athis
own
absurdity
,
—
“
you
don’t
care
about
a
dawg
or
rat
;
it’s
all
nonsense
.
I’m
blest
if
I
think
you
know
the
difference
between
a
dog
and
a
duck
.
”
“
No
;
by
the
way
,
”
Pitt
continued
with
increased
blandness
,
“
it
was
about
blood
you
were
talking
,
and
the
personal
advantages
which
people
derive
from
patrician
birth
.
Here’s
the
fresh
bottle
.
”
“
Blood’s
the
word
,
”
said
James
,
gulping
the
ruby
fluid
down
.
“
Nothing
like
blood
,
sir
,
in
hosses
,
dawgs
,
and
men
.
Why
,
only
last
term
,
just
before
I
was
rusticated
,
that
is
,
I
mean
just
before
I
had
the
measles
,
ha
,
ha
,
—
there
was
me
and
Ringwood
of
Christchurch
,
Bob
Ringwood
,
Lord
Cinqbars’
son
,
having
our
beer
at
the
Bell
at
Blenheim
,
when
the
Banbury
bargeman
offered
to
fight
either
of
us
for
a
bowl
of
punch
.
“
I
couldn’t
.
My
arm
was
in
a
sling
;
couldn’t
even
take
the
drag
down
,
—
a
brute
of
a
mare
of
mine
had
fell
with
me
only
two
days
before
,
out
with
the
Abingdon
,
and
I
thought
my
arm
was
broke
.
Well
,
sir
,
I
couldn’t
finish
him
,
but
Bob
had
his
coat
off
at
once
—
he
stood
up
to
the
Banbury
man
for
three
minutes
,
and
polished
him
off
in
four
rounds
,
easy
.
Gad
,
how
he
did
drop
,
sir
,
and
what
was
it
?
Blood
,
sir
,
all
blood
.
”
“
You
don’t
drink
,
James
,
”
the
ex-attaché
continued
.
“
In
my
time
at
Oxford
,
the
men
passed
round
the
bottle
a
little
quicker
than
you
young
fellows
seem
to
do
.
”
“
Come
,
come
,
”
said
James
,
putting
his
hand
to
his
nose
and
winking
at
his
cousin
with
a
pair
of
vinous
eyes
,
“
no
jokes
,
old
boy
;
no
trying
it
on
on
me
.
You
want
to
trot
me
out
,
but
it’s
no
go
.
In
vino
veritas
,
old
boy
.
Mars
,
Bacchus
,
Apollo
virorum
,
hay
?
I
wish
my
aunt
would
send
down
some
of
this
to
the
governor
;
it’s
a
precious
good
tap
.
”
“
You
had
better
ask
her
,
”
Machiavel
continued
,
“
or
make
the
best
of
your
time
now
.
What
says
the
bard
?
‘Nunc
vino
pellite
curas
,
Cras
ingens
iterabimus
æquor
,
’
”
and
the
Bacchanalian
,
quoting
the
above
with
a
House
of
Commons
air
,
tossed
off
nearly
a
thimbleful
of
wine
with
an
immense
flourish
of
his
glass
.
At
the
Rectory
,
when
the
bottle
of
port
wine
was
opened
after
dinner
,
the
young
ladies
had
each
a
glass
from
a
bottle
of
currant
wine
.
Mrs.
Bute
took
one
glass
of
port
,
honest
James
had
a
couple
commonly
,
but
as
his
father
grew
very
sulky
if
he
made
further
inroads
on
the
bottle
,
the
good
lad
generally
refrained
from
trying
for
more
,
and
subsided
either
into
the
currant
wine
,
or
to
some
private
gin-and-water
in
the
stables
,
which
he
enjoyed
in
the
company
of
the
coachman
and
his
pipe
.
At
Oxford
,
the
quantity
of
wine
was
unlimited
,
but
the
quality
was
inferior
:
but
when
quantity
and
qualify
united
as
at
his
aunt’s
house
,
James
showed
that
he
could
appreciate
them
indeed
;
and
hardly
needed
any
of
his
cousin’s
encouragement
in
draining
off
the
second
bottle
supplied
by
Mr.
Bowls
.
When
the
time
for
coffee
came
,
however
,
and
for
a
return
to
the
ladies
,
of
whom
he
stood
in
awe
,
the
young
gentleman’s
agreeable
frankness
left
him
,
and
he
relapsed
into
his
usual
surly
timidity
;
contenting
himself
by
saying
yes
and
no
,
by
scowling
at
Lady
Jane
,
and
by
upsetting
one
cup
of
coffee
during
the
evening
.
If
he
did
not
speak
he
yawned
in
a
pitiable
manner
,
and
his
presence
threw
a
damp
upon
the
modest
proceedings
of
the
evening
,
for
Miss
Crawley
and
Lady
Jane
at
their
piquet
,
and
Miss
Briggs
at
her
work
,
felt
that
his
eyes
were
widely
fixed
on
them
,
and
were
uneasy
under
that
maudlin
look
.
“
He
seems
a
very
silent
,
awkward
,
bashful
lad
,
”
said
Miss
Crawley
to
Mr.
Pitt
.
“
He
is
more
communicative
in
men’s
society
than
with
ladies
,
”
Machiavel
dryly
replied
:
perhaps
rather
disappointed
that
the
port
wine
had
not
made
Jim
speak
more
.
He
had
spent
the
early
part
of
the
next
morning
in
writing
home
to
his
mother
a
most
flourishing
account
of
his
reception
by
Miss
Crawley
.
But
ah
!
he
little
knew
what
evils
the
day
was
bringing
for
him
,
and
how
short
his
reign
of
favour
was
destined
to
be
.
A
circumstance
which
Jim
had
forgotten
—
a
trivial
but
fatal
circumstance
—
had
taken
place
at
the
Cribb’s
Arms
on
the
night
before
he
had
come
to
his
aunt’s
house
.
It
was
no
other
than
this
—
Jim
,
who
was
always
of
a
generous
disposition
,
and
when
in
his
cups
especially
hospitable
,
had
in
the
course
of
the
night
treated
the
Tutbury
champion
and
the
Rottingdean
man
,
and
their
friends
,
twice
or
thrice
to
the
refreshment
of
gin-and-water
—
so
that
no
less
than
eighteen
glasses
of
that
fluid
at
eight
pence
per
glass
were
charged
in
Mr.
James
Crawley’s
bill
.
It
was
not
the
amount
of
eightpences
,
but
the
quantity
of
gin
which
told
fatally
against
poor
James’s
character
when
his
aunt’s
butler
,
Mr.
Bowls
,
went
down
at
his
mistress’s
request
to
pay
the
young
gentleman’s
bill
.
The
land
lord
,
fearing
lest
the
account
should
be
refused
altogether
swore
solemnly
that
the
young
gent
had
consumed
personally
every
farthing’s
worth
of
the
liquor
:
and
Bowls
paid
the
bill
finally
,
and
showed
it
on
his
return
home
to
Mrs.
Firkin
,
who
was
shocked
at
the
frightful
prodigality
of
gin
;
and
took
the
bill
to
Miss
Briggs
as
accountant-general
;
who
thought
it
her
duty
to
mention
the
circumstance
to
her
principal
,
Miss
Crawley
.
Had
the
drunk
a
dozen
of
claret
,
the
old
spinster
could
have
pardoned
him
.
Mr.
Fox
and
Mr.
Sheridan
drank
claret
.
Gentleman
drank
claret
.
But
eighteen
glasses
of
gin
consumed
among
boxers
in
an
ignoble
pothouse
—
it
was
an
odious
crime
and
not
to
be
pardoned
readily
.
Everything
went
against
the
lad
:
he
came
home
perfumed
from
the
stables
,
whither
he
had
been
to
pay
his
dog
Towzer
a
visit
—
and
whence
he
was
going
to
take
his
friend
out
for
an
airing
,
when
he
met
Miss
Crawley
and
her
wheezy
Blenheim
spaniel
,
which
Towzer
would
have
eaten
up
had
not
the
Blenheim
fled
squealing
to
the
protection
of
Miss
Briggs
,
while
the
atrocious
master
of
the
bulldog
stood
laughing
at
the
horrible
persecution
.
