Vanity Fair - Page 157/573

"He will be here again to-day," Amelia thought. "He is the greatest

and best of men." And the fact is, that George thought he was one of

the generousest creatures alive: and that he was making a tremendous

sacrifice in marrying this young creature.

While she and Osborne were having their delightful tete-a-tete above

stairs, old Mrs. Sedley and Captain Dobbin were conversing below upon

the state of the affairs, and the chances and future arrangements of

the young people. Mrs. Sedley having brought the two lovers together

and left them embracing each other with all their might, like a true

woman, was of opinion that no power on earth would induce Mr. Sedley to

consent to the match between his daughter and the son of a man who had

so shamefully, wickedly, and monstrously treated him. And she told a

long story about happier days and their earlier splendours, when

Osborne lived in a very humble way in the New Road, and his wife was

too glad to receive some of Jos's little baby things, with which Mrs.

Sedley accommodated her at the birth of one of Osborne's own children.

The fiendish ingratitude of that man, she was sure, had broken Mr. S.'s

heart: and as for a marriage, he would never, never, never, never

consent.

"They must run away together, Ma'am," Dobbin said, laughing, "and

follow the example of Captain Rawdon Crawley, and Miss Emmy's friend

the little governess." Was it possible? Well she never! Mrs. Sedley

was all excitement about this news. She wished that Blenkinsop were

here to hear it: Blenkinsop always mistrusted that Miss Sharp.-- What

an escape Jos had had! and she described the already well-known

love-passages between Rebecca and the Collector of Boggley Wollah.

It was not, however, Mr. Sedley's wrath which Dobbin feared, so much as

that of the other parent concerned, and he owned that he had a very

considerable doubt and anxiety respecting the behaviour of the

black-browed old tyrant of a Russia merchant in Russell Square. He has

forbidden the match peremptorily, Dobbin thought. He knew what a savage

determined man Osborne was, and how he stuck by his word. "The only

chance George has of reconcilement," argued his friend, "is by

distinguishing himself in the coming campaign. If he dies they both go

together. If he fails in distinction--what then? He has some money

from his mother, I have heard enough to purchase his majority--or he

must sell out and go and dig in Canada, or rough it in a cottage in the

country." With such a partner Dobbin thought he would not mind

Siberia--and, strange to say, this absurd and utterly imprudent young

fellow never for a moment considered that the want of means to keep a

nice carriage and horses, and of an income which should enable its

possessors to entertain their friends genteelly, ought to operate as

bars to the union of George and Miss Sedley.