The shawls were worth fifty guineas apiece at the very least, as Mrs.Sedley knew.She wore hers in state at church at Brompton, and was congratulated by her female friends upon the splendid acquisition.Emmy's, too, became prettily her modest black gown."What a pity it is she won't think of him!" Mrs.Sedley remarked to Mrs.Clapp and to all her friends of Brompton."Jos never sent us such presents, I am sure, and grudges us everything.It is evident that the Major is over head and ears in love with her; and yet, whenever I so much as hint it, she turns red and begins to cry and goes and sits upstairs with her miniature.I'm sick of that miniature.I wish we had never seen those odious purse-proud Osbornes."Amidst such humble scenes and associates George's early youth was passed, and the boy grew up delicate, sensitive, imperious, woman-bred--domineering the gentle mother whom he loved with passionate affection.He ruled all the rest of the little world round about him.
As he grew, the elders were amazed at his haughty manner and his constant likeness to his father.He asked questions about everything, as inquiring youth will do.The profundity of his remarks and interrogatories astonished his old grandfather, who perfectly bored the club at the tavern with stories about the little lad's learning and genius.He suffered his grandmother with a good-humoured indifference.The small circle round about him believed that the equal of the boy did not exist upon the earth.Georgy inherited his father's pride, and perhaps thought they were not wrong.
When he grew to be about six years old, Dobbin began to write to him very much.The Major wanted to hear that Georgy was going to a school and hoped he would acquit himself with credit there: or would he have a good tutor at home? It was time that he should begin to learn;and his godfather and guardian hinted that he hoped to be allowed to defray the charges of the boy's education, which would fall heavily upon his mother's straitened income.The Major, in a word, was always thinking about Amelia and her little boy, and by orders to his agents kept the latter provided with picture-books, paint-boxes, desks, and all conceivable implements of amusement and instruction.Three days before George's sixth birthday a gentleman in a gig, accompanied by a servant, drove up to Mr.Sedley's house and asked to see Master George Osborne: it was Mr.Woolsey, military tailor, of Conduit Street, who came at the Major's order to measure the young gentleman for a suit of clothes.He had had the honour of making for the Captain, the young gentleman's father.
Sometimes, too, and by the Major's desire no doubt, his sisters, the Misses Dobbin, would call in the family carriage to take Amelia and the little boy to drive if they were so inclined.The patronage and kindness of these ladies was very uncomfortable to Amelia, but she bore it meekly enough, for her nature was to yield; and, besides, the carriage and its splendours gave little Georgy immense pleasure.The ladies begged occasionally that the child might pass a day with them, and he was always glad to go to that fine garden-house at Denmark Hill, where they lived, and where there were such fine grapes in the hot-houses and peaches on the walls.
One day they kindly came over to Amelia with news which they were SURE would delight her--something VERYinteresting about their dear William.
"What was it: was he coming home?" she asked with pleasure beaming in her eyes.
"Oh, no--not the least--but they had very good reason to believe that dear William was about to be married--and to a relation of a very dear friend of Amelia's--to Miss Glorvina O'Dowd, Sir Michael O'Dowd's sister, who had gone out to join Lady O'Dowd at Madras--a very beautiful and accomplished girl, everybody said."Amelia said "Oh!" Amelia was very VERY happy indeed.
But she supposed Glorvina could not be like her old acquaintance, who was most kind--but--but she was very happy indeed.And by some impulse of which Icannot explain the meaning, she took George in her arms and kissed him with an extraordinary tenderness.Her eyes were quite moist when she put the child down; and she scarcely spoke a word during the whole of the drive--though she was so very happy indeed.
