saysone。”Beoff。”saysanotherfiercely。Three-and-sixpencehasbeenspentinvain——thescreensretiretoMissClapp’sbedroom，whopersistsinthinkingthemlovely。
Shewritesoutalittlecardinherneatesthand，andafterlongthoughtandlabourofcomposition，inwhichthepublicisinformedthat“ALadywhohassometimeatherdisposal，wishestoundertaketheeducationofsomelittlegirls，whomshewouldinstructinEnglish，inFrench，inGeography，inHistory，andinMusic——addressA。O。，atMr。Brown’s“；andsheconfidesthecardtothegentlemanoftheFineArtRepository，whoconsentstoallowittolieuponthecounter，whereitgrowsdingyandfly-blown。Ameliapassesthedoorwistfullymanyatime，inhopesthatMr。Brownwillhavesomenewstogiveher，butheneverbeckonsherin。Whenshegoestomakelittlepurchases，thereisnonewsforher。Poorsimplelady，tenderandweak——howareyoutobattlewiththestrugglingviolentworld？
Shegrowsdailymorecare-wornandsad，fixinguponherchildalarmedeyes，whereofthelittleboycannotinterprettheexpression。Shestartsupofanightandpeepsintohisroomstealthily，toseethatheissleepingandnotstolenaway。Shesleepsbutlittlenow。A
constantthoughtandterrorishauntingher。Howsheweepsandpraysinthelongsilentnights——howshetriestohidefromherselfthethoughtwhichwillreturntoher，thatsheoughttopartwiththeboy，thatsheistheonlybarrierbetweenhimandprosperity。Shecan’t，shecan’t。
Notnow，atleast。Someotherday。Oh！itistoohardtothinkofandtobear。
Athoughtcomesoverherwhichmakesherblushandturnfromherself——herparentsmightkeeptheannuity——thecuratewouldmarryherandgiveahometoherandtheboy。ButGeorge’spictureanddearestmemoryaretheretorebukeher。Shameandlovesaynotothesacrifice。Sheshrinksfromitasfromsomethingunholy，andsuchthoughtsneverfoundaresting-placeinthatpureandgentlebosom。
Thecombat，whichwedescribeinasentenceortwo，lastedformanyweeksinpoorAmelia’sheart，duringwhichshehadnoconfidante；indeed，shecouldneverhaveone，asshewouldnotallowtoherselfthepossibilityofyielding，thoughshewasgivingwaydailybeforetheenemywithwhomshehadtobattle。Onetruthafteranotherwasmarshallingitselfsilentlyagainstherandkeepingitsground。Povertyandmiseryforall，wantanddegradationforherparents，injusticetotheboy——
onebyonetheoutworksofthelittlecitadelweretaken，inwhichthepoorsoulpassionatelyguardedheronlyloveandtreasure。
Atthebeginningofthestruggle，shehadwrittenoffaletteroftendersupplicationtoherbrotheratCalcutta，imploringhimnottowithdrawthesupportwhichhehadgrantedtotheirparentsandpaintingintermsofartlesspathostheirlonelyandhaplesscondition。Shedidnotknowthetruthofthematter。ThepaymentofJos’sannuitywasstillregular，butitwasamoney-lenderintheCitywhowasreceivingit：oldSedleyhadsolditforasumofmoneywherewithtoprosecutehisbootlessschemes。Emmywascalculatingeagerlythetimethatwouldelapsebeforetheletterwouldarriveandbeanswered。Shehadwrittendownthedateinherpocket-
bookofthedaywhenshedispatchedit。Toherson’sguardian，thegoodMajoratMadras，shehadnotcommunicatedanyofhergriefsandperplexities。Shehadnotwrittentohimsinceshewrotetocongratulatehimonhisapproachingmarriage。Shethoughtwithsickeningdespondency，thatthatfriend——theonlyone，theonewhohadfeltsucharegardforher——wasfallenaway。
Oneday，whenthingshadcometoaverybadpass——whenthecreditorswerepressing，themotherinhystericgrief，thefatherinmorethanusualgloom，theinmatesofthefamilyavoidingeachother，eachsecretlyoppressedwithhisprivateunhappinessandnotionofwrong——thefatheranddaughterhappenedtobeleftalonetogether，andAmeliathoughttocomfortherfatherbytellinghimwhatshehaddone。ShehadwrittentoJoseph——ananswermustcomeinthreeorfourmonths。
Hewasalwaysgenerous，thoughcareless。Hecouldnotrefuse，whenheknewhowstraitenedwerethecircumstancesofhisparents。
