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270 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
and Ethel may, and Arthur may, and, I think, Philip may, now he
is poor and quite quite alone—and we will take care of him, won't
we ? And, I think, I"ll buy him something with my money which
Aunt Ethel gave me."
" And I'll give him my money," cries a boy.
" And I'll div him my—my ________ " Psha ! what matters what
the little sweet lips prattled in their artless kindness? But the
soft words of love and pity smote the mother's heart with an
exquisite pang of gratitude and joy; and I know where her
thanks were paid for those tender words and thoughts of her
little ones.
Mrs. Pendennis made Philip promise to come to dinner, and
also to remember not to take a cab—which promise Mr. Firmin
had not much difficulty in executing, for he had but a few hundred
yards to walk across the Park from his club ; and I must say that
my wife took a special care of our dinner that day, preparing for
Philip certain dishes which she knew he liked, and enjoining the
butler of the establishment (who also happened to be the owner of
the house) to fetch from his cellar the very choicest wine in his
possession.
I have previously described our friend and his boisterous, impetuous,
generous nature. When Philip was moved, he called to
all the world to witness his emotion. When he was angry, his
enemies were all the rogues and scoundrels in the world. He
vowed he would have no mercy on them, and desired all his
acquaintances to participate in his anger. How could such an openmouthed
son have had such a close-spoken father ? I daresay you
have seen very well-bred young people, the children of vulgar and
ill-bred parents ; the swaggering father have a silent son; the loud
mother a modest daughter. Our friend is not Amadis or Sir
Charles Grandison; and I don't set him up for a moment as a
person to be revered or imitated ; but try to draw him faithfully,
and as nature made him. As nature made him, so he was. I
don't think he tried to improve himself much. Perhaps few people
do. They suppose they do : and you read, in apologetic memoirs,
and fond biographies, how this man cured his bad temper, and
t'other worked and strove until he grew to be almost faultless.
Very well and good, my good people. You can learn a language ;
you can master a science ; I have heard of an old square-toes of
sixty who learned, by study and intense application, very satisfactorily
to dance ; but can you, by taking thought, add to your
moral stature? Ah me! the Doctor who preaches is only taller
than most of us by the height of the pulpit : and when he steps
down, I daresay he cringes to the duchess, growls at his children,