第32章
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  Becautiousthen,youngladies;bewaryhowyouengage。Beshyoflovingfrankly;nevertellallyoufeel,orabetterwaystill,feelverylittle。Seetheconsequencesofbeingprematurelyhonestandconfiding,andmistrustyourselvesandeverybody。GetyourselvesmarriedastheydoinFrance,wherethelawyersarethebridesmaidsandconfidantes。Atanyrate,neverhaveanyfeelingswhichmaymakeyouuncomfortable,ormakeanypromiseswhichyoucannotatanyrequiredmomentcommandandwithdraw。Thatisthewaytogeton,andberespected,andhaveavirtuouscharacterinVanityFair。

  IfAmeliacouldhaveheardthecommentsregardingherwhichweremadeinthecirclefromwhichherfather’sruinhadjustdrivenher,shewouldhaveseenwhatherowncrimeswere,andhowentirelyhercharacterwasjeopardised。SuchcriminalimprudenceMrs。Smithneverknewof;suchhorridfamiliaritiesMrs。Brownhadalwayscondemned,andtheendmightbeawarningtoHER

  daughters。”CaptainOsborne,ofcourse,couldnotmarryabankrupt’sdaughter。”theMissesDobbinsaid。”Itwasquiteenoughtohavebeenswindledbythefather。AsforthatlittleAmelia,herfollyhadreallypassedall——“

  “Allwhat?”CaptainDobbinroaredout。”Haven’ttheybeenengagedeversincetheywerechildren?Wasn’titasgoodasamarriage?Dareanysoulonearthbreatheawordagainstthesweetest,thepurest,thetenderest,themostangelicalofyoungwomen?”

  “La,William,don’tbesohighty-tightywithUS。We’renotmen。Wecan’tfightyou。”MissJanesaid。”We’vesaidnothingagainstMissSedley:butthatherconductthroughoutwasMOSTIMPRUDENT,nottocallitbyanyworsename;andthatherparentsarepeoplewhocertainlymerittheirmisfortunes。”

  “Hadn’tyoubetter,nowthatMissSedleyisfree,proposeforheryourself,William?”MissAnnaskedsarcastically。”Itwouldbeamosteligiblefamilyconnection。He!he!”

  “Imarryher!”Dobbinsaid,blushingverymuch,andtalkingquick。”Ifyouaresoready,youngladies,tochopandchange,doyousupposethatsheis?Laughandsneeratthatangel。Shecan’thearit;andshe’smiserableandunfortunate,anddeservestobelaughedat。Goonjoking,Ann。You’rethewitofthefamily,andtheothersliketohearit。”

  “Imusttellyouagainwe’renotinabarrack,William。”

  MissAnnremarked。

  “Inabarrack,byJove——Iwishanybodyinabarrackwouldsaywhatyoudo。”criedoutthisuprousedBritishlion。”Ishouldliketohearamanbreatheawordagainsther,byJupiter。Butmendon’ttalkinthisway,Ann:it’sonlywomen,whogettogetherandhiss,andshriek,andcackle。There,getaway——don’tbegintocry。Ionlysaidyouwereacoupleofgeese。”WillDobbinsaid,perceivingMissAnn’spinkeyeswerebeginningtomoistenasusual。”Well,you’renotgeese,you’reswans——anythingyoulike,onlydo,doleaveMissSedleyalone。”

  AnythinglikeWilliam’sinfatuationaboutthatsillylittleflirting,oglingthingwasneverknown,themammaandsistersagreedtogetherinthinking:andtheytrembledlest,herengagementbeingoffwithOsborne,sheshouldtakeupimmediatelyherotheradmirerandCaptain。

  Inwhichforebodingstheseworthyyoungwomennodoubtjudgedaccordingtothebestoftheirexperience;orratherforasyettheyhadhadnoopportunitiesofmarryingorofjiltingaccordingtotheirownnotionsofrightandwrong。

  “Itisamercy,Mamma,thattheregimentisorderedabroad。”thegirlssaid。”THISdanger,atanyrate,issparedourbrother。”

  Such,indeed,wasthefact;andsoitisthattheFrenchEmperorcomesintoperformapartinthisdomesticcomedyofVanityFairwhichwearenowplaying,andwhichwouldneverhavebeenenactedwithouttheinterventionofthisaugustmutepersonage。ItwashethatruinedtheBourbonsandMr。JohnSedley。ItwashewhosearrivalinhiscapitalcalledupallFranceinarmstodefendhimthere;andallEuropetoousthim。

  WhiletheFrenchnationandarmywereswearingfidelityroundtheeaglesintheChampdeMars,fourmightyEuropeanhostsweregettinginmotionforthegreatchasseal’aigle;andoneofthesewasaBritisharmy,ofwhichtwoheroesofours,CaptainDobbinandCaptainOsborne,formedaportion。

