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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 269
Contemptuous brokers declared there never was such a shabby lot
of goods. A friend of the house and poor Philip bought in his
mother's picture for a few guineas ; and as for the Doctor's own
state portrait, I am afraid it went for a few shillings only, and in
the midst of a roar of Hebrew laughter. I saw in Wardour Street,
not long after, the Doctor's sideboard, and what dealers cheerfully
call the sarcophagus cellaret. Poor Doctor! his wine was all
drunken ; his meat was eaten up; but his own body had slipped
out of the reach of the hook-beaked birds of prey.
We had spoken rapidly in undertones, innocently believing that
the young people round about us were taking no heed of our talk.
But in a lull of the conversation, Mr. Pendennis junior, who had
always been a friend to Philip, broke out with—" Philip ! if you
are so very poor, you'll be hungry, you know, and you may have
my piece of bread and jam. And I don't want it, mamma," he
added; "and you know Philip has often and often given me
things."
Philip stooped down and kissed this good little Samaritan.
" I'm not hungry, Arty my boy," he said ; " and I'm not so poor
but I have got—look here—a fine new shilling for Arty !"
" Oh, Philip, Philip !" cried mamma.
" Don't take the money, Arthur," cried papa.
And the boy, with a rueful face but a manly heart, prepared
to give back the coin. "It's quite a new one; and it's a very
pretty one : but I won't have it, Philip, thank you," he said, turning
very red.
" If he won't, I vow I will give it to the cabman," said
Philip.
" Keeping a cab all this while ? Oh, Philip, Philip !" again
cries mamma the economist.
" Loss of time is loss of money, my dear lady," says Philip,
very gravely. " I have ever so many places to go to. When I am
set in for being ruined, you shall see what a screw I will become !
I must go to Mrs. Brandon, who will be very uneasy, poor dear,
until she knows the worst."
" Oh, Philip, I should like so to go with you !" cries Laura.
" Pray, give her our very best regards and respects."
" Merci ! " said the young man, and squeezed Mrs. Pendennis's
hand in his own big one. "I will take your message to her,
Laura. Jaime qu'on l'aime, savez-vous ? "
" That means, I love those who love her," cries little Laura ;
" but, I don't know," remarked this little person afterwards to her
paternal confidant, " that I like all people to love my mamma.
That is, I don't like her to like them, papa—only you may, papa,