“Pooroldboy。”Macmurdosaid，shakinghishead。
RawdonCrawleyresistedforsometimetheideaoftakingtheplacewhichhadbeenprocuredforhimbysoodiousapatron，andwasalsoforremovingtheboyfromtheschoolwhereLordSteyne’sinteresthadplacedhim。Hewasinduced，however，toacquiesceinthesebenefitsbytheentreatiesofhisbrotherandMacmurdo，butmainlybythelatter，pointingouttohimwhatafurySteynewouldbeintothinkthathisenemy’sfortunewasmadethroughhismeans。
WhentheMarquisofSteynecameabroadafterhisaccident，theColonialSecretaryboweduptohimandcongratulatedhimselfandtheServiceuponhavingmadesoexcellentanappointment。ThesecongratulationswerereceivedwithadegreeofgratitudewhichmaybeimaginedonthepartofLordSteyne。
ThesecretoftherencontrebetweenhimandColonelCrawleywasburiedintheprofoundestoblivion，asWenhamsaid；thatis，bythesecondsandtheprincipals。
Butbeforethateveningwasoveritwastalkedofatfiftydinner-tablesinVanityFair。LittleCacklebyhimselfwenttoseveneveningpartiesandtoldthestorywithcommentsandemendationsateachplace。HowMrs。
WashingtonWhiterevelledinit！TheBishopessofEalingwasshockedbeyondexpression；theBishopwentandwrotehisnamedowninthevisiting-bookatGauntHousethatveryday。LittleSouthdownwassorry；soyoumaybesurewashissisterLadyJane，verysorry。LadySouthdownwroteitofftoherotherdaughterattheCapeofGoodHope。Itwastown-talkforatleastthreedays，andwasonlykeptoutofthenewspapersbytheexertionsofMr。Wagg，actinguponahintfromMr。Wenham。
ThebailiffsandbrokersseizeduponpoorRagglesinCurzonStreet，andthelatefairtenantofthatpoorlittlemansionwasinthemeanwhile——where？Whocared！Whoaskedafteradayortwo？Wassheguiltyornot？Weallknowhowcharitabletheworldis，andhowtheverdictofVanityFairgoeswhenthereisadoubt。SomepeoplesaidshehadgonetoNaplesinpursuitofLordSteyne，whilstothersaverredthathisLordshipquittedthatcityandfledtoPalermoonhearingofBecky’sarrival；somesaidshewaslivinginBierstadt，andhadbecomeadamed’honneurtotheQueenofBulgaria；somethatshewasatBoulogne；andothers，ataboarding-houseatCheltenham。
Rawdonmadeheratolerableannuity，andwemaybesurethatshewasawomanwhocouldmakealittlemoneygoagreatway，asthesayingis。HewouldhavepaidhisdebtsonleavingEngland，couldhehavegotanyInsuranceOfficetotakehislife，buttheclimateofCoventryIslandwassobadthathecouldborrownomoneyonthestrengthofhissalary。Heremitted，however，tohisbrotherpunctually，andwrotetohislittleboyregularlyeverymail。HekeptMacmurdoincigarsandsentoverquantitiesofshells，cayennepepper，hotpickles，guavajelly，andcolonialproducetoLadyJane。
HesenthisbrotherhometheSwampTownGazette，inwhichthenewGovernorwaspraisedwithimmenseenthusiasm；whereastheSwampTownSentinel，whosewifewasnotaskedtoGovernmentHouse，declaredthathisExcellencywasatyrant，comparedtowhomNerowasanenlightenedphilanthropist。LittleRawdonusedtoliketogetthepapersandreadabouthisExcellency。
Hismothernevermadeanymovementtoseethechild。
HewenthometohisauntforSundaysandholidays；hesoonkneweverybird’snestaboutQueen’sCrawley，androdeoutwithSirHuddlestone’shounds，whichheadmiredsoonhisfirstwell-rememberedvisittoHampshire。
CHAPTERLVI
GeorgyisMadeaGentlemanGeorgyOsbornewasnowfairlyestablishedinhisgrandfather’smansioninRussellSquare，occupantofhisfather’sroominthehouseandheirapparentofallthesplendoursthere。Thegoodlooks，gallantbearing，andgentlemanlikeappearanceoftheboywonthegrandsire’sheartforhim。Mr。OsbornewasasproudofhimaseverhehadbeenoftheelderGeorge。
