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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 285
Baynes still found Philip's hand stretched out to catch hold of
him, and saluted him with a ghastly cordiality. " These are your
children, General, and this is Mrs. Baynes?" says Philip, smiling,
and taking off his hat.
" Oh yes ! I'm Mrs. General Baynes !" says the poor woman ;
"and these are the children—yes, yes. Charlotte, this is Mr.
Firmin, of whom you have heard us speak ; and these are my boys,
Moira and Ochterlony."
" I have had the honour of meeting General Baynes at Old Parr
Street. Don't you remember, sir ?" says Mr. Pendennis with great
affability to the General.
" What, another who knows me ?" I daresay the poor wretch
thinks ; and glances of a dreadful meaning pass between the guilty
wife and the guilty husband.
" You are going to stay at any hotel ?"
" ' Hotel des Bains!' " " ' Hotel du Nord !' " " 'Hotel d'Angleterre
!'" here cry twenty commissioners in a breath.
" Hotel ? Oh yes ! That is, we have not made up our minds
whether we shall go on to-night or whether we shall stay," say
those guilty ones, looking at one another, and then down to the
ground ; on which one of the children, with a roar, says—
" Oh, ma, what a story ! You said you'd stay to-night ; and I
was so sick in the beastly boat, and I won't travel any more !"
And tears choke his artless utterance. "And you said Bang to
the man who took your keys, you know you did," resumes the
innocent, as soon as he can gasp a further remark.
" Who told you to speak ?" cried mamma, giving the boy a
shake.
"This is the way to the 'Hotel des Bains,' " says Philip,
making Miss Baynes another of his best bows. And Miss Baynes
makes a curtsey, and her eyes look up at the handsome young man
—large brown honest eyes in a comely round face, on each side of
which depend two straight wisps of brown hair that were ringlets
when they left Folkestone a few hours since.
"Oh, I say, look at those women with the short petticoats!
and wooden shoes, by George 1 Oh ! it's jolly, ain't it ?" cries one
young gentleman.
" By George, there's a man with earrings on ! There is, Ocky,
upon my word !" calls out another. And the elder boy, turning
round to his father, points to some soldiers. " Did you ever see
such little beggars ?" he says, tossing his head up. " They wouldn't
take such fellows into our line."
"I am not at all tired, thank you," says Charlotte. "I am
accustomed to carry him." I forgot to say that the young lady