This
day
too
the
unlucky
boy’s
modesty
had
likewise
forsaken
him
.
He
was
lively
and
facetious
at
dinner
.
During
the
repast
the
levelled
one
or
two
jokes
against
Pitt
Crawley
:
he
drank
as
much
wine
as
upon
the
previous
day
;
and
going
quite
unsuspiciously
to
the
drawing-room
,
began
to
entertain
the
ladies
there
with
some
choice
Oxford
stories
.
He
described
the
different
pugilistic
qualities
of
Molyneux
and
Dutch
Sam
,
offered
playfully
to
give
Lady
Jane
the
odds
upon
the
Tutbury
Pet
against
the
Rottingdean
man
,
or
take
them
,
as
her
Ladyship
chose
:
and
crowned
the
pleasantry
by
proposing
to
back
himself
against
his
cousin
Pitt
Crawley
,
either
with
or
without
gloves
.
“
And
that’s
a
fair
offer
,
my
buck
,
”
he
said
,
with
a
loud
laugh
,
slapping
Pitt
on
the
shoulder
,
“
and
my
father
told
me
to
make
it
too
,
and
he’ll
go
halves
in
the
bet
,
ha
,
ha
!
”
So
saying
,
the
engaging
youth
nodded
knowingly
at
poor
Miss
Briggs
,
and
pointed
his
thumb
over
his
shoulder
at
Pitt
Crawley
in
a
jocular
and
exulting
manner
.
Pitt
was
not
pleased
altogether
perhaps
,
but
still
not
unhappy
in
the
main
.
Poor
Jim
had
his
laugh
out
:
and
staggered
across
the
room
with
his
aunt’s
candle
,
when
the
old
lady
moved
to
retire
,
and
offered
to
salute
her
with
the
blandest
tipsy
smile
:
and
he
took
his
own
leave
and
went
upstairs
to
his
bed-room
perfectly
satisfied
with
himself
,
and
with
a
pleased
notion
that
his
aunt’s
money
would
be
left
to
him
in
preference
to
his
father
and
all
the
rest
of
the
family
.
Once
up
in
the
bed-room
,
one
would
have
thought
he
could
not
make
matters
worse
;
and
yet
this
unlucky
boy
did
.
The
moon
was
shining
very
pleasantly
out
on
the
sea
,
and
Jim
,
attracted
to
the
window
by
the
romantic
appearance
of
the
ocean
and
the
heavens
,
thought
he
would
further
enjoy
them
while
smoking
.
Nobody
would
smell
the
tobacco
,
he
thought
,
if
he
cunningly
opened
the
window
and
kept
his
head
and
pipe
in
the
fresh
air
.
This
he
did
:
but
being
in
an
excited
state
,
poor
Jim
had
forgotten
that
his
door
was
open
all
this
time
,
so
that
the
breeze
blowing
inwards
and
a
fine
thorough
draught
being
established
,
the
clouds
of
tobacco
were
carried
downstairs
,
and
arrived
with
quite
undiminished
fragrance
to
Miss
Crawley
and
Miss
Briggs
.
The
pipe
of
tobacco
finished
the
business
:
and
the
Bute-Crawleys
never
knew
how
many
thousand
pounds
it
cost
them
.
Firkin
rushed
downstairs
to
Bowls
who
was
reading
out
the
“
Fire
and
the
Frying
Pan
”
to
his
aide-de-camp
in
a
loud
and
ghostly
voice
.
The
dreadful
secret
was
told
to
him
by
Firkin
with
so
frightened
a
look
,
that
for
the
first
moment
Mr.
Bowls
and
his
young
man
thought
that
robbers
were
in
the
house
;
the
legs
of
whom
had
probably
been
discovered
by
the
woman
under
Miss
Crawley’s
bed
.
When
made
aware
of
the
fact
,
however
—
to
rush
upstairs
at
three
steps
at
a
time
—
to
enter
the
unconscious
James’s
apartment
,
calling
out
,
“
Mr.
James
,
”
in
a
voice
stifled
with
alarm
,
and
to
cry
,
“
For
Gawd’s
sake
,
sir
,
stop
that
’ere
pipe
,
”
was
the
work
of
a
moment
with
Mr.
Bowls
.
“
O
,
Mr.
James
,
what
’ave
you
done
!
”
he
said
in
a
voice
of
the
deepest
pathos
,
as
he
threw
the
implement
out
of
the
window
.
“
What
’ave
you
done
,
sir
!
Missis
can’t
abide
’em
.
”
“
Missis
needn’t
smoke
,
”
said
James
with
a
frantic
misplaced
laugh
,
and
thought
the
whole
matter
an
excellent
joke
.
But
his
feelings
were
very
different
in
the
morning
,
when
Mr.
Bowls’s
young
man
,
who
operated
upon
Mr.
James’s
boots
,
and
brought
him
his
hot
water
to
shave
that
beard
which
he
was
so
anxiously
expecting
,
handed
a
note
in
to
Mr.
James
in
bed
,
in
the
handwriting
of
Miss
Briggs
.
“
Dear
sir
,
”
it
said
,
“
Miss
Crawley
has
passed
an
exceedingly
disturbed
night
,
owing
to
the
shocking
manner
in
which
the
house
has
been
polluted
by
tobacco
:
Miss
Crawley
bids
me
say
she
regrets
that
she
is
too
unwell
to
see
you
before
you
go
—
and
above
all
that
she
ever
induced
you
to
remove
from
the
ale-house
,
where
she
is
sure
you
will
be
much
more
comfortable
during
the
rest
of
your
stay
at
Brighton
.
”
And
herewith
honest
James’s
career
as
a
candidate
for
his
aunt’s
favour
ended
.
He
had
in
fact
,
and
without
knowing
it
,
done
what
he
menaced
to
do
.
He
had
fought
his
cousin
Pitt
with
the
gloves
.
Where
meanwhile
was
he
who
had
been
once
first
favourite
for
this
race
for
money
?
Becky
and
Rawdon
,
as
we
have
seen
,
were
come
together
after
Waterloo
,
and
were
passing
the
winter
of
1815
at
Paris
in
great
splendour
and
gaiety
.
Rebecca
was
a
good
economist
,
and
the
price
poor
Jos
Sedley
had
paid
for
her
two
horses
was
in
itself
sufficient
to
keep
their
little
establishment
afloat
for
a
year
,
at
the
least
;
there
was
no
occasion
to
turn
into
money
“
my
pistols
,
the
same
which
I
shot
Captain
Marker
,
”
or
the
gold
dressing-case
,
or
the
cloak
lined
with
sable
.
Becky
had
it
made
into
a
pelisse
for
herself
,
in
which
she
rode
in
the
Bois
de
Boulogne
to
the
admiration
of
all
:
and
you
should
have
seen
the
scene
between
her
and
her
delighted
husband
,
whom
she
rejoined
after
the
army
had
entered
Cambray
,
and
when
she
unsewed
herself
,
and
let
out
of
her
dress
all
those
watches
,
knickknacks
,
bank-notes
,
cheques
,
and
valuables
,
which
she
had
secreted
in
the
wadding
,
previous
to
her
meditated
flight
from
Brussels
!
Tufto
was
charmed
,
and
Rawdon
roared
with
delightful
laughter
,
and
swore
that
she
was
better
than
any
play
he
ever
saw
,
by
Jove
.
And
the
way
in
which
she
jockeyed
Jos
,
and
which
she
described
with
infinite
fun
,
carried
up
his
delight
to
a
pitch
of
quite
insane
enthusiasm
.
He
believed
in
his
wife
as
much
as
the
French
soldiers
in
Napoleon
.
Her
success
in
Paris
was
remarkable
.
All
the
French
ladies
voted
her
charming
.
She
spoke
their
language
admirably
.
She
adopted
at
once
their
grace
,
their
liveliness
,
their
manner
.
Her
husband
was
stupid
certainly
—
all
English
are
stupid
—
and
,
besides
,
a
dull
husband
at
Paris
is
always
a
point
in
a
lady’s
favour
.
