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mes his money, and a thousand times his experience, was wretched underling who should instantly leave all his usiness in life to attend on the captain's pleasure. He did see the sneer of contempt which passed all round the om, from the first clerk to the articled gents, from the ficled gents to the ragged writers and white-faced runners, clothes too tight for them, as he sat there tapping his ot with his cane, and thinking what a parcel of miserable or devils these were. The miserable poor devils knew all out his affairs. They talked about them over their pints beer at their public-house clubs to other clerks of a night. gods, what do not attorneys and attorneys' clerks know London! Nothing is hidden from their inquisition, and eir familiars mutely rule our city.

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Perhaps George expected, when he entered Mr. Higgs's artment, to find that gentleman commissioned to give m some message of compromise or conciliation from his ther; perhaps his haughty and cold demeanour was dopted as a sign of his spirit and resolution: but if so, his erceness was met by a chilling coolness and indifference the attorney's part, that rendered swaggering absurd. e pretended to be writing at a paper, when the captain tered. Pray, sit down, sir,' said he, and I will attend your little affair in a moment. Mr. Poe, get the release pers, if you please; ' and then he fell to writing again. Poe having produced those papers, his chief calculated e amount of two thousand pounds stock at the rate of e day; and asked Captain Osborne whether he would take e sum in a cheque upon the bankers, or whether he should rect the latter to purchase stock to that amount. • One the late Mrs. Osborne's trustees is out of town,' he said differently, but my client wishes to meet your wishes, d have done with the business as quick as possible.' 'Give me a cheque, sir,' said the captain very surlily. Damn the shillings and halfpence, sir,' he added, as the wyer was making out the amount of the draft; and, attering himself that by this stroke of magnanimity he had at the old quiz to the blush, he stalked out of his office with e paper in his pocket.

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That chap will be in gaol in two years,' Mr. Higgs said Mr. Poe.

Won't O. come round, sir, don't you think?

Won't the Monument come round,' Mr. Higgs replied.

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'He's going it pretty fast,' said the clerk. He's only married a week, and I saw him and some other military chaps handing Mrs. Highflyer to her carriage after the play. And then another case was called, and Mr. George Osborne thenceforth dismissed from these worthy gentlemen's memory.

The draft was upon our friends Hulker and Bullock of Lombard Street, to whose house, still thinking he was doing business, George bent his way, and from whom he received his money. Frederick Bullock, Esq., whose yellow face was over a ledger, at which sat a demure clerk, happened to be in the banking-room when George entered. His yellow face turned to a more deadly colour when he saw the captain, and he slunk back guiltily into the inmost parlour. George was too busy gloating over the money (for he had never had such a sum before), to mark the countenance or flight of the cadaverous suitor of his sister.

Fred Bullock told old Osborne of his son's appearance and conduct,' He came in as bold as brass,' said Frederick 'He has drawn out every shilling. How long will a few hundred pounds last such a chap as that?' Osborne swore with a great oath that he little cared when or how soon he spent it. Fred dined every day in Russell Square now But altogether, George was highly pleased with his day' business. All his own baggage and outfit was put into state of speedy preparation, and he paid Amelia's purchase with cheques on his agents, and with the splendour of a lord

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CHAPTER XXVII

IN WHICH AMELIA JOINS HER REGIMENT

HEN Jos's fine carriage drove up to the inn door at Chatham, the first face which Amelia recognized was the friendly countenance of Captain Dobbin, who had been pacing the street for an hour past in expectation of his friends' arrival. The captain, with shells on his frock-coat, and a crimson sash and sabre, presented a military appearance, which made Jos quite proud to be able to claim such an acquaintance, and the stout civilian hailed him with a cordiality very different from the reception which Jos vouchsafed to his friend in Brighton and Bond Street.