Thenthepooroldgentlemanrevealedthewholetruthtoher——thathissonwasstillpayingtheannuity，whichhisownimprudencehadflungaway。Hehadnotdaredtotellitsooner。HethoughtAmelia’sghastlyandterrifiedlook，when，withatrembling，miserablevoicehemadetheconfession，conveyedreproachestohimforhisconcealment。”Ah！”saidhewithquiveringlipsandturningaway，“youdespiseyouroldfathernow！”
“Oh，papalitisnotthat。”Ameliacriedout，fallingonhisneckandkissinghimmanytimes。”Youarealwaysgoodandkind。Youdiditforthebest。Itisnotforthemoney——itis——myGod！myGod！havemercyuponme，andgivemestrengthtobearthistrial“；andshekissedhimagainwildlyandwentaway。
Stillthefatherdidnotknowwhatthatexplanationmeant，andtheburstofanguishwithwhichthepoorgirllefthim。Itwasthatshewasconquered。Thesentencewaspassed。Thechildmustgofromher——toothers——toforgether。Herheartandhertreasure——herjoy，hope，love，worship——herGod，almost！Shemustgivehimup，andthen——andthenshewouldgotoGeorge，andtheywouldwatchoverthechildandwaitforhimuntilhecametotheminHeaven。
Sheputonherbonnet，scarcelyknowingwhatshedid，andwentouttowalkinthelanesbywhichGeorgeusedtocomebackfromschool，andwhereshewasinthehabitofgoingonhisreturntomeettheboy。ItwasMay，ahalf-holiday。Theleaveswereallcomingout，theweatherwasbrilliant；theboycamerunningtoherflushedwithhealth，singing，hisbundleofschool-bookshangingbyathong。Therehewas。Bothherarmswereroundhim。No，itwasimpossible。Theycouldnotbegoingtopart。”Whatisthematter，Mother？”saidhe；
“youlookverypale。”
“Nothing，mychild。”shesaidandstoopeddownandkissedhim。
ThatnightAmeliamadetheboyreadthestoryofSamueltoher，andhowHannah，hismother，havingweanedhim，broughthimtoElitheHighPriesttoministerbeforetheLord。AndhereadthesongofgratitudewhichHannahsang，andwhichsays，whoitiswhomakethpoorandmakethrich，andbringethlowandexalteth——howthepoorshallberaisedupoutofthedust，andhow，inhisownmight，nomanshallbestrong。
ThenhereadhowSamuel’smothermadehimalittlecoatandbroughtittohimfromyeartoyearwhenshecameuptooffertheyearlysacrifice。Andthen，inhersweetsimpleway，George’smothermadecommentariestotheboyuponthisaffectingstory。HowHannah，thoughshelovedhersonsomuch，yetgavehimupbecauseofhervow。Andhowshemustalwayshavethoughtofhimasshesatathome，faraway，makingthelittlecoat；andSamuel，shewassure，neverforgothismother；
andhowhappyshemusthavebeenasthetimecameandtheyearspassawayveryquickwhensheshouldseeherboyandhowgoodandwisehehadgrown。Thislittlesermonshespokewithagentlesolemnvoice，anddryeyes，untilshecametotheaccountoftheirmeeting——thenthediscoursebrokeoffsuddenly，thetenderheartoverflowed，andtakingtheboytoherbreast，sherockedhiminherarmsandweptsilentlyoverhiminasaintedagonyoftears。
Hermindbeingmadeup，thewidowbegantotakesuchmeasuresasseemedrighttoherforadvancingtheendwhichsheproposed。Oneday，MissOsborne，inRussellSquareAmeliahadnotwrittenthenameornumberofthehousefortenyears——heryouth，herearlystorycamebacktoherasshewrotethesuperscriptiononedayMissOsbornegotaletterfromAmeliawhichmadeherblushverymuchandlooktowardsherfather，sittinggloominginhisplaceattheotherendofthetable。
Insimpleterms，Ameliatoldherthereasonswhichhadinducedhertochangehermindrespectingherboy。
Herfatherhadmetwithfreshmisfortuneswhichhadentirelyruinedhim。HerownpittancewassosmallthatitwouldbarelyenablehertosupportherparentsandwouldnotsufficetogiveGeorgetheadvantageswhichwerehisdue。Greatashersufferingswouldbeatpartingwithhimshewould，byGod’shelp，endurethemfortheboy’ssake。Sheknewthatthosetowhomhewasgoingwoulddoallintheirpowertomakehimhappy。Shedescribedhisdisposition，suchasshefanciedit——quickandimpatientofcontrolorharshness，easilytobemovedbyloveandkindness。Inapostscript，shestipulatedthatsheshouldhaveawrittenagreement，thatsheshouldseethechildasoftenasshewished——shecouldnotpartwithhimunderanyotherterms。