Thechildhadmanymoreluxuriesandindulgencesthanhadbeenawardedhisfather。Osborne’scommercehadprosperedgreatlyoflateyears。HiswealthandimportanceintheCityhadverymuchincreased。HehadbeengladenoughinformerdaystoputtheelderGeorgetoagoodprivateschool；andacommissioninthearmyforhissonhadbeenasourceofnosmallpridetohim；forlittleGeorgeandhisfutureprospectstheoldmanlookedmuchhigher。Hewouldmakeagentlemanofthelittlechap，wasMr。Osborne’sconstantsayingregardinglittleGeorgy。Hesawhiminhismind’seye，acollegian，aParliamentman，aBaronet，perhaps。Theoldmanthoughthewoulddiecontentedifhecouldseehisgrandsoninafairwaytosuchhonours。Hewouldhavenonebutatip-topcollegemantoeducatehim——
noneofyourquacksandpretenders——no，no。Afewyearsbefore，heusedtobesavage，andinveighagainstallparsons，scholars，andthelikedeclaringthattheywereapackofhumbugs，andquacksthatweren’tfittogettheirlivingbutbygrindingLatinandGreek，andasetofsuperciliousdogsthatpretendedtolookdownuponBritishmerchantsandgentlemen，whocouldbuyuphalfahundredof’em。Hewouldmournnow，inaverysolemnmanner，thathisowneducationhadbeenneglected，andrepeatedlypointout，inpompousorationstoGeorgy，thenecessityandexcellenceofclassicalacquirements。
Whentheymetatdinnerthegrandsireusedtoasktheladwhathehadbeenreadingduringtheday，andwasgreatlyinterestedatthereporttheboygaveofhisownstudies，pretendingtounderstandlittleGeorgewhenhespokeregardingthem。Hemadeahundredblundersandshowedhisignorancemanyatime。Itdidnotincreasetherespectwhichthechildhadforhissenior。
Aquickbrainandabettereducationelsewhereshowedtheboyverysoonthathisgrandsirewasadullard，andhebeganaccordinglytocommandhimandtolookdownuponhim；forhispreviouseducation，humbleandcontractedasithadbeen，hadmadeamuchbettergentlemanofGeorgythananyplansofhisgrandfathercouldmakehim。Hehadbeenbroughtupbyakind，weak，andtenderwoman，whohadnoprideaboutanythingbutabouthim，andwhoseheartwassopureandwhosebearingwassomeekandhumblethatshecouldnotbutneedsbeatruelady。Shebusiedherselfingentleofficesandquietduties；ifsheneversaidbrilliantthings，sheneverspokeorthoughtunkindones；guilelessandartless，lovingandpure，indeedhowcouldourpoorlittleAmeliabeotherthanarealgentlewoman！
YoungGeorgylordedoverthissoftandyieldingnature；andthecontrastofitssimplicityanddelicacywiththecoarsepomposityofthedulloldmanwithwhomhenextcameincontactmadehimlordoverthelattertoo。IfhehadbeenaPrinceRoyalhecouldnothavebeenbetterbroughtuptothinkwellofhimself。
Whilsthismotherwasyearningafterhimathome，andIdobelieveeveryhouroftheday，andduringmosthoursofthesadlonelynights，thinkingofhim，thisyounggentlemanhadanumberofpleasuresandconsolationsadministeredtohim，whichmadehimforhispartbeartheseparationfromAmeliaveryeasily。Littleboyswhocrywhentheyaregoingtoschoolcrybecausetheyaregoingtoaveryuncomfortableplace。Itisonlyafewwhoweepfromsheeraffection。Whenyouthinkthattheeyesofyourchildhooddriedatthesightofapieceofgingerbread，andthataplumcakewasacompensationfortheagonyofpartingwithyourmammaandsisters，ohmyfriendandbrother，youneednotbetooconfidentofyourownfinefeelings。
Well，then，MasterGeorgeOsbornehadeverycomfortandluxurythatawealthyandlavisholdgrandfatherthoughtfittoprovide。Thecoachmanwasinstructedtopurchaseforhimthehandsomestponywhichcouldbeboughtformoney，andonthisGeorgewastaughttoride，firstatariding-school，whence，afterhavingperformedsatisfactorilywithoutstirrups，andovertheleaping-bar，hewasconductedthroughtheNewRoadtoRegent’sPark，andthentoHydePark，whereherodeinstatewithMartinthecoachmanbehindhim。OldOsborne，whotookmattersmoreeasilyintheCitynow，wherehelefthisaffairstohisjuniorpartners，wouldoftenrideoutwithMissO。inthesamefashionabledirection。