He
was
the
heir
of
the
rich
and
spirituelle
Miss
Crawley
,
whose
house
had
been
open
to
so
many
of
the
French
noblesse
during
the
emigration
.
They
received
the
colonel’s
wife
in
their
own
hotels
—
“
Why
,
”
wrote
a
great
lady
to
Miss
Crawley
,
who
had
bought
her
lace
and
trinkets
at
the
Duchess’s
own
price
,
and
given
her
many
a
dinner
during
the
pinching
times
after
the
Revolution
—
“
Why
does
not
our
dear
Miss
come
to
her
nephew
and
niece
,
and
her
attached
friends
in
Paris
?
All
the
world
raffoles
of
the
charming
Mistress
and
her
espigèle
beauty
.
Yes
,
we
see
in
her
the
grace
,
the
charm
,
the
wit
of
our
dear
friend
Miss
Crawley
!
The
King
took
notice
of
her
yesterday
at
the
Tuileries
,
and
we
are
all
jealous
of
the
attention
which
Monsieur
pays
her
.
If
you
could
have
seen
the
spite
of
a
certain
stupid
Miladi
Bareacres
,
(
whose
eagle-beak
and
toque
and
feathers
may
be
seen
peering
over
the
heads
of
all
assemblies
,
)
when
Madame
,
the
Duchess
of
Angoulême
,
the
august
daughter
and
companion
of
kings
,
desired
especially
to
be
presented
to
Mrs.
Crawley
,
as
your
dear
daughter
and
protégée
,
and
thanked
her
in
the
name
of
France
,
for
all
your
benevolence
towards
our
unfortunates
during
their
exile
!
She
is
of
all
the
societies
,
of
all
the
balls
—
of
the
balls
—
yes
—
of
the
dances
,
no
;
and
yet
how
interesting
and
pretty
this
fair
creature
looks
surrounded
by
the
homage
of
the
men
,
and
so
soon
to
be
a
mother
!
To
hear
her
speak
of
you
,
her
protectress
,
her
mother
,
would
bring
tears
to
the
eyes
of
ogres
.
How
she
loves
you
!
how
we
all
love
our
admirable
,
our
respectable
Miss
Crawley
!
”
It
is
to
be
feared
that
this
letter
of
the
Parisian
great
lady
did
not
by
any
means
advance
Mrs.
Becky’s
interest
with
her
admirable
,
her
respectable
,
relative
.
On
the
contrary
,
the
fury
of
the
old
spinster
was
beyond
bounds
,
when
she
found
what
was
Rebecca’s
situation
,
and
how
audaciously
she
had
made
use
of
Miss
Crawley’s
name
,
to
get
an
entrée
into
Parisian
society
.
Too
much
shaken
in
mind
and
body
to
compose
a
letter
in
the
French
language
in
reply
to
that
of
her
correspondent
,
she
dictated
to
Briggs
a
furious
answer
in
her
own
native
tongue
,
repudiating
Mrs.
Rawdon
Crawley
altogether
,
and
warning
the
public
to
beware
of
her
as
a
most
artful
and
dangerous
person
.
But
as
Madame
the
Duchess
of
X
—
had
only
been
twenty
years
in
England
,
she
did
not
understand
a
single
word
of
the
language
,
and
contented
herself
by
informing
Mrs.
Rawdon
Crawley
at
their
next
meeting
,
that
she
had
received
a
charming
letter
from
that
ch+grave
;
re
Mees
,
and
that
it
was
full
of
benevolent
things
for
Mrs.
Crawley
,
who
began
seriously
to
have
hopes
that
the
spinster
would
relent
.
Meanwhile
,
she
was
the
gayest
and
most
admired
of
Englishwomen
:
and
had
a
little
European
congress
on
her
reception-night
.
Prussians
and
Cossacks
,
Spanish
and
English
—
all
the
world
was
at
Paris
during
this
famous
winter
:
to
have
seen
the
stars
and
cordons
in
Rebecca’s
humble
saloon
would
have
made
all
Baker
Street
pale
with
envy
.
Famous
warriors
rode
by
her
carriage
in
the
Bois
,
or
crowded
her
modest
little
box
at
the
opera
.
Rawdon
was
in
the
highest
spirits
.
There
were
no
duns
in
Paris
as
yet
:
there
were
parties
every
day
at
Véry’s
or
Beauvilliers’
;
play
was
plentiful
and
his
luck
good
.
Tufto
perhaps
was
sulky
.
Mrs.
Tufto
had
come
over
to
Paris
at
her
own
invitation
,
and
besides
this
contretemps
,
there
were
a
score
of
generals
now
round
Becky’s
chair
,
and
she
might
take
her
choice
of
a
dozen
bouquets
when
she
went
to
the
play
.
Lady
Bareacres
and
the
chiefs
of
the
English
society
,
stupid
and
irreproachable
females
,
writhed
with
anguish
at
the
success
of
the
little
upstart
Becky
,
whose
poisoned
jokes
quivered
and
rankled
in
their
chaste
breasts
.
But
she
had
all
the
men
on
her
side
.
She
fought
the
women
with
indomitable
courage
,
and
they
could
not
talk
scandal
in
any
tongue
but
their
own
.
So
in
fêtes
,
pleasures
,
and
prosperity
,
the
winter
of
1815
–
16
passed
away
with
Mrs.
Rawdon
Crawley
,
who
accommodated
herself
to
polite
life
as
if
her
ancestors
had
been
people
of
fashion
for
centuries
past
—
and
who
from
her
wit
,
talent
,
and
energy
,
indeed
merited
a
place
of
honour
in
Vanity
Fair
.
In
the
early
spring
of
1816
,
Galignani’s
Journal
contained
the
following
announcement
in
an
interesting
corner
of
the
page
:
“
On
the
26th
of
March
—
the
Lady
of
Lieutenant
—
Colonel
Crawley
,
of
the
Life
Guards
Green
—
of
a
son
and
heir
.
”
This
event
was
copied
into
the
London
papers
,
out
of
which
Miss
Briggs
read
the
statement
to
Miss
Crawley
,
at
breakfast
,
at
Brighton
.
The
intelligence
,
expected
as
it
might
have
been
,
caused
a
crisis
in
the
affairs
of
the
Crawley
family
.
The
spinster’s
rage
rose
to
its
height
,
and
sending
instantly
for
Pitt
,
her
nephew
,
and
for
the
Lady
Southdown
,
from
Brunswick
Square
,
she
requested
an
immediate
celebration
of
the
marriage
which
had
been
so
long
pending
between
the
two
families
.
And
she
announced
that
it
was
her
intention
to
allow
the
young
couple
a
thousand
a
year
during
her
lifetime
,
at
the
expiration
of
which
the
bulk
of
her
property
would
be
settled
upon
her
nephew
and
her
dear
niece
,
Lady
Jane
Crawley
.
Waxy
came
down
to
ratify
the
deeds
—
Lord
Southdown
gave
away
his
sister
—
she
was
married
by
a
Bishop
,
and
not
by
the
Rev.
Bartholomew
Irons
—
to
the
disappointment
of
the
irregular
prelate
.
When
they
were
married
,
Pitt
would
have
liked
to
take
a
hymeneal
tour
with
his
bride
,
as
became
people
of
their
condition
.
But
the
affection
of
the
old
lady
towards
Lady
Jane
and
grown
so
strong
,
that
she
fairly
owned
she
could
not
part
with
her
favourite
.
Pitt
and
his
wife
came
therefore
and
lived
with
Miss
Crawley
:
and
(
greatly
to
the
annoyance
of
poor
Pitt
,
who
conceived
himself
a
most
injured
character
—
being
subject
to
the
humours
of
his
aunt
on
one
side
,
and
of
his
mother-in-law
on
the
other
)
Lady
Southdown
,
from
her
neighbouring
house
,
reigned
over
the
whole
family
—
Pitt
,
Lady
Jane
,
Miss
Crawley
,
Briggs
,
Bowls
,
Firkin
,
and
all
.
