“IexpectYOU，dear。”Mrs。Bullockwouldsay，“forofcoursemyshareofourPapa’spropertymustgototheheadofthehouse，youknow。DearRhodaMcMullwilldisengagethewholeoftheCastletoddypropertyassoonaspoordearLordCastletoddydies，whoisquiteepileptic；andlittleMacduffMcMullwillbeViscountCastletoddy。BoththeMr。BludyersofMincingLanehavesettledtheirfortunesonFannyBludyer’slittleboy。MydarlingFrederickmustpositivelybeaneldestson；and——
anddoaskPapatobringusbackhisaccountinLombardStreet，willyou，dear？Itdoesn’tlookwell，hisgoingtoStumpyandRowdy’s。”Afterwhichkindofspeeches，inwhichfashionandthemainchancewereblendedtogether，andafterakiss，whichwaslikethecontactofanoyster——Mrs。FrederickBullockwouldgatherherstarchednurslingsandsimperbackintohercarriage。
Everyvisitwhichthisleaderoftonpaidtoherfamilywasmoreunluckyforher。HerfatherpaidmoremoneyintoStumpyandRowdy’s。Herpatronagebecamemoreandmoreinsufferable。ThepoorwidowinthelittlecottageatBrompton，guardinghertreasurethere，littleknewhoweagerlysomepeoplecovetedit。
OnthatnightwhenJaneOsbornehadtoldherfatherthatshehadseenhisgrandson，theoldmanhadmadehernoreply，buthehadshownnoanger——andhadbadehergood-nightongoinghimselftohisroominratherakindlyvoice。AndhemusthavemeditatedonwhatshesaidandhavemadesomeinquiriesoftheDobbinfamilyregardinghervisit，forafortnightafterittookplace，heaskedherwherewasherlittleFrenchwatchandchainsheusedtowear？
“Iboughtitwithmymoney，sir。”shesaidinagreatfright。
“Goandorderanotherlikeit，orabetterifyoucangetit。”saidtheoldgentlemanandlapsedagainintosilence。
OflatetheMissesDobbinmorethanoncerepeatedtheirentreatiestoAmelia，toallowGeorgetovisitthem。
Hisaunthadshownherinclination；perhapshisgrandfatherhimself，theyhinted，mightbedisposedtobereconciledtohim。Surely，Ameliacouldnotrefusesuchadvantageouschancesfortheboy。Norcouldshe，butsheaccededtotheirovertureswithaveryheavyandsuspiciousheart，wasalwaysuneasyduringthechild’sabsencefromher，andwelcomedhimbackasifhewasrescuedoutofsomedanger。Hebroughtbackmoneyandtoys，atwhichthewidowlookedwithalarmandjealousy；
sheaskedhimalwaysifhehadseenanygentleman——
“OnlyoldSirWilliam，whodrovehimaboutinthefour-
wheeledchaise，andMr。Dobbin，whoarrivedonthebeautifulbayhorseintheafternoon——inthegreencoatandpinkneck-cloth，withthegold-headedwhip，whopromisedtoshowhimtheTowerofLondonandtakehimoutwiththeSurreyhounds。”Atlast，hesaid，“Therewasanoldgentleman，withthickeyebrows，andabroadhat，andlargechainandseals。”HecameonedayasthecoachmanwaslungingGeorgyroundthelawnonthegraypony。”Helookedatmeverymuch。Heshookverymuch。Isaid’MynameisNorval’afterdinner。Myauntbegantocry。Sheisalwayscrying。”SuchwasGeorge’sreportonthatnight。
ThenAmeliaknewthattheboyhadseenhisgrandfather；andlookedoutfeverishlyforaproposalwhichshewassurewouldfollow，andwhichcame，infact，inafewdaysafterwards。Mr。Osborneformallyofferedtotaketheboyandmakehimheirtothefortunewhichhehadintendedthathisfathershouldinherit。HewouldmakeMrs。GeorgeOsborneanallowance，suchastoassureheradecentcompetency。IfMrs。GeorgeOsborneproposedtomarryagain，asMr。O。heardwasherintention，hewouldnotwithdrawthatallowance。ButitmustbeunderstoodthatthechildwouldliveentirelywithhisgrandfatherinRussellSquare，oratwhateverotherplaceMr。O。shouldselect，andthathewouldbeoccasionallypermittedtoseeMrs。GeorgeOsborneatherownresidence。Thismessagewasbroughtorreadtoherinaletteroneday，whenhermotherwasfromhomeandherfatherabsentasusualintheCity。
Shewasneverseenangrybuttwiceorthriceinherlife，anditwasinoneofthesemoodsthatMr。Osborne’sattorneyhadthefortunetobeholdher。Sheroseuptremblingandflushingverymuchassoonas，afterreadingtheletter，Mr。Poehandedittoher，andshetorethepaperintoahundredfragments，whichshetrodon。”I