  ThenewsofNapoleon’sescapeandlandingwasreceivedbythegallant——thwithafierydelightandenthusiasm,whicheverybodycanunderstandwhoknowsthatfamouscorps。Fromthecoloneltothesmallestdrummerintheregiment,allwerefilledwithhopeandambitionandpatrioticfury;andthankedtheFrenchEmperorasforapersonalkindnessincomingtodisturbthepeaceofEurope。Nowwasthetimethe——thhadsolongpantedfor,toshowtheircomradesinarmsthattheycouldfightaswellasthePeninsularveterans,andthatallthepluckandvalourofthe——thhadnotbeenkilledbytheWestIndiesandtheyellowfever。StubbleandSpooneylookedtogettheircompanieswithoutpurchase。

  Beforetheendofthecampaignwhichsheresolvedtoshare,Mrs。MajorO’DowdhopedtowriteherselfMrs。ColonelO’Dowd,C。B。OurtwofriendsDobbinandOsbornewerequiteasmuchexcitedastherest:andeachinhisway——Mr。Dobbinveryquietly,Mr。

  Osborneveryloudlyandenergetically——wasbentupondoinghisduty,andgaininghisshareofhonouranddistinction。

  Theagitationthrillingthroughthecountryandarmyinconsequenceofthisnewswassogreat,thatprivatematterswerelittleheeded:andhenceprobablyGeorgeOsborne,justgazettedtohiscompany,busywithpreparationsforthemarch,whichmustcomeinevitably,andpantingforfurtherpromotion——wasnotsomuchaffectedbyotherincidentswhichwouldhaveinterestedhimatamorequietperiod。Hewasnot,itmustbeconfessed,verymuchcastdownbygoodoldMr。Sedley’scatastrophe。

  Hetriedhisnewuniform,whichbecamehimveryhandsomely,onthedaywhenthefirstmeetingofthecreditorsoftheunfortunategentlemantookplace。

  Hisfathertoldhimofthewicked,rascally,shamefulconductofthebankrupt,remindedhimofwhathehadsaidaboutAmelia,andthattheirconnectionwasbrokenoffforever;andgavehimthateveningagoodsumofmoneytopayforthenewclothesandepauletsinwhichhelookedsowell。Moneywasalwaysusefultothisfree-

  handedyoungfellow,andhetookitwithoutmanywords。

  ThebillswereupintheSedleyhouse,wherehehadpassedsomany,manyhappyhours。HecouldseethemashewalkedfromhomethatnighttotheOldSlaughters’,whereheputupwhenintownshiningwhiteinthemoon。Thatcomfortablehomewasshut,then,uponAmeliaandherparents:wherehadtheytakenrefuge?

  Thethoughtoftheirruinaffectedhimnotalittle。Hewasverymelancholythatnightinthecoffee-roomattheSlaughters’;anddrankagooddeal,ashiscomradesremarkedthere。

  Dobbincameinpresently,cautionedhimaboutthedrink,whichheonlytook,hesaid,becausehewasdeucedlow;butwhenhisfriendbegantoputtohimclumsyinquiries,andaskedhimfornewsinasignificantmanner,Osbornedeclinedenteringintoconversationwithhim,avowing,however,thathewasdevilishdisturbedandunhappy。

  Threedaysafterwards,DobbinfoundOsborneinhisroomatthebarracks——hisheadonthetable,anumberofpapersabout,theyoungCaptainevidentlyinastateofgreatdespondency。”She——she’ssentmebacksomethingsIgaveher——somedamnedtrinkets。Lookhere!”

  Therewasalittlepacketdirectedinthewell-knownhandtoCaptainGeorgeOsborne,andsomethingslyingabout——aring,asilverknifehehadbought,asaboy,forheratafair;agoldchain,andalocketwithhairinit。”It’sallover。”saidhe,withagroanofsickeningremorse。

  “Look,Will,youmayreaditifyoulike。”

  Therewasalittleletterofafewlines,towhichhepointed,whichsaid:

  Mypapahasorderedmetoreturntoyouthesepresents,whichyoumadeinhappierdaystome;andI

  amtowritetoyouforthelasttime。Ithink,IknowyoufeelasmuchasIdotheblowwhichhascomeuponus。

  ItisIthatabsolveyoufromanengagementwhichisimpossibleinourpresentmisery。Iamsureyouhadnoshareinit,orinthecruelsuspicionsofMr。Osborne,whicharethehardestofallourgriefstobear。Farewell。

  Farewell。IprayGodtostrengthenmetobearthisandothercalamities,andtoblessyoualways。A。

