knownotwhethershehopedthatshouldhercousinsucceedincarryingofftherichmerchant’sdaughter，hewouldgiveMissWirtaportionofthewealthwhichshehadenabledhimtowin——allthatiscertainisthatMr。
Osbornegotsomehintofthetransaction，camebackfromtheCityabruptly，andenteredthedrawing-roomwithhisbamboocane；foundthepainter，thepupil，andthecompanionalllookingexceedinglypalethere；turnedtheformeroutofdoorswithmenacesthathewouldbreakeveryboneinhisskin，andhalfanhourafterwardsdismissedMissWirtlikewise，kickinghertrunksdownthestairs，tramplingonherbandboxes，andshakinghisfistatherhackneycoachasitboreheraway。
JaneOsbornekeptherbedroomformanydays。Shewasnotallowedtohaveacompanionafterwards。Herfathersworetoherthatsheshouldnothaveashillingofhismoneyifshemadeanymatchwithouthisconcurrence；
andashewantedawomantokeephishouse，hedidnotchoosethatsheshouldmarry，sothatshewasobligedtogiveupallprojectswithwhichCupidhadanyshare。
Duringherpapa’slife，then，sheresignedherselftothemannerofexistenceheredescribed，andwascontenttobeanoldmaid。Hersister，meanwhile，washavingchildrenwithfinernameseveryyearandtheintercoursebetweenthetwogrewfaintercontinually。”JaneandIdonotmoveinthesamesphereoflife。”Mrs。Bullocksaid。”Iregardherasasister，ofcourse“——whichmeans——whatdoesitmeanwhenaladysaysthatsheregardsJaneasasister？
IthasbeendescribedhowtheMissesDobbinlivedwiththeirfatheratafinevillaatDenmarkHill，wheretherewerebeautifulgraperiesandpeach-treeswhichdelightedlittleGeorgyOsborne。TheMissesDobbin，whodroveoftentoBromptontoseeourdearAmelia，camesometimestoRussellSquaretoo，topayavisittotheiroldacquaintanceMissOsborne。IbelieveitwasinconsequenceofthecommandsoftheirbrothertheMajorinIndiaforwhomtheirpapahadaprodigiousrespect，thattheypaidattentiontoMrs。George；fortheMajor，thegodfatherandguardianofAmelia’slittleboy，stillhopedthatthechild’sgrandfathermightbeinducedtorelenttowardshimandacknowledgehimforthesakeofhisson。TheMissesDobbinkeptMissOsborneacquaintedwiththestateofAmelia’saffairs；howshewaslivingwithherfatherandmother；howpoortheywere；howtheywonderedwhatmen，andsuchmenastheirbrotheranddearCaptainOsborne，couldfindinsuchaninsignificantlittlechit；howshewasstill，asheretofore，anamby-pambymilk-and-
wateraffectedcreature——buthowtheboywasreallythenoblestlittleboyeverseen——fortheheartsofallwomenwarmtowardsyoungchildren，andthesourestspinsteriskindtothem。
Oneday，aftergreatentreatiesonthepartoftheMissesDobbin，AmeliaallowedlittleGeorgetogoandpassadaywiththematDenmarkHill——apartofwhichdayshespentherselfinwritingtotheMajorinIndia。Shecongratulatedhimonthehappynewswhichhissistershadjustconveyedtoher。Sheprayedforhisprosperityandthatofthebridehehadchosen。Shethankedhimforathousandthousandkindofficesandproofsofsteadfastfriendshiptoherinheraffliction。ShetoldhimthelastnewsaboutlittleGeorgy，andhowhewasgonetospendthatverydaywithhissistersinthecountry。Sheunderlinedtheletteragreatdeal，andshesignedherselfaffectionatelyhisfriend，AmeliaOsborne。SheforgottosendanymessageofkindnesstoLadyO’Dowd，asherwontwas——anddidnotmentionGlorvinabyname，andonlyinitalics，astheMajor’sBRIDE，forwhomshebeggedblessings。Butthenewsofthemarriageremovedthereservewhichshehadkeptuptowardshim。