Kean in Shylock.Immediately on his arrival in London he had written off to his father's solicitors, signifying his royal pleasure that an interview should take place between them on the morrow.His hotel bill, losses at billiards and cards to Captain Crawley had almost drained the young man's purse, which wanted replenishing before he set out on his travels, and he had no resource but to infringe upon the two thousand pounds which the attorneys were commissioned to pay over to him.He had a perfect belief in his own mind that his father would relent before very long.How could any parent be obdurate for a length of time against such a paragon as he was? If his mere past and personal merits did not succeed in mollifying his father, George determined that he would distinguish himself so prodigiously in the ensuing campaign that the old gentleman must give in to him.And if not? Bah! the world was before him.His luck might change at cards, and there was a deal of spending in two thousand pounds.
So he sent off Amelia once more in a carriage to her mamma, with strict orders and carte blanche to the two ladies to purchase everything requisite for a lady of Mrs.
George Osborne's fashion, who was going on a foreign tour.They had but one day to complete the outfit, and it may be imagined that their business therefore occupied them pretty fully.In a carriage once more, bustling about from milliner to linen-draper, escorted back to the carriage by obsequious shopmen or polite owners, Mrs.
Sedley was herself again almost, and sincerely happy for the first time since their misfortunes.Nor was Mrs.
Amelia at all above the pleasure of shopping, and bargaining, and seeing and buying pretty things.(Would any man, the most philosophic, give twopence for a woman who was?) She gave herself a little treat, obedient to her husband's orders, and purchased a quantity of lady's gear, showing a great deal of taste and elegant discernment, as all the shopfolks said.
And about the war that was ensuing, Mrs.Osborne was not much alarmed; Bonaparty was to be crushed almost without a struggle.Margate packets were sailing every day, filled with men of fashion and ladies of note, on their way to Brussels and Ghent.People were going not so much to a war as to a fashionable tour.The newspapers laughed the wretched upstart and swindler to scorn.Such a Corsican wretch as that withstand the armies of Europe and the genius of the immortal Wellington! Amelia held him in utter contempt; for it needs not to be said that this soft and gentle creature took her opinions from those people who surrounded her, such fidelity being much too humble-minded to think for itself.
Well, in a word, she and her mother performed a great day's shopping, and she acquitted herself with considerable liveliness and credit on this her first appearance in the genteel world of London.