She
pitilessly
dosed
them
with
her
tracts
and
her
medicine
,
she
dismissed
Creamer
,
she
installed
Rodgers
,
and
soon
stripped
Miss
Crawley
of
even
the
semblance
of
authority
.
The
poor
soul
grew
so
timid
that
she
actually
left
off
bullying
Briggs
my
more
,
and
clung
to
her
niece
,
more
fond
and
terrified
every
day
.
Peace
to
thee
.
kind
and
selfish
,
vain
and
generous
old
heathen
!
—
We
shall
see
thee
no
more
.
Let
us
hope
that
Lady
Jane
supported
her
kindly
,
and
led
her
with
gentle
hand
out
of
the
busy
struggle
of
Vanity
Fair
.
XXXV
.
Widow
and
Mother
THE
NEWS
of
the
great
fights
of
Quatre
Bras
and
Waterloo
reached
England
at
the
same
time
.
The
Gazette
first
published
the
result
of
the
two
battles
;
at
which
glorious
intelligence
all
England
thrilled
with
triumph
and
fear
.
Particulars
then
followed
;
and
after
the
announcement
of
the
victories
came
the
list
of
the
wounded
and
the
slain
.
Who
can
tell
the
dread
with
which
that
catalogue
was
opened
and
read
!
Fancy
,
at
every
village
and
homestead
almost
through
the
three
kingdoms
,
the
great
new
coming
of
the
battles
in
Flanders
,
and
the
feelings
of
exultation
and
gratitude
,
bereavement
and
sickening
dismay
,
when
the
lists
of
the
regimental
losses
were
gone
through
,
and
it
became
known
whether
the
dear
friend
and
relative
had
escaped
or
fallen
.
Anybody
who
will
take
the
trouble
of
looking
back
to
a
file
of
the
newspapers
of
the
time
,
must
,
even
now
,
feel
at
second-hand
this
breathless
pause
of
expectation
.
The
lists
of
casualties
are
carried
on
from
day
to
day
:
you
stop
in
the
midst
as
in
a
story
which
is
to
be
continued
in
our
next
.
Think
what
the
feelings
must
have
been
as
those
papers
followed
each
other
fresh
from
the
press
;
and
if
such
an
interest
could
be
felt
in
our
country
,
and
about
a
battle
where
but
twenty
thousand
of
our
people
were
engaged
,
think
of
the
condition
of
Europe
for
twenty
years
before
,
where
people
were
fighting
,
not
by
thousands
,
but
by
millions
;
each
one
of
whom
as
he
struck
his
enemy
wounded
horribly
some
other
innocent
heart
far
away
.
The
news
which
that
famous
Gazette
brought
to
the
Osbornes
gave
a
dreadful
shock
to
the
family
and
its
chief
.
The
girls
indulged
unrestrained
in
their
grief
.
The
gloom-stricken
old
father
was
still
more
borne
down
by
his
fate
and
sorrow
.
He
strove
to
think
that
a
judgment
was
on
the
boy
for
his
disobedience
.
He
dread
not
own
that
the
severity
of
the
sentence
frightened
him
,
and
that
its
fulfilment
had
come
too
soon
upon
his
curses
.
Sometimes
a
shuddering
terror
struck
him
,
as
if
he
had
been
the
author
of
the
doom
which
he
had
called
down
on
his
son
.
There
was
a
chance
before
of
reconciliation
.
The
boy’s
wife
might
have
died
;
or
he
might
have
come
back
and
said
,
Father
I
have
sinned
.
But
there
was
no
hope
now
.
He
stood
on
the
other
side
of
the
gulf
impassable
,
haunting
his
parent
with
sad
eyes
.
He
remembered
them
once
before
so
in
a
fever
,
when
every
one
thought
the
lad
was
dying
,
and
he
lay
on
his
bed
speechless
,
and
gazing
with
a
dreadful
gloom
.
Good
God
!
how
the
father
clung
to
the
doctor
then
;
and
with
what
a
sickening
anxiety
he
followed
him
:
what
a
weight
of
grief
was
off
his
mind
when
,
after
the
crisis
of
the
fever
,
the
lad
recovered
,
and
looked
at
his
father
once
more
with
eyes
that
recognised
him
.
But
now
there
was
no
help
or
cure
,
or
chance
of
reconcilement
;
above
all
,
there
were
no
humble
words
to
soothe
vanity
outraged
and
furious
,
or
bring
to
its
natural
flow
the
poisoned
,
angry
blood
.
And
it
is
hard
to
say
which
pang
it
was
that
tore
the
proud
father’s
heart
most
keenly
—
that
his
son
should
have
gone
out
of
the
reach
of
his
forgiveness
,
or
that
the
apology
which
his
own
pride
expected
should
have
escaped
him
.
Whatever
his
sensations
might
have
been
,
however
,
the
stern
old
man
would
have
no
confidant
.
He
never
mentioned
his
son’s
name
to
his
daughters
;
but
ordered
the
elder
to
place
all
the
females
of
the
establishment
in
mourning
;
and
desired
that
the
male
servants
should
be
similarly
attired
in
deep
black
.
All
parties
and
entertainments
,
of
course
,
were
to
be
put
off
.
No
communications
were
made
to
his
future
son-in-law
,
whose
marriage-day
had
been
fixed
;
but
there
was
enough
in
Mr.
Osborne’s
appearance
to
prevent
Mr.
Bullock
from
making
any
inquiries
,
or
in
any
way
pressing
forward
that
ceremony
.
He
and
the
ladies
whispered
about
it
under
their
voices
in
the
drawing-room
sometimes
,
whither
the
father
never
came
.
He
remained
constantly
in
his
own
study
;
the
father
never
came
.
He
remained
house
being
closed
until
some
time
after
the
completion
of
the
general
mourning
.
About
three
weeks
after
the
18th
of
June
,
Mr.
Osborne’s
acquaintance
,
Sir
William
Dobbin
,
called
at
Mr.
Osborne’s
house
in
Russell
Square
,
with
a
very
pale
and
agitated
face
,
and
insisted
upon
seeing
that
gentleman
.
Ushered
into
his
room
,
and
after
a
few
words
,
which
neither
the
speaker
nor
the
host
understood
,
the
former
produced
from
an
inclosure
a
letter
sealed
with
a
large
red
seal
.
“
My
son
,
Major
Dobbin
,
”
the
Alderman
said
,
with
some
hesitation
,
“
despatched
me
a
letter
by
an
officer
of
the
—
th
,
who
arrived
in
town
to-day
.
My
son’s
letter
contains
one
for
you
,
Osborne
.
”
The
Alderman
placed
the
letter
on
the
table
,
and
Osborne
stared
at
him
for
a
moment
or
two
in
silence
.
His
looks
frightened
the
ambassador
,
who
after
looking
guiltily
for
a
little
time
at
the
grief-stricken
man
,
hurried
away
without
another
word
.
The
letter
was
in
George’s
well-known
bold
hand-writing
.
It
was
that
one
which
he
had
written
before
day-break
on
the
16th
of
June
,
and
just
before
he
took
leave
of
Amelia
.
The
great
red
seal
was
emblazoned
with
the
sham
coat
of
arms
which
Osborne
had
assumed
from
the
Peerage
,
with
“
Pax
in
bello
”
for
a
motto
;
that
of
the
ducal
house
with
which
the
vain
old
man
tried
to
fancy
himself
connected
.
The
hand
that
signed
it
would
never
hold
pen
or
sword
more
.
The
very
seal
that
sealed
it
had
been
robbed
from
George’s
dead
body
as
it
lay
on
the
field
of
battle
.
The
father
knew
nothing
of
this
,
but
sat
and
looked
at
the
letter
in
terrified
vacancy
.
He
almost
feel
when
he
went
to
open
it
.
Have
you
ever
had
a
difference
with
a
dear
friend
?
How
his
letters
,
written
in
the
period
of
love
and
confidence
,
sicken
and
rebuke
you
!
What
a
dreary
mourning
it
is
to
dwell
upon
those
vehement
protests
of
dead
affection
!
What
lying
epitaphs
they
make
over
the
corpse
of
love
!