Shewasgladtobeabletoownandfeelhowwarmlyandgratefullysheregardedhim——andasfortheideaofbeingjealousofGlorvinaGlorvina，indeed！，Ameliawouldhavescoutedit，ifanangelfromheavenhadhintedittoher。Thatnight，whenGeorgycamebackinthepony-carriageinwhichherejoiced，andinwhichhewasdrivenbySirWm。Dobbin’soldcoachman，hehadroundhisneckafinegoldchainandwatch。Hesaidanoldlady，notpretty，hadgivenithim，whocriedandkissedhimagreatdeal。Buthedidn’tlikeher。Helikedgrapesverymuch。Andheonlylikedhismamma。Ameliashrankandstarted；thetimidsoulfeltapresentimentofterrorwhensheheardthattherelationsofthechild’sfatherhadseenhim。
MissOsbornecamebacktogiveherfatherhisdinner。HehadmadeagoodspeculationintheCity，andwasratherinagoodhumourthatday，andchancedtoremarktheagitationunderwhichshelaboured。”What’sthematter，MissOsborne？”hedeignedtosay。
Thewomanburstintotears。”Oh，sir。”shesaid，“I’veseenlittleGeorge。Heisasbeautifulasanangel——andsolikehim！”Theoldmanoppositetoherdidnotsayaword，butflushedupandbegantotrembleineverylimb。
InWhichtheReaderHastoDoubletheCapeTheastonishedreadermustbecalledupontotransporthimselftenthousandmilestothemilitarystationofBundlegunge，intheMadrasdivisionofourIndianempire，whereourgallantoldfriendsofthe——thregimentarequarteredunderthecommandofthebraveColonel，SirMichaelO’Dowd。Timehasdealtkindlywiththatstoutofficer，asitdoesordinarilywithmenwhohavegoodstomachsandgoodtempersandarenotperplexedovermuchbyfatigueofthebrain。TheColonelplaysagoodknifeandforkattiffinandresumesthoseweaponswithgreatsuccessatdinner。HesmokeshishookahafterbothmealsandpuffsasquietlywhilehiswifescoldshimashedidunderthefireoftheFrenchatWaterloo。AgeandheathavenotdiminishedtheactivityortheeloquenceofthedescendantoftheMalonysandtheMolloys。HerLadyship，ouroldacquaintance，isasmuchathomeatMadrasasatBrusselsinthecantonmentasunderthetents。Onthemarchyousawherattheheadoftheregimentseatedonaroyalelephant，anoblesight。
Mountedonthatbeast，shehasbeenintoactionwithtigersinthejungle，shehasbeenreceivedbynativeprinces，whohavewelcomedherandGlorvinaintotherecessesoftheirzenanasandofferedhershawlsandjewelswhichitwenttoherhearttorefuse。Thesentriesofallarmssaluteherwherevershemakesherappearance，andshetouchesherhatgravelytotheirsalutation。LadyO’DowdisoneofthegreatestladiesinthePresidencyofMadras——herquarrelwithLadySmith，wifeofSirMinosSmiththepuisnejudge，isstillrememberedbysomeatMadras，whentheColonel’sladysnappedherfingersintheJudge’slady’sfaceandsaidSHE’Dneverwalkbehindeverabeggarlycivilian。Evennow，thoughitisfive-and-twentyyearsago，peoplerememberLadyO’DowdperformingajigatGovernmentHouse，whereshedanceddowntwoAides-de-Camp，aMajorofMadrascavalry，andtwogentlemenoftheCivilService；and，persuadedbyMajorDobbin，C。B。，secondincommandofthe——th，toretiretothesupper-room，lassatanondumsatiatarecessit。
PeggyO’Dowdisindeedthesameasever，kindinactandthought；impetuousintemper；eagertocommand；atyrantoverherMichael；adragonamongstalltheladiesoftheregiment；amothertoalltheyoungmen，whomshetendsintheirsickness，defendsinalltheirscrapes，andwithwhomLadyPeggyisimmenselypopular。ButtheSubalterns’andCaptains’ladiestheMajorisunmarried
