 go and have a
glance at the dear personage, or a look up at her windows, or a peep at her
carriage in the Park. Then at night the artless blandishments of home bore you;
mamma's conversation palls upon you; the dishes which that good soul prepares
for the dinner of her favourite are sent away untasted - the whole meal of life,
indeed, except one particular plat, has no relish. Life, business, family ties,
home, all things useful and dear once, become intolerable, and you are never
easy except when you are in pursuit of your flame.
    Such I believe to be not unfrequently the state of mind amongst
ill-regulated young gentlemen; and such indeed was Mr. Henry Foker's condition,
who, having been bred up to indulge in every propensity towards which he was
inclined, abandoned himself to this one with his usual selfish enthusiasm. Nor
because he had given his friend Arthur Pendennis a great deal of good advice on
a former occasion, need men of the world wonder that Mr. Foker became passion's
slave in his turn. Who among us has not given a plenty of the very best advice
to his friends? Who has not preached, and who has practised? To be sure, you,
madam, are perhaps a perfect being, and never had a wrong thought in the whole
course of your frigid and irreproachable existence; or you, sir, are a great
deal too strong-minded to allow any foolish passion to interfere with your
equanimity in chambers or your attendance on 'Change - you are so strong that
you don't want any sympathy. We don't give you any, then; we keep ours for the
humble and weak, that struggle and stumble and get up again, and so march with
the rest of mortals. What need have you of a hand who never fall? Your serene
virtue is never shaded by passion, or ruffled by temptation, or darkened by
remorse; compassion would be impertinence for such an angel. But then with such
a one companionship becomes intolerable; you are, from the very elevation of
your virtue and high attributes, of necessity lonely; we can't reach up and talk
familiarly with such potentates. Good-bye, then; our way lies with humble folks,
and not with serene highnesses like you. And we give notice that there are no
perfect characters in this history, except, perhaps, one little one; and that
one is not perfect either, for she never knows to this day that she is perfect,
and with a deplorable