What
dark
,
cruel
comments
upon
Life
and
Vanities
!
Most
of
us
have
got
or
written
drawers
full
of
them
.
They
are
closet-skeletons
which
we
keep
and
shun
.
Osborne
trembled
long
before
the
letter
from
his
dead
son
.
The
poor
boy’s
letter
did
not
say
much
.
He
had
been
too
proud
to
acknowledge
the
tenderness
which
his
heart
felt
.
He
only
said
,
that
on
the
eve
of
a
great
battle
,
he
wished
to
bid
his
father
farewell
,
and
solemnly
to
implore
his
good
offices
for
the
wife
—
it
might
be
for
the
child
—
whom
he
left
behind
him
.
He
owned
with
contrition
that
his
irregularities
and
his
extravagance
had
already
wasted
a
large
part
of
his
mother’s
little
fortune
.
He
thanked
his
father
for
his
former
generous
conduct
;
and
he
promised
him
,
that
if
he
fell
on
the
field
or
survived
it
,
he
would
act
in
a
manner
worthy
of
the
name
of
George
Osborne
.
His
English
habit
,
pride
awkwardness
perhaps
,
had
prevented
him
from
saying
more
.
His
father
could
not
see
the
kiss
George
had
placed
on
the
superscription
of
his
letter
.
Mr.
Osborne
dropped
it
with
the
bitterest
,
deadliest
pang
of
balked
affection
and
revenge
.
His
son
was
still
beloved
and
unforgiven
.
About
two
months
afterwards
,
however
,
as
the
young
ladies
of
the
family
went
to
church
with
their
father
,
they
remarked
how
he
took
a
different
seat
from
that
which
he
usually
occupied
when
he
chose
to
attend
divine
worship
;
and
that
from
his
cushion
opposite
,
he
looked
up
at
the
wall
over
their
heads
.
This
caused
the
young
women
likewise
to
gaze
in
the
direction
towards
which
their
father’s
gloomy
eyes
pointed
:
and
they
saw
an
elaborate
monument
upon
the
wall
,
where
Britannia
was
represented
weeping
over
an
urn
,
and
a
broken
sword
and
a
couchant
lion
indicated
that
the
piece
of
sculpture
had
been
erected
in
honour
of
a
deceased
warrior
.
The
sculpture
of
those
days
had
stocks
on
such
funereal
emblems
in
hand
;
as
you
may
see
still
on
the
walls
of
St.
Paul’s
,
which
are
covered
with
hundred
of
these
braggart
heathen
allegories
.
There
was
a
constant
demand
for
them
during
the
first
fifteen
years
of
the
present
century
.
Under
the
memorial
in
question
were
emblazoned
the
well-known
and
pompous
Osborne
arms
;
and
the
inscription
said
,
that
the
monument
was
“
Sacred
to
the
memory
of
George
Osborne
,
Junior
,
Esq.
,
late
a
Captain
in
his
Majesty’s
—
th
regiment
of
foot
,
who
fell
on
the
18th
of
June
,
1815
,
aged
28
years
,
while
fighting
for
his
king
and
country
in
the
glorious
victory
of
Waterloo
.
Dulce
et
decorum
est
pro
patriâ
mori
.
”
The
sight
of
that
stone
agitated
the
nerves
of
the
sisters
so
much
,
that
Miss
Maria
was
compelled
to
leave
the
church
.
The
congregation
made
way
respectfully
for
those
sobbing
girls
clothed
in
deep
black
,
and
pitied
the
stern
old
father
seated
opposite
the
memorial
of
the
dead
soldier
.
“
Will
he
forgive
Mrs.
George
?
”
the
girls
said
to
themselves
as
soon
as
their
ebullition
of
grief
was
over
.
Much
conversation
passed
too
among
the
acquaintances
of
the
Osborne
family
,
who
knew
of
the
rupture
between
the
son
and
father
caused
by
the
former’s
marriage
,
as
to
the
chance
of
a
reconciliation
with
the
young
widow
.
There
were
bets
among
the
gentlemen
both
about
Russell
Square
and
in
the
City
.
If
the
sisters
had
any
anxiety
regarding
the
possible
recognition
of
Amelia
as
a
daughter
of
the
family
,
it
was
increased
presently
,
and
towards
the
end
of
the
autumn
,
by
their
father’s
announcement
that
he
was
going
abroad
.
He
did
not
say
whither
,
but
they
knew
at
once
that
his
steps
would
be
turned
towards
Belgium
,
and
were
aware
that
George’s
widow
was
still
in
Brussels
.
They
had
pretty
accurate
news
indeed
of
poor
Amelia
from
Lady
Dobbin
and
her
daughters
.
Our
honest
Captain
had
been
promoted
in
consequence
of
the
death
of
the
second
Major
of
the
regiment
on
the
field
;
and
the
brave
O’Dowd
,
who
had
distinguished
himself
greatly
here
as
upon
all
occasions
where
he
had
a
chance
to
show
his
coolness
and
valour
,
was
a
Colonel
and
Companion
of
the
Bath
.
Very
many
of
the
brave
—
th
,
who
had
suffered
severely
upon
both
days
of
action
,
were
still
at
Brussels
in
the
autumn
,
recovering
of
their
wounds
.
The
city
was
a
vast
military
hospital
for
months
after
the
great
battles
;
and
as
men
and
officers
began
to
rally
from
their
hurts
,
the
gardens
and
places
of
public
resort
swarmed
with
maimed
warriors
,
old
and
young
,
who
,
just
rescued
out
of
death
,
fell
to
gambling
,
and
gaiety
,
and
love-making
,
as
people
of
Vanity
Fair
will
do
.
Mr.
Osborne
found
out
some
of
the
—
th
easily
.
He
knew
their
uniform
quite
well
,
and
had
been
used
to
follow
all
the
promotions
and
exchanges
in
the
regiment
,
and
loved
to
talk
about
it
and
its
officers
as
if
he
had
been
one
of
the
number
.
On
the
day
after
his
arrival
at
Brussels
,
and
as
he
issued
from
his
hotel
,
which
faced
the
park
,
he
saw
a
soldier
in
the
well-known
facings
,
reposing
on
a
stone
bench
in
the
garden
,
and
went
and
state
down
trembling
by
the
wounded
convalescent
man
.
“
Were
you
in
Captain
Osborne’s
company
?
”
he
said
,
and
added
,
after
a
pause
,
“
he
was
my
son
,
sir
.
”
The
man
was
not
of
the
Captain’s
company
,
but
he
lifted
up
his
unwounded
arm
and
touched
his
cap
sadly
and
respectfully
to
the
haggard
broken-spirited
gentleman
who
questioned
him
.
“
The
whole
army
didn’t
contain
a
finer
or
a
better
officer
,
”
the
soldier
said
.
“
The
Sergeant
of
the
Captain’s
company
(
Captain
Raymond
had
it
now
)
,
was
in
town
,
though
,
and
was
just
well
of
a
shot
in
the
shoulder
.
His
honour
might
see
him
if
he
liked
,
who
could
tell
him
anything
he
wanted
to
know
about
—
about
the
—
th’s
actions
.
But
his
honour
had
seen
Major
Dobbin
,
no
doubt
,
the
brave
Captain’s
great
friend
;
and
Mrs.
Osborne
,
who
was
here
too
,
and
had
been
very
bad
,
he
heard
everybody
say
.
They
say
she
was
out
of
her
mind
like
for
six
weeks
or
more
.
But
your
honour
knows
all
about
that
—
and
asking
your
pardon
”
—
the
man
added
.
Osborne
put
a
guinea
into
the
soldier’s
hand
,
and
told
him
he
should
have
another
if
he
would
bring
the
Sergeant
to
the
Hôtel
du
Parc
;
a
promise
which
very
soon
brought
the
desired
officer
to
Mr.
Osborne
presence
.
And
the
first
soldier
went
away
;
and
after
telling
a
comrade
or
two
how
Captain
Osborne’s
father
was
arrived
,
and
what
a
freehanded
generous
gentleman
he
was
,
they
went
and
made
good
cheer
with
drink
and
feasting
,
as
long
as
the
guineas
lasted
which
had
come
from
the
proud
purse
of
the
mourning
old
father
.