marryagain！Itakemoneytopartfrommychild！Whodaresinsultmebyproposingsuchathing？TellMr。
Osborneitisacowardlyletter，sir——acowardlyletter——
Iwillnotanswerit。Iwishyougoodmorning，sir——andshebowedmeoutoftheroomlikeatragedyQueen。”
saidthelawyerwhotoldthestory。
Herparentsneverremarkedheragitationonthatday，andshenevertoldthemoftheinterview。Theyhadtheirownaffairstointerestthem，affairswhichdeeplyinterestedthisinnocentandunconsciouslady。Theoldgentleman，herfather，wasalwaysdabblinginspeculation。
Wehaveseenhowthewinecompanyandthecoalcompanyhadfailedhim。But，prowlingabouttheCityalwayseagerlyandrestlesslystill，helighteduponsomeotherscheme，ofwhichhethoughtsowellthatheembarkedinitinspiteoftheremonstrancesofMr。Clapp，towhomindeedheneverdaredtotellhowfarhehadengagedhimselfinit。AndasitwasalwaysMr。Sedley’smaximnottotalkaboutmoneymattersbeforewomen，theyhadnoinklingofthemisfortunesthatwereinstoreforthemuntiltheunhappyoldgentlemanwasforcedtomakegradualconfessions。
Thebillsofthelittlehousehold，whichhadbeensettledweekly，firstfellintoarrear。TheremittanceshadnotarrivedfromIndia，Mr。Sedleytoldhiswifewithadisturbedface。Asshehadpaidherbillsveryregularlyhitherto，oneortwoofthetradesmentowhomthepoorladywasobligedtogoroundaskingfortimewereveryangryatadelaytowhichtheywereperfectlyusedfrommoreirregularcustomers。Emmy’scontribution，paidovercheerfullywithoutanyquestions，keptthelittlecompanyinhalf-rationshowever。Andthefirstsixmonthspassedawayprettyeasily，oldSedleystillkeepingupwiththenotionthathissharesmustriseandthatallwouldbewell。
Nosixtypounds，however，cametohelpthehouseholdattheendofthehalfyear，anditfelldeeperanddeeperintotrouble——Mrs。Sedley，whowasgrowinginfirmandwasmuchshaken，remainedsilentorweptagreatdealwithMrs。Clappinthekitchen。Thebutcherwasparticularlysurly，thegrocerinsolent：onceortwicelittleGeorgyhadgrumbledaboutthedinners，andAmelia，whostillwouldhavebeensatisfiedwithasliceofbreadforherowndinner，couldnotbutperceivethathersonwasneglectedandpurchasedlittlethingsoutofherprivatepursetokeeptheboyinhealth。
Atlasttheytoldher，ortoldhersuchagarbledstoryaspeopleindifficultiestell。Oneday，herownmoneyhavingbeenreceived，andAmeliaabouttopayitover，she，whohadkeptanaccountofthemoneysexpendedbyher，proposedtokeepacertainportionbackoutofherdividend，havingcontractedengagementsforanewsuitforGeorgy。
ThenitcameoutthatJos’sremittanceswerenotpaid，thatthehousewasindifficulties，whichAmeliaoughttohaveseenbefore，hermothersaid，butshecaredfornothingornobodyexceptGeorgy。Atthisshepassedallhermoneyacrossthetable，withoutaword，tohermother，andreturnedtoherroomtocryhereyesout。
Shehadagreataccessofsensibilitytoothatday，whenobligedtogoandcountermandtheclothes，thedarlingclothesonwhichshehadsetherheartforChristmasDay，andthecutandfashionofwhichshehadarrangedinmanyconversationswithasmallmilliner，herfriend。
Hardestofall，shehadtobreakthemattertoGeorgy，whomadealoudoutcry。EverybodyhadnewclothesatChristmas。Theotherswouldlaughathim。Hewouldhavenewclothes。Shehadpromisedthemtohim。Thepoorwidowhadonlykissestogivehim。Shedarnedtheoldsuitintears。Shecastaboutamongherlittleornamentstoseeifshecouldsellanythingtoprocurethedesirednovelties。TherewasherIndiashawlthatDobbinhadsenther。SherememberedinformerdaysgoingwithhermothertoafineIndiashoponLudgateHill，wheretheladieshadallsortsofdealingsandbargainsinthesearticles。Hercheeksflushedandhereyesshonewithpleasureasshethoughtofthisresource，andshekissedawayGeorgetoschoolinthemorning，smilingbrightlyafterhim。Theboyfeltthattherewasgoodnewsinherlook。
