And with this, feeling that he could say no more, Dobbin went away, Osborne sinking back in his chair, and looking wildly after him. A clerk came in, obedient to the bell; and the captain was scarcely out of the court where Mr. Osborne's offices were, when Mr. Chopper, the chief clerk, came rushing hatless after him.

Behind Mr. Osborne's dining-room was the usual apartment which went in his house by the name of the study; and was sacred to the master of the house. Hither Mr. Osborne would retire on a Sunday forenoon, when not minded to go to church; and here pass the morning in his crimson leather chair, reading the paper. A couple of glazed

"For God's sake, what is it?" Mr. Chop-book-cases were here, containing standard per said, catching the captain by the skirt. The governor's in a fit. What has Mr. George been doing?"

,"

"He married Miss Sedley five days ago,' Dobbin replied. "I was his groomsman, Mr. Chopper, and you must stand his friend."

The old clerk shook his head. "If that's your news, captain, it's bad. The governor will never forgive him."

Dobbin begged Chopper to report progress to him at the hotel where he was stopping, and walked off moodily westward, greatly perturbed as to the past and the future.

When the Russell-square family came to dinner that evening, they found the father of the house seated in his usual place, but with that air of gloom on his face, which, whenever it appeared there, kept the whole circle silent. The ladies and Mr. Bullock, who dined with them, felt that the news had been communicated to Mr. Osborne. His dark looks affected Mr. Bullock so far as to render him still and quiet: but he was unusually bland and attentive to Miss Maria, by whom he sat, and to her sister presiding at the head of the table.

works in stout gilt bindings. The "Annual Register," the "Gentleman's Magazine," "Blair's Sermons," and "Hume and Smollet." From year's end to year's end he never took one of these volumes from the shelf; but there was no member of the family that would dare for his life to touch one of the books, except upon those rare Sunday evenings when there was no dinner party, and when the great scarlet Bible and Prayer-book were taken out from the corner where they stood beside his copy of the Peerage, and the servants being rung up to the dining parlor, Osborne read the evening service to his family in a loud, grating, pompous voice. No member of the household, child or domestic, ever entered that room without a certain terror. Here he checked the housekeeper's accounts, and overhauled the butler's cellar-book. Hence he could command, across the clean, gravel courtyard, the back entrance of the stables with which one of his bells communicated, and into this yard the coachman issued from his premises as into a dock, and Osborne swore at him from the study window. Four times Miss Wirt, by consequence, was alone on a year Miss Wirt entered this apartment to her side of the board, a gap being left be- get her salary; and his daughters to receive tween her and Miss Jane Osborne. Now their quarterly allowance. George, as a boy, this was George's place when he dined at had been horsewhipped in this room many home; and his cover, as we said, was laid times; his mother sitting sick on the stair for him in expectation of that truant's re-listening to the cuts of the whip. The boy turn. Nothing occurred during dinner time except smiling Mr. Frederic's flagging, confidential whispers, and the clinking of plate and china, to interrupt the silence of the repast. The servants went about stealthily doing their duty. Mutes at funerals could not look more glum than the domestics of Mr. Osborne. The neck of venison of which he had invited Dobbin to partake, was carved by him in perfect silence; but his own share went away almost untasted, though he drank much, and the butler assiduously filled his glass.

At last, just at the end of the dinner, his eyes, which had been staring at every body in turn, fixed themselves for a while upon the plate laid for George. He pointed to it presently with his left hand. His daughters looked at him and did not comprehend, or choose to comprehend, the signal; nor did the servants at first understand it.

"Take that plate away," at last he said, getting up with an oath-and with this pushing his chair back, he walked into his own

room.

was scarcely ever known to cry under the punishment; the poor woman used to fondle and kiss him secretly, and give him money to soothe him when he came out.

There was a picture of the family over the mantel-piece, removed thither from the front room after Mrs. Osborne's deathGeorge was on a pony, the elder sister holding him up a bunch of flowers; the younger led by her mother's hand; all with red cheeks and large, red mouths, simpering on each other in the approved family-portrait manner. The mother lay under ground now, long since forgotten-the sisters and brother had a hundred different interests of their own, and, familiar still, were utterly estranged from each other. Some few score of years afterward, when all the par ties represented are grown old, what bitter satire there is in these flaunting, childish, family-portraits, with their farce of sentiment and smiling lies, and innocence so self-conscious and self-satisfied. Osborne's own stately portrait, with that of his great silver inkstand and arm-chair, had taken the