In
the
Sergeant’s
company
,
who
was
also
just
convalescent
,
Osborne
made
the
journey
of
Waterloo
and
Quatre
Bras
,
a
journey
which
thousands
of
his
countrymen
were
then
taking
.
He
took
the
Sergeant
with
him
in
his
carriage
,
and
went
through
both
fields
under
his
guidance
.
He
saw
the
point
of
the
road
where
the
regiment
marched
into
action
on
the
16th
,
and
the
slope
down
which
they
drove
the
French
cavalry
who
were
pressing
on
the
retreating
Belgians
.
There
was
the
spot
where
the
noble
Captain
cut
down
the
French
officer
who
was
grappling
with
the
young
Ensign
for
the
colours
,
the
Colour-Sergeants
having
been
shot
down
.
Along
this
road
they
retreated
on
the
next
day
,
and
here
was
the
bank
at
which
the
regiment
bivouacked
under
the
rain
of
the
night
of
the
seventeenth
.
Further
on
was
the
position
which
they
took
and
held
during
the
day
,
forming
time
after
time
to
receive
the
charge
of
the
enemy’s
horsemen
and
lying
down
under
the
shelter
of
the
bank
from
the
furious
French
cannonade
.
And
it
was
at
this
declivity
when
at
evening
the
whole
English
line
received
the
order
to
advance
,
as
the
enemy
fell
back
after
his
last
charge
,
that
the
Captain
,
hurraying
and
rushing
down
the
hill
waving
his
sword
,
received
a
shot
and
fell
dead
.
“
It
was
Major
Dobbin
who
took
back
the
Captain’s
body
to
Brussels
,
”
the
Sergeant
said
,
in
a
low
voice
,
“
and
had
him
buried
,
as
your
honour
knows
.
”
The
peasants
and
relic-hunters
about
the
place
were
screaming
round
the
pair
,
as
the
soldier
told
his
story
,
offering
for
sale
all
sorts
of
mementoes
of
the
fight
,
crosses
,
and
epaulets
,
and
shattered
cuirasses
,
and
eagles
.
Osborne
gave
a
sumptuous
reward
to
the
Sergeant
when
he
parted
with
him
,
after
having
visited
the
scenes
of
his
son’s
last
exploits
.
His
burial-place
he
had
already
seen
.
Indeed
,
he
had
driven
thither
immediately
after
his
arrival
at
Brussels
.
George’s
body
lay
in
the
pretty
burial-ground
of
Laeken
,
near
the
city
;
in
which
place
,
having
once
visited
it
on
a
party
of
pleasure
,
he
had
lightly
expressed
a
wish
to
have
his
grave
made
.
And
there
the
young
officer
was
laid
by
his
friend
,
in
the
unconsecrated
corner
of
the
garden
,
separated
by
a
little
hedge
from
the
temples
and
towers
and
plantations
of
flowers
and
shrubs
,
under
which
the
Roman
Catholic
dead
repose
.
It
seemed
a
humiliation
to
old
Osborne
to
think
that
his
son
,
an
English
gentleman
,
a
captain
in
the
famous
British
army
,
should
not
be
found
worthy
to
lie
in
ground
where
mere
foreigners
were
buried
.
Which
of
us
is
there
can
tell
how
much
vanity
lurks
in
our
warmest
regard
for
others
,
and
how
selfish
our
love
is
?
Old
Osborne
did
not
speculate
much
upon
the
mingled
nature
of
his
feelings
,
and
how
his
instinct
and
selfishness
were
combating
together
.
He
firmly
believed
that
everything
he
did
was
right
,
that
he
ought
on
all
occasions
to
have
his
own
way
—
and
like
the
sting
of
a
wasp
or
serpent
his
hatred
rushed
out
armed
and
poisonous
against
anything
like
opposition
.
He
was
proud
of
his
hatred
as
of
everything
else
.
Always
to
be
right
,
always
to
trample
forward
,
and
never
to
doubt
,
are
not
these
the
great
qualities
with
which
dullness
takes
the
lead
in
the
world
?
As
after
the
drive
to
Waterloo
,
Mr.
Osborne’s
carriage
was
nearing
the
gates
of
the
city
at
sunset
,
they
met
another
open
barouche
,
in
which
were
a
couple
of
ladies
and
a
gentleman
,
and
by
the
side
of
which
an
officer
was
riding
.
Osborne
gave
a
start
back
,
and
the
Sergeant
,
seated
with
him
,
cast
a
look
of
surprise
at
his
neighbour
,
as
he
touched
his
cap
to
the
officer
,
who
mechanically
returned
his
salute
.
It
was
Amelia
,
with
the
lame
young
Ensign
by
her
side
,
and
opposite
to
her
her
faithful
friend
Mrs.
O’Dowd
.
It
was
Amelia
,
but
how
changed
from
the
fresh
and
comely
girl
Osborne
knew
.
Her
face
was
white
and
thin
.
Her
pretty
brown
hair
was
parted
under
a
widow’s
cap
—
the
poor
child
.
Her
eyes
were
fixed
,
and
looking
nowhere
.
They
stared
blank
in
the
face
of
Osborne
,
as
the
carriages
crossed
each
other
,
but
she
did
not
know
him
;
nor
did
he
recognise
her
,
until
looking
up
,
he
saw
Dobbin
riding
by
her
:
and
then
he
knew
who
it
was
.
He
hated
her
.
He
did
not
know
how
much
until
he
saw
her
there
.
When
her
carriage
had
passed
on
,
he
turned
and
stared
at
the
Sergeant
,
with
a
curse
and
defiance
in
his
eye
cast
at
his
companion
,
who
could
not
help
looking
at
him
—
as
much
as
to
say
“
How
dare
you
look
at
me
?
Damn
you
!
I
do
hate
her
.
It
is
she
who
has
tumbled
my
hopes
and
all
my
pride
down
.
”
“
Tell
the
scoundrel
to
drive
on
quick
,
”
he
shouted
with
an
oath
,
to
the
lackey
on
the
box
.
A
minute
afterwards
,
a
horse
came
clattering
over
the
pavement
behind
Osborne’s
carriage
,
and
Dobbin
rode
up
.
His
thoughts
had
been
elsewhere
as
the
carriages
passed
each
other
,
and
it
was
not
until
he
had
ridden
some
paces
forward
,
that
he
remembered
it
was
Osborne
who
had
just
passed
him
.
Then
he
turned
to
examine
if
the
sight
of
her
father-in-law
had
made
any
impression
on
Amelia
,
but
the
poor
girl
did
not
know
who
had
passed
.
Then
William
,
who
daily
used
to
accompany
her
in
his
drives
,
taking
out
his
watch
,
made
some
excuse
about
an
engagement
which
he
suddenly
recollected
,
and
so
rode
off
.
She
did
not
remark
that
either
;
but
sate
looking
before
her
,
over
the
homely
landscape
towards
the
woods
in
the
distance
,
by
which
George
marched
away
.
“
Mr.
Osborne
,
Mr.
Osborne
!
”
cried
Dobbin
,
as
he
rode
up
and
held
out
his
hand
.
Osborne
made
no
motion
to
take
it
,
but
shouted
out
once
more
and
with
another
curse
to
his
servant
to
drive
on
.
Dobbin
laid
his
hand
on
the
carriage
side
.
“
I
will
see
you
,
sir
,
”
he
said
.
“
I
have
a
message
for
you
.
”
“
From
that
woman
?
”
said
Osborne
,
fiercely
.
“
No
,
”
replied
the
other
,
“
from
your
son
;
”
at
which
Osborne
fell
back
into
the
corner
of
his
carriage
,
and
Dobbin
allowing
it
to
pass
on
,
rode
close
behind
it
,
and
so
through
the
town
until
they
reached
Mr.
Osborne’s
hotel
,
and
without
a
word
.
There
he
followed
Osborne
up
to
his
apartments
.
George
had
often
been
in
the
rooms
;
they
were
the
lodgings
which
the
Crawleys
had
occupied
during
their
stay
in
Brussels
.
