Inaword，hewentoutandateicesatapastry-cook’sshopinCharingCross；triedanewcoatinPallMall；
droppedinattheOldSlaughters’，andcalledforCaptainCannon；playedelevengamesatbilliardswiththeCaptain，ofwhichhewoneight，andreturnedtoRussellSquarehalfanhourlatefordinner，butinverygoodhumour。
ItwasnotsowitholdMr。Osborne。WhenthatgentlemancamefromtheCity，andwaswelcomedinthedrawing-roombyhisdaughtersandtheelegantMissWirt，theysawatoncebyhisface——whichwaspuffy，solemn，andyellowatthebestoftimes——andbythescowlandtwitchingofhisblackeyebrows，thattheheartwithinhislargewhitewaistcoatwasdisturbedanduneasy。WhenAmeliasteppedforwardtosalutehim，whichshealwaysdidwithgreattremblingandtimidity，hegaveasurlygruntofrecognition，anddroppedthelittlehandoutofhisgreathirsutepawwithoutanyattempttoholditthere。Helookedroundgloomilyathiseldestdaughter；
who，comprehendingthemeaningofhislook，whichaskedunmistakably，“Whythedevilisshehere？”saidatonce：
“Georgeisintown，Papa；andhasgonetotheHorseGuards，andwillbebacktodinner。”
“Oheis，ishe？Iwon’thavethedinnerkeptwaitingforhim，Jane“；withwhichthisworthymanlapsedintohisparticularchair，andthentheuttersilenceinhisgenteel，well-furnisheddrawing-roomwasonlyinterruptedbythealarmedtickingofthegreatFrenchclock。
Whenthatchronometer，whichwassurmountedbyacheerfulbrassgroupofthesacrificeofIphigenia，tolledfiveinaheavycathedraltone，Mr。Osbornepulledthebellathisrighthand-violently，andthebutlerrushedup。
“Dinner！”roaredMr。Osborne。
“Mr。Georgeisn’tcomein，sir。”interposedtheman。
“DamnMr。George，sir。AmImasterofthehouse？
DINNER！~Mr。Osbornescowled。Ameliatrembled。A
telegraphiccommunicationofeyespassedbetweentheotherthreeladies。Theobedientbellinthelowerregionsbeganringingtheannouncementofthemeal。Thetollingover，theheadofthefamilythrusthishandsintothegreattail-pocketsofhisgreatbluecoatwithbrassbuttons，andwithoutwaitingforafurtherannouncementstrodedownstairsalone，scowlingoverhisshoulderatthefourfemales。
“What’sthematternow，mydear？”askedoneoftheother，astheyroseandtrippedgingerlybehindthesire。
“Isupposethefundsarefalling。”whisperedMissWirt；
andso，tremblingandinsilence，thishushedfemalecompanyfollowedtheirdarkleader。Theytooktheirplacesinsilence。Hegrowledoutablessing，whichsoundedasgrufflyasacurse。Thegreatsilverdish-coverswereremoved。Ameliatrembledinherplace，forshewasnexttotheawfulOsborne，andaloneonhersideofthetable——thegapbeingoccasionedbytheabsenceofGeorge。
“Soup？”saysMr。Osborne，clutchingtheladle，fixinghiseyesonher，inasepulchraltone；andhavinghelpedherandtherest，didnotspeakforawhile。
“TakeMissSedley’splateaway。”atlasthesaid。”Shecan’teatthesoup——nomorecanI。It’sbeastly。Takeawaythesoup，Hicks，andto-morrowturnthecookoutofthehouse，Jane。”
Havingconcludedhisobservationsuponthesoup，Mr。
Osbornemadeafewcurtremarksrespectingthefish，alsoofasavageandsatiricaltendency，andcursedBillingsgatewithanemphasisquiteworthyoftheplace。
Thenhelapsedintosilence，andswallowedsundryglassesofwine，lookingmoreandmoreterrible，tillabriskknockatthedoortoldofGeorge’sarrivalwheneverybodybegantorally。
“Hecouldnotcomebefore。GeneralDaguilethadkepthimwaitingattheHorseGuards。Nevermindsouporfish。Givehimanything——hedidn’tcarewhat。Capitalmutton——capitaleverything。”Hisgoodhumourcontrastedwithhisfather’sseverity；andherattledonunceasinglyduringdinner，tothedelightofall——ofoneespecially，whoneednotbementioned。
AssoonastheyoungladieshaddiscussedtheorangeandtheglassofwinewhichformedtheordinaryconclusionofthedismalbanquetsatMr。Osborne’shouse，thesignaltomakesailforthedrawing-roomwasgiven，andtheyallaroseanddeparted。AmeliahopedGeorgewouldsoonjointhemthere。Shebeganplayingsomeofhisfavouritewaltzesthennewlyimportedatthegreatcarved-legged，leather-casedgrandpianointhedrawing-