Dobbin's man, and containing an inclosure for Mr. Osborne, which the clerk went in and delivered. A short time afterward Mr. Chopper and Mr. Birch, the next clerk, were summoned, and requested to witness a paper. I've been making a new will," Mr. Osborne said, to which these gentlemen appended their names accordingly. No con

ceedingly grave as he came into the outer rooms, and very hard in Mr. Chopper's face; but there were not any explanations. It was remarked that Mr. Osborne was particularly quiet and gentle all day, to the surprise of those who had augured ill from his darkling demeanor. He called no man names that day, and was not heard to swear once. He left business early; and before going away, summoned his chief clerk once more, and having given him general instructions, asked him, after some seeming hesitation and reluctance to speak, if he knew whether Captain Dobbin was in town?

Chopper said he believed he was. Indeed both of them knew the fact perfectly.

Osborne took a letter directed to that officer, and, giving it to the clerk, requested the latter to deliver it into Dobbin's own hands immediately.

hour of adversity, William Dobbin, who Chopper received a note brought by Captain knew the effect which good dinners and good wines have upon the soul of man, wrote off immediately on his return to his inn, the most hospitable of invitations to Thomas Chopper, Esquire, begging that gentleman to dine with him, at the Slaughter's, next day. The note reached Mr. Chopper before he left the city, and the instant reply was, that "Mr. Chopper presents his re-versation passed. Mr. Higgs looked ex spectful compliments, and will have the honor and pleasure of waiting on Captain D." The invitation and the rough draft of the answer were shown to Mrs. Chopper and her daughters, on his return to Somers' Town that evening, and they talked about military gents and West End men with great exultation as the family sate and partook of tea. When the girls had gone to rest, Mr. and Mrs. C. discoursed upon the strange events which were occurring in the governor's family. Never had the clerk seen his principal so moved. When he went in to Mr. Osborne, after Captain Dobbin's departure, Mr. Chopper found his chief black in the face, and all but in a fit: some dreadful quarrel, he was certain, had occurred between Mr. O. and the young captain. Chopper had been instructed to make out an account of all sums paid to Captain Osborne within the last three years. "And a precious lot of money he has had, too," the chief clerk said, and respected his old and young master the more, for the liberal way in which the guineas had been flung about. The dispute was something about Miss Sedley. Mrs. Chopper vowed and declared, she pitied that poor young lady to lose such a handsome young fellow as the capting. As the daughter of an unlucky speculator, who had paid a very shabby dividend, Mr. Chopper had no great regard for Miss Sedley. He respected the house of Osborne before all others in the city of London and his hope and wish was, that Captain George should marry a nobleman's daughter. The clerk slept a great deal sounder than his principal that night; and, cuddling his children after breakfast, of which he partook with a very hearty appetite (though his modest cup of life was only sweetened with brown sugar), he set off in his best Sunday suit and frilled shirt for business, promising his admiring wife not to punish Captain D.'s port too severely that evening.

Mr. Osborne's countenance, when he arrived in the city at his usual time, struck those dependents who were accustomed, for good reasons, to watch its expression, as peculiarly ghastly and worn. At twelve o'clock Mr. Higgs (of the firm of Higgs & Blatherwick, solicitors, Bedford Row) called by appointment, and was ushered into the governor's private room, and closeted there for more than an hour. At about one Mr.

66

And now Chopper," says he, taking his hat, and with a strange look," my mind will be easy." Exactly as the clock struck two (there was no doubt an appointment between the pair), Mr. Frederic Bullock called, and he and Mr. Osborne walked away together.

The colonel of the-th regiment, in which Messieurs Dobbin and Osborne had companies, was an old general who had made his first campaign under Wolfe at Quebec, and was long since quite too old and feeble for command; but he took some interest in the regiment of which he was the nominal head, and made certain of his young officers welcome at his table, a kind of hospitality which I believe is not altogether common among his brethren of the present day. Captain Dobbin was an especial favorite of this old general. Dobbin was versed in the literature of his profession, and could talk about the great Frederic and the empress queen and their wars, almost as well as the general himself, who was indifferent to the triumphs of the present day, and whose heart was with the tacticians of fifty years back. This officer sent a summons to Dobbin to come and breakfast with him, on the morning when Mr. Osborne altered his will and Mr. Chopper put on his best shirt frill, and then informed his young favorite, a couple of days in advance, of that which they were all expecting a marching order to go to Belgium. The order for the regiment to hold itself in readiness would leave the Horse Guards in a day or two; and as transports were in plenty, they would get their route before