PackinguphershawlinahandkerchiefanotherofthegiftsofthegoodMajor，shehidthemunderhercloakandwalkedflushedandeagerallthewaytoLudgateHill，trippingalongbytheparkwallandrunningoverthecrossings，sothatmanyamanturnedasshehurriedbyhimandlookedafterherrosyprettyface。Shecalculatedhowsheshouldspendtheproceedsofhershawl——how，besidestheclothes，shewouldbuythebooksthathelongedfor，andpayhishalf-year’sschooling；andhowshewouldbuyacloakforherfatherinsteadofthatoldgreat-coatwhichhewore。ShewasnotmistakenastothevalueoftheMajor’sgift。Itwasaveryfineandbeautifulweb，andthemerchantmadeaverygoodbargainwhenhegavehertwentyguineasforhershawl。
SheranonamazedandflurriedwithherrichestoDarton’sshop，inSt。Paul’sChurchyard，andtherepurchasedtheParents’AssistantandtheSandfordandMertonGeorgylongedfor，andgotintothecoachtherewithherparcel，andwenthomeexulting。Andshepleasedherselfbywritinginthefly-leafinherneatestlittlehand，“GeorgeOsborne，AChristmasgiftfromhisaffectionate-mother。”Thebooksareextanttothisday，withthefairdelicatesuperscription。
ShewasgoingfromherownroomwiththebooksinherhandtoplacethemonGeorge’stable，wherehemightfindthemonhisreturnfromschool，wheninthepassage，sheandhermothermet。Thegiltbindingsofthesevenhandsomelittlevolumescaughttheoldlady’seye。
“Whatarethose？”shesaid。
“SomebooksforGeorgy。”Ameliareplied——I——I
promisedthemtohimatChristmas。”
“Books！”criedtheelderladyindignantly，“Books，whenthewholehousewantsbread！Books，whentokeepyouandyoursoninluxury，andyourdearfatheroutofgaol，I’vesoldeverytrinketIhad，theIndiashawlfrommybackevendowntotheveryspoons，thatourtradesmenmightn’tinsultus，andthatMr。Clapp，whichindeedheisjustlyentitled，beingnotahardlandlord，andacivilman，andafather，mighthavehisrent。Oh，Amelia！
youbreakmyheartwithyourbooksandthatboyofyours，whomyouareruining，thoughpartwithhimyouwillnot。Oh，Amelia，mayGodsendyouamoredutifulchildthanIhavehad！There’sJos，desertshisfatherinhisoldage；andthere’sGeorge，whomightbeprovidedfor，andwhomightberich，goingtoschoollikealord，withagoldwatchandchainroundhisneck——whilemydear，dearoldmaniswithoutash——shilling。”HystericsobsandcriesendedMrs。Sedley’sspeech——itechoedthrougheveryroominthesmallhouse，whereoftheotherfemaleinmatesheardeverywordofthecolloquy。
“Oh，Mother，Mother！”criedpoorAmeliainreply。
“Youtoldmenothing——I——Ipromisedhimthebooks。
I——Ionlysoldmyshawlthismorning。Takethemoney——takeeverything“——andwithquiveringhandsshetookouthersilver，andhersovereigns——herpreciousgoldensovereigns，whichshethrustintothehandsofhermother，whencetheyoverflowedandtumbled，rollingdownthestairs。
Andthenshewentintoherroom，andsankdownindespairanduttermisery。Shesawitallnow。Herselfishnesswassacrificingtheboy。Butforherhemighthavewealth，station，education，andhisfather’splace，whichtheelderGeorgehadforfeitedforhersake。Shehadbuttospeakthewords，andherfatherwasrestoredtocompetencyandtheboyraisedtofortune。Oh，whataconvictionitwastothattenderandstrickenheart！
CHAPTERXLVII
GauntHouseAlltheworldknowsthatLordSteyne’stownpalacestandsinGauntSquare，outofwhichGreatGauntStreetleads，whitherwefirstconductedRebecca，inthetimeofthedepartedSirPittCrawley。PeeringovertherailingsandthroughtheblacktreesintothegardenoftheSquare，youseeafewmiserablegovernesseswithwan-facedpupilswanderingroundandroundit，androundthedrearygrass-plotinthecentreofwhichrisesthestatueofLordGaunt，whofoughtatMinden，inathree-tailedwig，andotherwisehabitedlikeaRomanEmperor。GauntHouseoccupiesnearlyasideoftheSquare。