roomoverhead。Thislittleartificedidnotbringhim。Hewasdeaftothewaltzes；theygrewfainterandfainter；
thediscomfitedperformerleftthehugeinstrumentpresently；andthoughherthreefriendsperformedsomeoftheloudestandmostbrilliantnewpiecesoftheirrepertoire，shedidnothearasinglenote，butsatethinking，andbodingevil。OldOsborne’sscowl，terrificalways，hadneverbeforelookedsodeadlytoher。Hiseyesfollowedheroutoftheroom，asifshehadbeenguiltyofsomething。
Whentheybroughthercoffee，shestartedasthoughitwereacupofpoisonwhichMr。Hicks，thebutler，wishedtoproposetoher。Whatmysterywastherelurking？Oh，thosewomen！Theynurseandcuddletheirpresentiments，andmakedarlingsoftheirugliestthoughts，astheydooftheirdeformedchildren。
ThegloomonthepaternalcountenancehadalsoimpressedGeorgeOsbornewithanxiety。Withsucheyebrows，andalooksodecidedlybilious，howwashetoextractthatmoneyfromthegovernor，ofwhichGeorgewasconsumedlyinwant？Hebeganpraisinghisfather’swine。Thatwasgenerallyasuccessfulmeansofcajolingtheoldgentleman。
“WenevergotsuchMadeiraintheWestIndies，sir，asyours。ColonelHeavytoptookoffthreebottlesofthatyousentmedown，underhisbelttheotherday。”
“Didhe？”saidtheoldgentleman。”Itstandsmeineightshillingsabottle。”
“Willyoutakesixguineasadozenforit，sir？”saidGeorge，withalaugh。”There’soneofthegreatestmeninthekingdomwantssome。”
“Doeshe？”growledthesenior。”Wishhemaygetit。”
“WhenGeneralDaguiletwasatChatham，sir，Heavytopgavehimabreakfast，andaskedmeforsomeofthewine。TheGenerallikeditjustaswell——wantedapipefortheCommander-in-Chief。He’shisRoyalHighness’sright-handman。”
“Itisdevilishfinewine。”saidtheEyebrows，andtheylookedmoregood-humoured；andGeorgewasgoingtotakeadvantageofthiscomplacency，andbringthesupplyquestiononthemahogany，whenthefather，relapsingintosolemnity，thoughrathercordialinmanner，badehimringthebellforclaret。”Andwe’llseeifthat’sasgoodastheMadeira，George，towhichhisRoyalHighnessiswelcome，I’msure。Andaswearedrinkingit，I’lltalktoyouaboutamatterofimportance。”
Ameliaheardtheclaretbellringingasshesatnervouslyupstairs。Shethought，somehow，itwasamysteriousandpresentimentalbell。Ofthepresentimentswhichsomepeoplearealwayshaving，somesurelymustcomeright。
“WhatIwanttoknow，George。”theoldgentlemansaid，afterslowlysmackinghisfirstbumper——“whatI
wanttoknowis，howyouand——ah——thatlittlethingupstairs，arecarryingon？”
“Ithink，sir，itisnothardtosee。”Georgesaid，withaself-satisfiedgrin。”Prettyclear，sir——Whatcapitalwine！”
“Whatd’youmean，prettyclear，sir？”
“Why，hangit，sir，don’tpushmetoohard。I’mamodestman。I——ah——Idon’tsetuptobealady-killer；
butIdoownthatshe’sasdevilishfondofmeasshecanbe。Anybodycanseethatwithhalfaneye。”
“Andyouyourself？”
“Why，sir，didn’tyouordermetomarryher，andain’tIagoodboy？Haven’tourPapassettlediteversolong？”
“Aprettyboy，indeed。Haven’tIheardofyourdoings，sir，withLordTarquin，CaptainCrawleyoftheGuards，~theHonourableMr。Deuceaceandthatset。Haveacaresir，haveacare。”
Theoldgentlemanpronouncedthesearistocraticnameswiththegreatestgusto。Wheneverhemetagreatmanhegrovelledbeforehim，andmy-lordedhimasonlyafree-bornBritoncando。HecamehomeandlookedouthishistoryinthePeerage：heintroducedhisnameintohisdailyconversation；hebraggedabouthisLordshiptohisdaughters。HefelldownprostrateandbaskedinhimasaNeapolitanbeggardoesinthesun。Georgewasalarmedwhenheheardthenames。Hefearedhisfathermighthavebeeninformedofcertaintransactionsatplay。Buttheoldmoralisteasedhimbysayingserenely：