AslittleGeorgycamecanteringupwithhisdandifiedairandhisheelsdown，hisgrandfatherwouldnudgethelad’sauntandsay，“Look，MissO。”Andhewouldlaugh，andhisfacewouldgrowredwithpleasure，ashenoddedoutofthewindowtotheboy，asthegroomsalutedthecarriage，andthefootmansalutedMasterGeorge。Heretoohisaunt，Mrs。FrederickBullockwhosechariotmightdailybeseenintheRing，withbullocksoremblazonedonthepanelsandharness，andthreepasty-facedlittleBullocks，coveredwithcockadesandfeathers，staringfromthewindowsMrs。FrederickBullock，Isay，flungglancesofthebitteresthatredatthelittleupstartasherodebywithhishandonhissideandhishatononeear，asproudasalord。
Thoughhewasscarcelyelevenyearsofage，MasterGeorgeworestrapsandthemostbeautifullittlebootslikeaman。Hehadgiltspurs，andagold-headedwhip，andafinepininhishandkerchief，andtheneatestlittlekidgloveswhichLamb’sConduitStreetcouldfurnish。
Hismotherhadgivenhimacoupleofneckcloths，andcarefullyhemmedandmadesomelittleshirtsforhim；
butwhenherElicametoseethewidow，theywerereplacedbymuchfinerlinen。Hehadlittlejewelledbuttonsinthelawnshirtfronts。Herhumblepresentshadbeenputaside——IbelieveMissOsbornehadgiventhemtothecoachman’sboy。Ameliatriedtothinkshewaspleasedatthechange。Indeed，shewashappyandcharmedtoseetheboylookingsobeautiful。
Shehadhadalittleblackprofileofhimdoneforashilling，andthiswashungupbythesideofanotherportraitoverherbed。Onedaytheboycameonhisaccustomedvisit，gallopingdownthelittlestreetatBrompton，andbringing，asusual，alltheinhabitantstothewindowstoadmirehissplendour，andwithgreateagernessandalookoftriumphinhisface，hepulledacaseoutofhisgreat-coat——itwasanattywhitegreat-coat，withacapeandavelvetcollar——pulledoutaredmoroccocase，whichhegaveher。
“Iboughtitwithmyownmoney，Mamma。”hesaid。
“Ithoughtyou’dlikeit。”
Ameliaopenedthecase，andgivingalittlecryofdelightedaffection，seizedtheboyandembracedhimahundredtimes。Itwasaminiature-ofhimself，veryprettilydonethoughnothalfhandsomeenough，wemaybesure，thewidowthought。Hisgrandfatherhadwishedtohaveapictureofhimbyanartistwhoseworks，exhibitedinashop-window，inSouthamptonRow，hadcaughttheoldgentleman’seye；andGeorge，whohadplentyofmoney，bethoughthimofaskingthepainterhowmuchacopyofthelittleportraitwouldcost，sayingthathewouldpayforitoutofhisownmoneyandthathewantedtogiveittohismother。Thepleasedpainterexecuteditforasmallprice，andoldOsbornehimself，whenheheardoftheincident，growledouthissatisfactionandgavetheboytwiceasmanysovereignsashepaidfortheminiature。
Butwhatwasthegrandfather’spleasurecomparedtoAmelia’secstacy？Thatproofoftheboy’saffectioncharmedhersothatshethoughtnochildintheworldwaslikehersforgoodness。Forlongweeksafter，thethoughtofhislovemadeherhappy。Shesleptbetterwiththepictureunderherpillow，andhowmanymanytimesdidshekissitandweepandprayoverit！A
smallkindnessfromthoseshelovedmadethattimidheartgrateful。SinceherpartingwithGeorgeshehadhadnosuchjoyandconsolation。
AthisnewhomeMasterGeorgeruledlikealord；
atdinnerheinvitedtheladiestodrinkwinewiththeutmostcoolness，andtookoffhischampagneinawaywhichcharmedhisoldgrandfather。”Lookathim。”theoldmanwouldsay，nudginghisneighbourwithadelightedpurpleface，“didyoueverseesuchachap？
Lord，Lord！he’llbeorderingadressing-casenext，andrazorstoshavewith；I’mblessedifhewon’t。”
Theanticsoftheladdidnot，however，delightMr。
Osborne’sfriendssomuchastheypleasedtheoldgentleman。ItgaveMr。JusticeCoffinnopleasuretohearGeorgycutintotheconversationandspoilhisstories。
ColonelFogeywasnotinterestedinseeingthelittleboyhalftipsy。Mr。SergeantToffy’sladyfeltnoparticulargratitude，when，withatwistofhiselbow，hetiltedaglassofport-wineoverheryellowsatinandlaughedatthedisaster；norwasshebetterpleased，althougholdOsbornewashighlydelighted，whenGeorgy“whopped“
herthirdboyayounggentlemanayearolderthanGeorgy，andbychancehomefortheholidaysfromDr。