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310 THE ADVENTURES OP PHILIP
fought, and quarrelled, and wanted to mount on the imperial or
cabriolet of the carriage, where there was only one passenger as
yet. But the conductor called the lads off, saying that the remaining
place was engaged by a gentleman whom they were to
take up on the road. And who should this turn out to be ? Just
outside the town a man springs up to the imperial; his light
luggage, it appears, was on the coach already, and that luggage
belonged to Philip Firmin. Ah, monsieur! and that was the
reason, was it, why they were so merry yesterday—the parting
day? Because they were not going to part just then. Because,
when the time of execution drew near, they had managed to
smuggle a little reprieve? Upon my conscience, I never heard
of such imprudence in the whole course of my life ! Why, it is
starvation—certain misery to one and the other. "I don't like
to meddle in other people's affairs," I say to my wife; "but I
have no patience with such folly, or with myself for not speaking
to General Baynes on the subject. I shall write to the General."
"My dear, the General knows all about it," says Charlotte's,
Philip's (in my opinion) most injudicious friend. " We have talked
about it, and, like a man of sense, the General makes light of it.
' Young folks will be young folks,' he says; 'and, by George!
ma'am, when I married—I should say when Mrs. B. ordered me
to marry her—she had nothing, and I but my captain's pay.
People get on somehow. Better for a young man to marry, and
keep out of idleness and mischief; and, I promise you, the chap
who marries my girl gets a treasure. I like the boy for the sake
of my old friend Phil Ringwood. I don't see that the fellows with
the rich wives are much the happier, or that men should wait
to marry until they are gouty old rakes.' " And, it appears, the
General instanced several officers of his own acquaintance; some
of whom had married when they were young and poor ; some who
had married when they were old and sulky ; some who had never
married at all. And he mentioned his comrade, my own uncle,
the late Major Pendennis, whom he called a selfish old creature,
and hinted that the Major had jilted some lady in early life, whom
he would have done much better to marry.
And so Philip has actually gone after his charmer, and is
pursuing her summa diligentia ? The Baynes family has allowed
this penniless young law student to make love to their daughter,
or accompany them to Paris, to appear as the almost recognised
son of the house. " Other people, when they were young, wanted
to make imprudent marriages," says my wife (as if that wretched
tu quoque were any answer to my remark!). "This penniless
law student might have a good sum of money if he chose to press