the week was over. Recruits had come in do execution among Frenchmen. Shouting during the stay of the regiment at Chatham; Ha, ha," and stamping his little feet with and the old general hoped that the regiment tremendous energy, he delivered the point which had helped to beat Montcalm in Can- twice or thrice at Captain Dobbin, who parada, and to rout Mr. Washington on Long ried the thrust laughingly with his bamboo Island, would prove itself worthy of its his-walking-stick. torical reputation on the oft-trodden battle- Mr. Stubble, as may be supposed from grounds of the Low Countries. "And so his size and slenderness, was of the Light my good friend, if you have any affaire là," Bobs. Ensign Spooney, on the contrary, said the old general, taking a pinch of snuff was a tall youth, and belonged to (Captain with his trembling white old hand, and then Dobbin's) the Grenadier Company, and he pointing to the spot of his robe de chambre, tried on a new bear-skin cap, under which under which his heart was still feebly beat- he looked savage beyond his years. Then ing, "if you have any Phillis to console, or these two lads went off to the Slaughter's, to bid farewell to papa and mamma, or any and having ordered a famous dinner, sat will to make, I recommend you to set about down and wrote off letters to the kind, anxyour business without delay." With which ious parents at home-letters full of love and the general gave his young friend a finger to heartiness, and pluck and bad spelling. Ah! shake, and a good-natured nod of his pow- there were many anxious hearts beating dered and pig-tailed head; and the door through England at that time; and mothers' being closed upon Dobbin, sat down to pen prayers and tears flowing in many homea poulet (he was exceedingly vain of his steads. French) to Mademoiselle Aménaide, of His Majesty's Theater.

This news made Dobbin grave, and he thought of our friends at Brighton, and then he was ashamed of himself that Amelia was always the first thing in his thoughts (always before any body-before father and mother, sisters and duty-always at waking and sleeping, indeed, and all day long); and returning to his hotel, he sent off a brief note to Mr. Osborne, acquainting him with the information which he had received, and which might tend farther, he hoped, to bring about a reconciliation with George.

This note, dispatched by the same messenger who had carried the invitation to Chopper on the previous day, alarmed the worthy clerk not a little. It was inclosed to him, and as he opened the letter he trembled lest the dinner should be put off on which he was calculating. His mind was inexpressibly relieved when he found that the envelope was only a reminder for himself. ("I shall expect you at half-past five," Captain Dobbin wrote.) He was very much interested about his employer's family; but, que voulez vous? a grand dinner was of more concern to him than the affairs of any other

mortal.

Seeing young Stubble engaged in composition at one of the coffee-room tables at the Slaughter's, and the tears trickling down his nose upon the paper (for the youngster was thinking of his mamma, and that he might never see her again), Dobbin, who was going to write off a letter to George Osborne, relented, and locked up his desk. "Why should I?" said he. "Let her have this night happy. I'll go and see my parents early in the morning, and go down to Brighton myself to-morrow."

So he went up and laid his big hand on young Stubble's shoulder, and backed up that young champion, and told him if he would leave off brandy and water he would be a good soldier, as he always was a gentlemanly good-hearted fellow. Young Stubble's eyes brightened up at this, for Dobbin was greatly respected in the regiment, as the best officer and the cleverest man in it.

"Thank you, Dobbin," he said, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, “I was justjust telling her I would. And O, sir, she's so dam kind to me." The water pumps were at work again, and I am not sure that the soft-hearted captain's eyes did not also twinkle.

The two ensigns, the captain and Mr. Dobbin was quite justified in repeating Chopper, dined together in the same box. the general's information to any officers of Chopper brought the letter from Mr. Osthe regiment whom he should see in the borne, in which the latter briefly presented course of his peregrinations; accordingly he his compliments to Captain Dobbin, and reimparted it to Ensign Stubble, whom he met quested him to forward the inclosed to Capat the agent's, and who, such was his militain George Osborne. Chopper knew nothing tary ardor, went off instantly to purchase a further; he described Mr. Osborne's apnew sword at the accouterment-maker's. pearance, it is true, and his interview with Here this young fellow, who though only his lawyer, wondered how the governor had seventeen years of age, and about sixty-five sworn at nobody, and, especially as the wine inches high, with a constitution naturally circled round, abounded in speculations and rickety and much impaired by premature conjectures. But these grew more vague brandy and water, had an undoubted courage with every glass, and at length became perand a lion's heart, poised, tried, bent, and fectly unintelligible. At a late hour Captain balanced a weapon such as he thought would | Dobbin put his guest into a hackney coach,

in a hiccuping state, and swearing that he | Dobbin saluted Mrs. George Osborne quite would be the kick-the kick-captain's gayly, tried to pay her one or two complifriend for ever and ever.