“Well，well，youngmenwillbeyoungmen。Andthecomforttomeis，George，thatlivinginthebestsocietyinEngland，asIhopeyoudo；asIthinkyoudo；asmymeanswillallowyoutodo——“
“Thankyou，sir。”saysGeorge，makinghispointatonce。”Onecan’tlivewiththesegreatfolksfornothing；
andmypurse，sir，lookatit“；andheheldupalittletokenwhichhadbeennettedbyAmelia，andcontainedtheverylastofDobbin’spoundnotes。
“Youshan’twant，sir。TheBritishmerchant’ssonshan’twant，sir。Myguineasareasgoodastheirs，George，myboy；andIdon’tgrudge’em。CallonMr。
ChopperasyougothroughtheCityto-morrow；he’llhavesomethingforyou。Idon’tgrudgemoneywhenI
knowyou’reingoodsociety，becauseIknowthatgoodsocietycannevergowrong。There’snoprideinme。I
wasahumblybornman——butyouhavehadadvantages。
Makeagooduseof’em。Mixwiththeyoungnobility。
There’smanyof’emwhocan’tspendadollartoyourguinea，myboy。Andasforthepinkbonnetsherefromundertheheavyeyebrowstherecameaknowingandnotverypleasingleer——whyboyswillbeboys。Onlythere’sonethingIorderyoutoavoid，which，ifyoudonot，I’llcutyouoffwithashilling，byJove；andthat’sgambling。”Oh，ofcourse，sir。”saidGeorge。
“ButtoreturntotheotherbusinessaboutAmelia：
whyshouldn’tyoumarryhigherthanastockbroker’sdaughter，George——that’swhatIwanttoknow？”
“It’safamilybusiness，sir。”。saysGeorge，crackingfilberts。”YouandMr。Sedleymadethematchahundredyearsago。”
“Idon’tdenyit；butpeople’spositionsalter，sir。Idon’tdenythatSedleymademyfortune，orratherputmeinthewayofacquiring，bymyowntalentsandgenius，thatproudposition，which，Imaysay，IoccupyinthetallowtradeandtheCityofLondon。I’veshownmygratitudetoSedley；andhe’strieditoflate，sir，asmycheque-bookcanshow。George！ItellyouinconfidenceIdon’tlikethelooksofMr。Sedley’saffairs。Mychiefclerk，Mr。Chopper，doesnotlikethelooksof’em，andhe’sanoldfile，andknows’ChangeaswellasanymaninLondon。Hulker&Bullockarelookingshyathim。He’sbeendabblingonhisownaccountIfear。TheysaytheJeuneAmeliewashis，whichwastakenbytheYankeeprivateerMolasses。Andthat’sflat——unlessIseeAmelia’stenthousanddownyoudon’tmarryher。I’llhavenolameduck’sdaughterinmyfamily。Passthewine，sir——orringforcoffee。”
WithwhichMr。Osbornespreadouttheeveningpaper，andGeorgeknewfromthissignalthatthecolloquywasended，andthathispapawasabouttotakeanap。
HehurriedupstairstoAmeliainthehighestspirits。
Whatwasitthatmadehimmoreattentivetoheronthatnightthanhehadbeenforalongtime——moreeagertoamuseher，moretender，morebrilliantintalk？Wasitthathisgenerousheartwarmedtoherattheprospectofmisfortune；orthattheideaoflosingthedearlittleprizemadehimvalueitmore？
Shelivedupontherecollectionsofthathappyeveningformanydaysafterwards，rememberinghiswords；hislooks；thesonghesang；hisattitude，asheleantoverherorlookedatherfromadistance。Asitseemedtoher，nonighteverpassedsoquicklyatMr。Osborne’shousebefore；andforoncethisyoungpersonwasalmostprovokedtobeangrybytheprematurearrivalofMr。
Sambowithhershawl。
Georgecameandtookatenderleaveofherthenextmorning；andthenhurriedofftotheCity，wherehevisitedMr。Chopper，hisfather’sheadman，andreceivedfromthatgentlemanadocumentwhichheexchangedatHulker&Bullock’sforawholepocketfulofmoney。AsGeorgeenteredthehouse，oldJohnSedleywaspassingoutofthebanker’sparlour，lookingverydismal。Buthisgodsonwasmuchtooelatedtomarktheworthystockbroker’sdepression，orthedrearyeyeswhichthekindoldgentlemancastuponhim。YoungBullockdidnotcomegrinningoutoftheparlourwithhimashadbeenhiswontinformeryears。
AndastheswingingdoorsofHulker，Bullock&Co。
closeduponMr。Sedley，Mr。Quill，thecashierwhosebenevolentoccupationitistohandoutcrispbank-notesfromadraweranddispensesovereignsoutofacoppershovel，winkedatMr。Driver，theclerkatthedeskonhisright。Mr。Driverwinkedagain。
“Nogo。”Mr。D。whispered。