  Ishalloftenplayuponthepiano——yourpiano。Itwaslikeyoutosendit。

  Dobbinwasverysoft-hearted。Thesightofwomenandchildreninpainalwaysusedtomelthim。TheideaofAmeliabroken-heartedandlonelytorethatgood-

  naturedsoulwithanguish。Andhebrokeoutintoanemotion,whichanybodywholikesmayconsiderunmanly。

  HesworethatAmeliawasanangel,towhichOsbornesaidayewithallhisheart。He,too,hadbeenreviewingthehistoryoftheirlives——andhadseenherfromherchildhoodtoherpresentage,sosweet,soinnocent,socharminglysimple,andartlesslyfondandtender。

  Whatapangitwastoloseallthat:tohavehaditandnotprizedit!Athousandhomelyscenesandrecollectionscrowdedonhim——inwhichhealwayssawhergoodandbeautiful。Andforhimself,heblushedwithremorseandshame,astheremembranceofhisownselfishnessandindifferencecontrastedwiththatperfectpurity。Forawhile,glory,war,everythingwasforgotten,andthepairoffriendstalkedaboutheronly。

  “Wherearethey?”Osborneasked,afteralongtalk,andalongpause——and,intruth,withnolittleshameatthinkingthathehadtakennostepstofollowher。”Wherearethey?There’snoaddresstothenote。”

  Dobbinknew。Hehadnotmerelysentthepiano;buthadwrittenanotetoMrs。Sedley,andaskedpermissiontocomeandseeher——andhehadseenher,andAmeliatoo,yesterday,beforehecamedowntoChatham;and,whatismore,hehadbroughtthatfarewellletterandpacketwhichhadsomovedthem。

  Thegood-naturedfellowhadfoundMrs。Sedleyonlytoowillingtoreceivehim,andgreatlyagitatedbythearrivalofthepiano,which,assheconjectured,MUSThavecomefromGeorge,andwasasignalofamityonhispart。CaptainDobbindidnotcorrectthiserroroftheworthylady,butlistenedtoallherstoryofcomplaintsandmisfortuneswithgreatsympathy——condoledwithherlossesandprivations,andagreedinreprehendingthecruelconductofMr。Osbornetowardshisfirstbenefactor。

  Whenshehadeasedheroverflowingbosomsomewhat,andpouredforthmanyofhersorrows,hehadthecouragetoaskactuallytoseeAmelia,whowasaboveinherroomasusual,andwhomhermotherledtremblingdownstairs。

  Herappearancewassoghastly,andherlookofdespairsopathetic,thathonestWilliamDobbinwasfrightenedashebeheldit;andreadthemostfatalforebodingsinthatpalefixedface。Aftersittinginhiscompanyaminuteortwo,sheputthepacketintohishand,andsaid。”TakethistoCaptainOsborne,ifyouplease,and——andI

  hopehe’squitewell——anditwasverykindofyoutocomeandseeus——andwelikeournewhouseverymuch。

  AndI——IthinkI’llgoupstairs,Mamma,forI’mnotverystrong。”Andwiththis,andacurtseyandasmile,thepoorchildwentherway。Themother,assheledherup,castbacklooksofanguishtowardsDobbin。Thegoodfellowwantednosuchappeal。Helovedherhimselftoofondlyforthat。Inexpressiblegrief,andpity,andterrorpursuedhim,andhecameawayasifhewasacriminalafterseeingher。

  WhenOsborneheardthathisfriendhadfoundher,hemadehotandanxiousinquiriesregardingthepoorchild。Howwasshe?Howdidshelook?Whatdidshesay?Hiscomradetookhishand,andlookedhimintheface。

  “George,she’sdying。”WilliamDobbinsaid——andcouldspeaknomore。

  TherewasabuxomIrishservant-girl,whoperformedallthedutiesofthelittlehousewheretheSedleyfamilyhadfoundrefuge:andthisgirlhadinvain,onmanypreviousdays,striventogiveAmeliaaidorconsolation。

  Emmywasmuchtoosadtoanswer,oreventobeawareoftheattemptstheotherwasmakinginherfavour。

  FourhoursafterthetalkbetweenDobbinandOsborne,thisservant-maidcameintoAmelia’sroom,whereshesateasusual,broodingsilentlyoverherletters——herlittletreasures。Thegirl,smiling,andlookingarchandhappy,mademanytrialstoattractpoorEmmy’sattention,who,however,tooknoheedofher。

  “MissEmmy。”saidthegirl。

  “I’mcoming。”Emmysaid,notlookinground。

  “There’samessage。”themaidwenton。”There’ssomething——somebody——sure,here’sanewletterforyou——

  don’tbereadingthemoldonesanymore。”Andshegaveheraletter,whichEmmytook,andread。

  “Imustseeyou。”thelettersaid。”DearestEmmy——

  dearestlove——dearestwife,cometome。”

  Georgeandhermotherwereoutside,waitinguntilshehadreadtheletter。

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