“
Pray
,
have
you
any
commands
for
me
,
Captain
Dobbin
,
or
,
I
beg
your
pardon
,
I
should
say
Major
Dobbin
,
since
better
men
than
you
are
dead
,
and
you
step
into
their
shoes
?
”
said
Mr.
Osborne
,
in
that
sarcastic
tone
which
he
sometimes
was
pleased
to
assume
.
“
Better
men
are
dead
,
”
Dobbin
replied
.
“
I
want
to
speak
to
you
about
one
.
”
“
Make
it
short
,
sir
,
”
said
the
other
with
an
oath
,
scowling
at
his
visitor
.
“
I
am
here
as
his
closest
friend
,
”
the
Major
resumed
,
“
and
the
executor
of
his
will
.
He
made
it
before
he
went
into
action
.
Are
you
aware
how
small
his
means
are
,
and
of
the
straitened
circumstances
of
his
widow
?
”
“
I
don’t
know
his
widow
,
sir
,
”
Osborne
said
.
“
Let
her
go
back
to
her
father
.
”
But
the
gentleman
whom
he
addressed
was
determined
to
remain
in
good
temper
,
and
went
on
without
heeding
the
interruption
.
“
Do
you
know
,
sir
,
Mrs.
Osborne’s
condition
?
Her
life
and
her
reason
almost
have
been
shaken
by
the
blow
which
has
fallen
on
her
.
It
is
very
doubtful
whether
she
will
rally
.
There
is
a
chance
left
for
her
,
however
,
and
it
is
about
this
I
came
to
speak
to
you
.
She
will
be
a
mother
soon
.
Will
you
visit
the
parent’s
offence
upon
the
child’s
head
?
or
will
you
forgive
the
child
for
poor
George’s
sake
?
”
Osborne
broke
out
into
a
rhapsody
of
self-praise
and
imprecations
;
—
by
the
first
,
excusing
himself
to
his
own
conscience
for
his
conduct
;
by
the
second
,
exaggerating
the
undutifulness
of
George
.
No
father
in
all
England
could
have
behaved
more
generously
to
a
son
,
who
had
rebelled
against
him
wickedly
.
He
had
died
without
even
so
much
as
confessing
he
was
wrong
.
Let
him
take
the
consequences
of
his
undutifulness
and
folly
.
As
for
himself
,
Mr.
Osborne
,
he
was
a
man
of
his
word
.
He
had
sworn
never
to
speak
to
that
woman
,
or
to
recognize
her
as
his
son’s
wife
.
“
And
that’s
what
you
may
tell
her
,
”
he
concluded
with
an
oath
;
“
and
that’s
what
I
will
stick
to
to
the
last
day
of
my
life
.
”
There
was
no
hope
from
that
quarter
then
.
The
widow
must
live
on
her
slender
pittance
,
or
on
such
aid
as
Jos
could
give
her
.
“
I
might
tell
her
,
and
she
would
not
heed
it
,
”
thought
Dobbin
,
sadly
:
for
the
poor
girl’s
thoughts
were
not
here
at
all
since
her
catastrophe
,
and
,
stupefied
under
the
pressure
of
her
sorrow
,
good
and
evil
were
alike
indifferent
to
her
.
So
,
indeed
,
were
even
friendship
and
kindness
.
She
received
them
both
uncomplainingly
,
and
having
accepted
them
,
relapsed
into
her
grief
.
Suppose
some
twelve
months
after
the
above
conversation
took
place
to
have
passed
in
the
life
of
our
poor
Amelia
She
has
spent
the
first
portion
of
that
time
in
a
sorrow
so
profound
and
pitiable
,
that
we
who
have
been
watching
and
describing
some
of
the
emotions
of
that
weak
and
tender
heart
,
must
draw
back
in
the
presence
of
the
cruel
grief
under
which
it
is
bleeding
.
Tread
silently
round
the
hapless
couch
of
the
poor
prostrate
soul
.
Shut
gently
the
door
of
the
dark
chamber
wherein
she
suffers
,
as
those
kind
people
did
who
nursed
her
through
the
first
months
of
her
pain
,
and
never
left
her
until
heaven
had
sent
her
consolation
.
A
day
came
—
of
almost
terrified
delight
and
wonder
—
when
the
poor
widowed
girl
pressed
a
child
upon
her
breast
—
a
child
,
with
the
eyes
of
George
who
was
gone
—
a
little
boy
,
as
beautiful
as
a
cherub
.
What
a
miracle
it
was
to
hear
its
first
cry
!
How
she
laughed
and
wept
over
it
—
how
love
,
and
hope
,
and
prayer
woke
again
in
her
bosom
as
the
baby
nestled
there
.
She
was
safe
.
The
doctors
who
attended
her
,
and
had
feared
for
her
life
or
for
her
brain
,
had
waited
anxiously
for
this
crisis
before
they
could
pronounce
that
either
was
secure
.
It
was
worth
the
long
months
of
doubt
and
dread
which
the
persons
who
had
constantly
been
with
her
had
passed
,
to
see
her
eyes
once
more
beaming
tenderly
upon
them
.
Our
friend
Dobbin
was
one
of
them
.
It
was
he
who
brought
her
back
to
England
and
to
her
mother’s
house
;
when
Mrs.
O’Dowd
,
receiving
a
peremptory
summons
from
her
Colonel
,
had
been
forced
to
quit
her
patient
.
To
see
Dobbin
holding
the
infant
,
and
to
hear
Amelia’s
laugh
of
triumph
as
she
watched
him
,
would
have
done
any
man
good
who
had
a
sense
of
humour
.
William
was
the
godfather
of
the
child
,
and
exerted
his
ingenuity
in
the
purchase
of
cups
,
spoons
,
pap-boats
,
and
corals
for
this
little
Christian
.
How
his
mother
nursed
him
,
and
dressed
him
,
and
lived
upon
him
;
how
she
drove
away
all
nurses
,
and
would
scarce
allow
any
hand
but
her
own
to
touch
him
;
how
she
considered
that
the
greatest
favour
she
could
confer
upon
his
godfather
,
Major
Dobbin
,
was
to
allow
the
Major
occasionally
to
dandle
him
,
need
not
be
told
here
.
This
child
was
her
being
.
Her
existence
was
a
maternal
caress
.
She
enveloped
the
feeble
and
unconscious
creature
with
love
and
worship
.
It
was
her
life
which
the
baby
drank
in
from
her
bosom
.
Of
nights
,
and
when
alone
,
she
had
stealthy
and
intense
raptures
of
motherly
love
,
such
as
God’s
marvellous
care
has
awarded
to
the
female
instinct
—
joys
how
far
higher
and
lower
than
reason
—
blind
beautiful
devotions
which
only
women’s
hearts
know
.
It
was
William
Dobbin’s
task
to
muse
upon
these
movements
of
Amelia’s
,
and
to
watch
her
heart
;
and
if
his
love
made
him
divine
almost
all
the
feelings
which
agitated
it
,
alas
!
he
could
see
with
a
fatal
perspicuity
that
there
was
no
place
there
for
him
.
And
so
,
gently
,
he
bore
his
fate
,
knowing
it
,
and
content
to
bear
it
.
I
suppose
Amelia’s
father
and
mother
saw
through
the
intentions
of
the
Major
,
and
were
not
ill-disposed
to
encourage
him
;
for
Dobbin
visited
their
house
daily
,
and
stayed
for
hours
with
them
,
or
with
Amelia
,
or
with
the
honest
landlord
,
Mr.
Clapp
,
and
his
family
.
He
brought
,
on
one
pretext
or
another
,
presents
to
everybody
,
and
almost
every
day
;
and
went
,
with
the
landlord’s
little
girl
,
who
was
rather
a
favourite
with
Amelia
,
by
the
name
of
Major
Sugarplums
.
It
was
this
little
child
who
commonly
acted
as
mistress
of
the
ceremonies
to
introduce
him
to
Mrs.
Osborne
.