cabalagainstheragooddeal。TheysaythatGlorvinagivesherselfairsandthatPeggyherselfisilltolerablydomineering。SheinterferedwithalittlecongregationwhichMrs。Kirkhadgotupandlaughedtheyoungmenawayfromhersermons，statingthatasoldier’swifehadnobusinesstobeaparson——thatMrs。Kirkwouldbemuchbettermendingherhusband’sclothes；and，iftheregimentwantedsermons，thatshehadthefinestintheworld，thoseofheruncle，theDean。SheabruptlyputaterminationtoaflirtationwhichLieutenantStubbleoftheregimenthadcommencedwiththeSurgeon’swife，threateningtocomedownuponStubbleforthemoneywhichhehadborrowedfromherfortheyoungfellowwasstillofanextravagantturnunlesshebrokeoffatonceandwenttotheCapeonsickleave。Ontheotherhand，shehousedandshelteredMrs。Posky，whofledfromherbungalowonenight，pursuedbyherinfuriatehusband，wieldinghissecondbrandybottle，andactuallycarriedPoskythroughthedeliriumtremensandbrokehimofthehabitofdrinking，whichhadgrownuponthatofficer，asallevilhabitswillgrowuponmen。Inaword，inadversityshewasthebestofcomforters，ingoodfortunethemosttroublesomeoffriends，havingaperfectlygoodopinionofherselfalwaysandanindomitableresolutiontohaveherownway。
Amongotherpoints，shehadmadeuphermindthatGlorvinashouldmarryouroldfriendDobbin。Mrs。O’DowdknewtheMajor’sexpectationsandappreciatedhisgoodqualitiesandthehighcharacterwhichheenjoyedinhisprofession。Glorvina，averyhandsome，fresh-coloured，black-haired，blue-eyedyounglady，whocouldrideahorse，orplayasonatawithanygirloutoftheCountyCork，seemedtobetheverypersondestinedtoinsureDobbin’shappiness——muchmorethanthatpoorgoodlittleweak-spur’tedAmelia，aboutwhomheusedtotakeonso——
“LookatGlorvinaenteraroom。”Mrs。O’Dowdwouldsay。”andcompareherwiththatpoorMrs。Osborne，whocouldn’tsaybootoagoose。She’dbeworthyofyou，Major——
you’reaquietmanyourself，andwantsomeonetotalkforye。AndthoughshedoesnotcomeofsuchgoodbloodastheMalonysorMolloys，letmetellye，she’sofanancientfamilythatanynoblemanmightbeproudtomarryinto。”
ButbeforeshehadcometosucharesolutionanddeterminedtosubjugateMajorDobbinbyherendearments，itmustbeownedthatGlorvinahadpractisedthemagooddealelsewhere。ShehadhadaseasoninDublin，andwhoknowshowmanyinCork，Killarney，andMallow？Shehadflirtedwithallthemarriageableofficerswhomthedepotsofhercountryafforded，andallthebachelorsquireswhoseemedeligible。Shehadbeenengagedtobemarriedahalf-scoretimesinIreland，besidestheclergymanatBathwhousedhersoill。ShehadflirtedallthewaytoMadraswiththeCaptainandchiefmateoftheRamchunderEastIndiaman，andhadaseasonatthePresidencywithherbrotherandMrs。O’Dowd，whowasstayingthere，whiletheMajoroftheregimentwasincommandatthestation。Everybodyadmiredherthere；
everybodydancedwithher；butnooneproposedwhowasworththemarrying——oneortwoexceedinglyyoungsubalternssighedafterher，andabeardlesscivilianortwo，butsherejectedtheseasbeneathherpretensions——andotherandyoungervirginsthanGlorvinaweremarriedbeforeher。Therearewomen，andhandsomewomentoo，whohavethisfortuneinlife。Theyfallinlovewiththeutmostgenerosity；theyrideandwalkwithhalftheArmy-list，thoughtheydrawneartoforty，andyettheMissesO’GradyaretheMissesO’Gradystill：GlorvinapersistedthatbutforLadyO’Dowd’sunluckyquarrelwiththeJudge’slady，shewouldhavemadeagoodmatchatMadras，whereoldMr。Chutney，whowasattheheadofthecivilserviceandwhoafterwardsmarriedMissDolby，ayoungladyonlythirteenyearsofagewhohadjustarrivedfromschoolinEurope，wasjustatthepointofproposingtoher。