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Along with the captain was Ensign Stubble; who, as the barocche neared the inn, burst out with an exclamation of By Jove! what a pretty girl;' highly applauding Osborne's choice. Indeed, Amelia dressed in her wedding-pelisse and pink ribbons, with a flush in her face, occasioned by rapid travel through the open air, looked so fresh and pretty, as fully to justify the ensign's compliment. Dobbin liked him for making it. As he stepped forward to help the lady out of the carriage, Stubble saw what a pretty little hand she gave him, and what a sweet pretty little foot came tripping down the step. He blushed profusely, and made the very best bow of which he was capable; to which Amelia, seeing the number of the th regiment embroidered on the ensign's cap, replied with a blushing smile, and a curtsy on her part; which finished the young ensign on the spot. Dobbin took most kindly to Mr. Stubble from that day, and encouraged him to talk about Amelia in their private walks, and at each other's quarters. It became the fashion, indeed, among all the honest young fellows of the -th to adore and admire Mrs. Osborne. Her simple artless behaviour, and modest kindness of demeanour, won all their unsophisticated

hearts; all which simplicity and sweetness are quite impossible to describe in print. But who has not beheld these among women, and recognized the presence of all sorts of qualities in them, even though they say no more to you than that they are engaged to dance the next quadrille, or that it is very hot weather? George, always the champion of his regiment, rose immensely in the opinion of the youth of the corps, by his gallantry in marrying this portionless young creature, and by his choice of such a pretty kind partner.

In the sitting-room which was awaiting the travellers, Amelia, to her surprise, found a letter addressed to Mrs. Captain Osborne. It was a triangular billet, on pink paper, and sealed with a dove and an olive branch, and a profusion of light-blue sealing-wax, and it was written in a very large, though undecided female hand.

'It's Peggy O'Dowd's fist,' said George, laughing. 'I know it by the kisses on the seal.' And in fact, it was a note from Mrs. Major O'Dowd, requesting the pleasure of Mrs. Osborne's company that very evening to a small friendly party. You must go,' George said. You will make acquaintance with the regiment there. O'Dowd goes in command of the regiment, and Peggy goes in command of O'Dowd.'

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But they had not been for many minutes in the enjoy ment of Mrs. O'Dowd's letter, when the door was flung open, and a stout jolly lady, in a riding-habit, followed by a couple of officers of Ours, entered the room.

Sure, I couldn't stop till tay-time. Present me, Garge, my dear fellow, to your lady. Madam, I'm delighted to see ye; and to present to you me husband, Meejor O'Dowd;' and with this, the jolly lady in the riding-habit grasped Amelia's hand very warmly, and the latter knew at once that the lady was before her whom her husband had so often laughed at. You've often heard of me from that husband of yours,' said the lady, with great vivacity.

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You've often heard of her,' echoed her husband, the Major.

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Amelia answered, smiling, that she had.'

'And small good he's told you of me,' Mrs. O'Dowd replied; adding that George was a wicked divvle '.

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That I'll go bail for,' said the major, trying to look knowing, at which George laughed; and Mrs. O'Dowd,

with a tap of her whip, told the major to be quiet; and then requested to be presented in form to Mrs. Captain Osborne.

This, my dear,' said George with great gravity, 'is my very good, kind, and excellent friend, Auralia Margaretta, otherwise called Peggy.'

'Faith, you're right,' interposed the major.

'Otherwise called Peggy, lady of Major Michael O'Dowd, of our regiment, and daughter of Fitzjurld Ber'sford de Burgo Malony of Glenmalony, County Kildare.'

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'And Muryan Squeer, Doblin,' said the lady, with calm superiority.

And Muryan Square, sure enough,' the major whispered. ''Twas there ye coorted me, meejor dear,' the lady said; and the major assented to this as to every other proposition which was made generally in company.

Major O'Dowd, who had served his sovereign in every quarter of the world, and had paid for every step in his profession by some more than equivalent act of daring and gallantry, was the most modest, silent, sheep-faced, and

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