She
laughed
one
day
when
Major
Sugarplums’
cab
drove
up
to
Fulham
,
and
he
descended
from
it
,
bringing
out
a
wooden
horse
,
a
drum
,
a
trumpet
,
and
other
warlike
toys
,
for
little
Georgy
,
who
was
scarcely
six
months
old
,
and
for
whom
the
articles
in
question
were
entirely
premature
.
The
child
was
asleep
.
“
Hush
,
”
said
Amelia
,
annoyed
,
perhaps
,
at
the
creaking
of
the
Major’s
boots
;
and
she
held
out
her
hand
;
smiling
because
William
could
not
take
it
until
he
had
rid
himself
of
his
cargo
of
toys
.
“
Go
downstairs
,
little
Mary
,
”
said
he
presently
to
the
child
,
“
I
want
to
speak
to
Mrs.
Osborne
.
”
She
looked
up
rather
astonished
,
and
laid
down
the
infant
on
its
bed
.
“
I
am
come
to
say
good-bye
,
Amelia
,
”
said
he
,
taking
her
slender
little
white
hand
gently
.
“
Good-bye
?
and
where
are
you
going
?
”
she
said
,
with
a
smile
.
“
Send
the
letters
to
the
agents
,
”
he
said
;
“
they
will
forward
them
;
for
you
will
write
to
me
,
won’t
you
?
I
shall
be
away
a
long
time
.
”
“
I’ll
write
to
you
about
Georgy
,
”
she
said
.
“
Dear
William
,
how
good
you
have
been
to
him
and
to
me
.
Look
at
him
.
Isn’t
he
like
an
angel
?
”
The
little
pink
hands
of
the
child
closed
mechanically
round
the
honest
soldier’s
finger
,
and
Amelia
looked
up
in
his
face
with
bright
maternal
pleasure
.
The
cruellest
looks
could
not
have
wounded
him
more
than
that
glance
of
hopeless
kindness
.
He
bent
over
the
child
and
mother
.
He
could
not
speak
for
a
moment
.
And
it
was
only
with
all
his
strength
that
he
could
force
himself
to
say
a
God
bless
you
.
“
God
bless
you
,
”
said
Amelia
,
and
held
up
her
face
and
kissed
him
.
“
Hush
!
Don’t
wake
Georgy
!
”
she
added
,
as
William
Dobbin
went
to
the
door
with
heavy
steps
.
She
did
not
hear
the
noise
of
his
cab-wheels
as
he
drove
away
:
she
was
looking
at
the
child
,
who
was
laughing
in
his
sleep
.
I
.
How
to
Live
Well
on
Nothing
A-Year
I
SUPPOSE
there
is
no
man
in
this
Vanity
Fair
of
ours
so
little
observant
as
not
to
think
sometimes
about
the
worldly
affairs
of
his
acquaintances
,
or
so
extremely
charitable
as
not
to
wonder
how
his
neighbour
Jones
,
or
his
neighbour
Smith
,
can
make
both
ends
meet
at
the
end
of
the
year
.
With
the
utmost
regard
for
the
family
,
for
instance
(
for
I
dine
with
them
twice
or
thrice
in
the
season
)
,
I
cannot
but
own
that
the
appearance
of
the
Jenkinses
in
the
Park
,
in
the
large
barouche
with
the
grenadier-footmen
,
will
surprise
and
mystify
me
to
my
dying
day
:
for
though
I
know
the
equipage
is
only
jobbed
,
and
all
the
Jenkins
people
are
on
board
wages
,
yet
those
three
men
and
the
carriage
must
represent
an
expense
of
six
hundred
a-year
at
the
very
least
—
and
then
there
are
the
splendid
dinners
,
the
two
boys
at
Eton
,
the
prize
governess
and
masters
for
the
girls
,
the
trip
abroad
,
or
to
East-bourne
or
Worthing
,
in
the
autumn
,
the
annual
ball
with
a
supper
from
Gunter’s
(
who
,
by
the
way
,
supplies
most
of
the
first-rate
dinners
which
J
.
gives
,
as
I
know
very
well
,
having
been
invited
to
one
of
them
to
fill
a
vacant
place
,
when
I
saw
at
once
that
these
repasts
are
very
superior
to
the
common
run
of
entertainments
for
which
the
humbler
sort
of
J’s
acquaintances
get
cards
)
—
who
,
I
say
,
with
the
most
good-natured
feelings
in
the
world
,
can
help
wondering
how
the
Jenkinses
make
out
matters
?
What
is
Jenkins
?
We
all
know
—
Commissioner
of
the
Tape
and
Sealing
Wax
Office
,
with
£
1200
a-year
for
a
salary
.
Had
his
wife
a
private
fortune
?
Pooh
—
Miss
Flint
—
one
of
eleven
children
of
a
small
squire
in
Buckinghamshire
.
All
she
ever
gets
from
her
family
is
a
turkey
at
Christmas
,
in
exchange
for
which
she
has
to
board
two
or
three
of
her
sisters
in
the
off
season
;
and
lodge
and
feed
her
brothers
when
they
come
to
town
.
How
does
Jenkins
balance
his
income
?
I
say
,
as
every
friend
of
his
must
say
,
How
is
it
that
he
has
not
been
outlawed
long
since
;
and
that
he
ever
came
back
(
as
he
did
to
the
surprise
of
everybody
)
last
year
from
Boulogne
?
“
I
”
is
here
introduced
to
personify
the
world
in
general
—
the
Mrs.
Grundy
of
each
respected
reader’s
private
circle
—
every
one
of
whom
can
point
to
some
families
of
his
acquaintance
who
live
nobody
knows
how
.
Many
a
glass
of
wine
have
we
all
of
us
drunk
,
I
have
very
little
doubt
,
hob-and-nobbing
with
the
hospitable
giver
,
and
wondering
how
the
deuce
he
paid
for
it
.
Some
three
or
four
years
after
his
stay
in
Paris
,
when
Rawdon
Crawley
and
his
wife
were
established
in
a
very
small
comfortable
house
in
Curzon
Street
,
May
Fair
,
there
was
scarcely
one
of
the
numerous
friends
whom
they
entertained
at
dinner
that
did
not
ask
the
above
question
regarding
them
.
The
novelist
,
it
has
been
said
before
,
knows
everything
,
and
as
I
am
in
a
situation
to
be
able
to
tell
the
public
how
Crawley
and
his
wife
lived
without
any
income
,
may
I
entreat
the
public
newspapers
which
are
in
the
habit
of
extracting
portions
of
the
various
periodical
works
now
published
,
not
to
reprint
the
following
exact
narrative
and
calculations
—
of
which
I
ought
,
as
the
discoverer
(
and
at
some
expense
,
too
)
,
to
have
the
benefit
?
My
son
,
I
would
say
,
were
I
blessed
with
a
child
—
you
may
by
deep
inquiry
and
constant
intercourse
with
him
,
learn
how
a
man
lives
comfortably
on
nothing
a-year
.
But
it
is
best
not
to
be
intimate
with
gentlemen
of
this
profession
,
and
to
take
the
calculations
at
second-hand
,
as
you
do
logarithms
,
for
to
work
them
yourself
,
depend
upon
it
,
will
cost
you
something
considerable
.
On
nothing
per
annum
then
,
and
during
a
course
of
some
two
or
three
years
,
of
which
we
can
afford
to
give
but
a
very
brief
history
,
Crawley
and
his
wife
lived
very
happily
and
comfortably
at
Paris
.
It
was
in
this
period
that
he
quitted
the
Guards
,
and
sold
out
of
the
army
.
When
we
find
him
again
,
his
mustachios
and
the
title
of
Colonel
on
his
card
are
the
only
relics
of
his
military
profession
.
It
has
been
mentioned
that
Rebecca
,
soon
after
her
arrival
in
Paris
,
took
a
very
smart
and
leading
position
in
the
society
of
that
capital
,
and
was
welcomed
at
some
of
the
most
distinguished
houses
of
the
restored
French
nobility
.
The
English
men
of
fashion
in
Paris
courted
her
,
too
,
to
the
disgust
of
the
ladies
their
wives
,
who
could
not
bear
the