“What？Mrs。Pridehascomedown，hasshe？”oldOsbornesaid，whenwithatremulouseagervoiceMissOsbornereadhimtheletter。”Reg’larstarvedout，hey？
Ha，ha！Iknewshewould。”Hetriedtokeephisdignityandtoreadhispaperasusual——buthecouldnotfollowit。Hechuckledandsworetohimselfbehindthesheet。
Atlastheflungitdownand，scowlingathisdaughter，ashiswontwas，wentoutoftheroomintohisstudyadjoining，fromwhencehepresentlyreturnedwithakey。HeflungittoMissOsborne。
“Gettheroomovermine——hisroomthatwas——ready。”
hesaid。”Yes，sir。”hisdaughterrepliedinatremble。
ItwasGeorge’sroom。Ithadnotbeenopenedformorethantenyears。Someofhisclothes，papers，handkerchiefs，whipsandcaps，fishing-rodsandsportinggear，werestillthere。AnArmylistof1814，withhisnamewrittenonthecover；alittledictionaryhewaswonttouseinwriting；andtheBiblehismotherhadgivenhim，wereonthemantelpiece，withapairofspursandadriedinkstandcoveredwiththedustoftenyears。Ah！
sincethatinkwaswet，whatdaysandpeoplehadpassedaway！Thewriting-book，stillonthetable，wasblottedwithhishand。
MissOsbornewasmuchaffectedwhenshefirstenteredthisroomwiththeservantsunderher。Shesankquitepaleonthelittlebed。”Thisisblessednews，m’am——indeed，m’am。”thehousekeepersaid；“andthegoodoldtimesisreturning，m’am。Thedearlittlefeller，tobesure，m’am；howhappyhewillbe！ButsomefolksinMayFair，m’am，willowehimagrudge，m’am“；andsheclickedbacktheboltwhichheldthewindow-sashandlettheairintothechamber。
“Youhadbettersendthatwomansomemoney。”Mr。
Osbornesaid，beforehewentout。”Sheshan’twantfornothing。Sendherahundredpound。”
“AndI’llgoandseeherto-morrow？”MissOsborneasked。
“That’syourlookout。Shedon’tcomeinhere，mind。
No，by——，notforallthemoneyinLondon。Butshemustn’twantnow。Solookout，andgetthingsright。”WithwhichbriefspeechesMr。OsbornetookleaveofhisdaughterandwentonhisaccustomedwayintotheCity。
“Here，Papa，issomemoney。”Ameliasaidthatnight，kissingtheoldman，herfather，andputtingabillforahundredpoundsintohishands。”And——and，Mamma，don’tbeharshwithGeorgy。He——heisnotgoingtostopwithuslong。”Shecouldsaynothingmore，andwalkedawaysilentlytoherroom。Letuscloseituponherprayersandhersorrow。Ithinkwehadbestspeaklittleaboutsomuchloveandgrief。
MissOsbornecamethenextday，accordingtothepromisecontainedinhernote，andsawAmelia。Themeetingbetweenthemwasfriendly。AlookandafewwordsfromMissOsborneshowedthepoorwidowthat，withregardtothiswomanatleast，thereneedbenofearlestsheshouldtakethefirstplaceinherson’saffection。
Shewascold，sensible，notunkind。Themotherhadnotbeensowellpleased，perhaps，hadtherivalbeenbetterlooking，younger，moreaffectionate，warmer-
hearted。MissOsborne，ontheotherhand，thoughtofoldtimesandmemoriesandcouldnotbutbetouchedwiththepoormother’spitifulsituation。Shewasconquered，andlayingdownherarms，asitwere，shehumblysubmitted。Thatdaytheyarrangedtogetherthepreliminariesofthetreatyofcapitulation。
Georgewaskeptfromschoolthenextday，andsawhisaunt。Amelialeftthemalonetogetherandwenttoherroom。Shewastryingtheseparation——asthatpoorgentleLadyJaneGreyfelttheedgeoftheaxethatwastocomedownandseverherslenderlife。Dayswerepassedinparleys，visits，preparations。ThewidowbrokethemattertoGeorgywithgreatcaution；shelookedtoseehimverymuchaffectedbytheintelligence。Hewasratherelatedthanotherwise，andthepoorwomanturnedsadlyaway。Hebraggedaboutthenewsthatdaytotheboysatschool；toldthemhowhewasgoingtolivewithhisgrandpapahisfather’sfather，nottheonewhocomesheresometimes；andthathewouldbeveryrich，andhaveacarriage，andapony，andgotoamuchfinerschool，andwhenhewasrichhewouldbuyLeader’spencil-caseandpaythetart-woman。Theboywastheimageofhisfather，ashisfondmotherthought。
IndeedIhavenoheart，onaccountofourdearAmelia’ssake，togothroughthestoryofGeorge’slastdaysathome。