a laugh.
One of us had told Mrs. Mackenzie (let the criminal blush to own that
quizzing his fellow-creatures used at one time to form part of his
youthful amusement) that F. B. was the son of a gentleman of most ancient
family and vast landed possessions, and as Bayham was particularly
attentive to the widow, and grandiloquent in his remarks, she was greatly
pleased by his politeness, and pronounced him a most distinque man--
reminding her, indeed, of General Hopkirk, who commanded in Canada.
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