When Captain Dobbin took leave of Miss Osborne we have said that he asked leave to come and pay her another visit, and the spinster expected him for some hours the next day, when, perhaps, had he come, and had he asked her that question which she was prepared to answer, she would have declared herself as her brother's friend, and a reconciliation might have been effected between George and his angry father. But though she waited at home the captain never came. He had his own affairs to pursue; his own parents to visit and console; and at an early hour of the day to take his place on the Lightning coach, and go down to his friends at Brighton. In the course of the day Miss Osborne heard her father give orders that that meddling scoundrel, Captain Dobbin, should never be admitted within his doors again, and any hopes in which she may have indulged privately, were thus abruptly brought to an end. Mr. Frederic Bullock came, and was particularly affectionate to Maria, and attentive to the brokenspirited old gentleman. For though he said his mind would be easy, the means which he had taken to secure quiet did not seem to have succeeded as yet, and the events of the past two days had visibly shattered him.

CHAPTER XXV.

IN WHICH ALL THE PRINCIPAL PERSONAGES

THINK FIT TO LEAVE BRIGHTON.

CONDUCTED to the ladies, at the Ship Inn, Dobbin assumed a jovial and rattling manner, which proved that this young officer was becoming a more consummate hypocrite every day of his life. He was trying to hide his own private feelings, first upon seeing Mrs. George Osborne in her new condition, and secondly to mask the apprehensions he entertained as to the effect which the dismal news brought down by him would certainly have upon her.

ments relative to her new position as a bride (which compliments, it must be confessed, were exceedingly clumsy and hung fire wofully), and then fell to talking about Brighton, and the sea-air, and the gayeties of the place, and the beauties of the road and the merits of the "Lightning" coach and horses-all in a manner quite incomprehensible to Amelia, and very amusing to Rebecca, who was watching the captain, as indeed she watched every one near whom she came.

Little Amelia, it must be owned, had rather a mean opinion of her husband's friend, Captain Dobbin. He lisped-he was very plain and homely-looking and exceedingly awkward and ungainly. She liked him for his attachment to her husband (to be sure there was very little merit in that), and she thought George was most generous and kind in extending his friendship to his brother officer. George had mimicked Dobbin's lisp and queer manners many times to her, though to do him justice, he always spoke most highly of his friend's good qualities. In her little day of triumph, and not knowing him intimately as yet, she made light of honest William-and he knew her opinions of him quite well, and acquiesced in them very humbly. A time came when she knew him better, and changed her notions regarding him but that was distant as yet.

As for Rebecca, Captain Dobbin had not been two hours in the ladies' company, before she understood his secret perfectly. She did not like him, and feared him privately; nor was he very much prepossessed in her favor. He was so honest, that her arts and cajoleries did not affect him, and he shrank from her with instinctive repulsion. And, as she was by no means so far superior to her sex as to be above jealousy, she disliked him the more for his adoration of Amelia. Nevertheless, she was very respectful and cordial in her manner toward him. A friend to the Osbornes! a friend to her dearest benefactors! She vowed she should always love him sincerely: she remembered him quite well on the Vauxhall night, as she told Amelia archly, and she made a little fun of him when the two ladies went to dress for dinner. Rawdon Crawley paid scarcely any attention to Dobbin, looking upon him as a good-natured nincompoop, and under-bred city man. Jos patronized him with much dignity.

"It is my opinion, George," he said, "that the French emperor will be upon us, horse and foot, before three weeks are over, and will give the duke such a dance as shall make the Peninsula appear mere child's play. But you need not say that to Mrs. Osborne, you know. There mayn't be any When George and Dobbin were alone in fighting on our side after all, and our business the latter's room, to which George had folin Belgium may turn out to be a mere mili-lowed him, Dobbin took from his desk the tary occupation. Many persons think so; letter which he had been charged by Mr. and Brussels is full of fine people and ladies Osborne to deliver to his son. "It's not in of fashion." So it was agreed to represent my father's hand-writing," said George, lookthe duty of the British army in Belgium in ing rather alarmed; nor was it: the letter this harmless light to Amelia. was from Mr. Osborne's lawyer, and to the following effect

This plot being arranged, the hypocritical