Vanity Fair - Page 249/573

Thus all the superior officers being summoned on duty elsewhere, Jos

Sedley was left in command of the little colony at Brussels, with

Amelia invalided, Isidor, his Belgian servant, and the bonne, who was

maid-of-all-work for the establishment, as a garrison under him. Though

he was disturbed in spirit, and his rest destroyed by Dobbin's

interruption and the occurrences of the morning, Jos nevertheless

remained for many hours in bed, wakeful and rolling about there until

his usual hour of rising had arrived. The sun was high in the heavens,

and our gallant friends of the --th miles on their march, before the

civilian appeared in his flowered dressing-gown at breakfast.

About George's absence, his brother-in-law was very easy in mind.

Perhaps Jos was rather pleased in his heart that Osborne was gone, for

during George's presence, the other had played but a very secondary

part in the household, and Osborne did not scruple to show his contempt

for the stout civilian. But Emmy had always been good and attentive to

him. It was she who ministered to his comforts, who superintended the

dishes that he liked, who walked or rode with him (as she had many, too

many, opportunities of doing, for where was George?) and who interposed

her sweet face between his anger and her husband's scorn. Many timid

remonstrances had she uttered to George in behalf of her brother, but

the former in his trenchant way cut these entreaties short. "I'm an

honest man," he said, "and if I have a feeling I show it, as an honest

man will. How the deuce, my dear, would you have me behave

respectfully to such a fool as your brother?" So Jos was pleased with

George's absence. His plain hat, and gloves on a sideboard, and the

idea that the owner was away, caused Jos I don't know what secret

thrill of pleasure. "HE won't be troubling me this morning," Jos

thought, "with his dandified airs and his impudence."

"Put the Captain's hat into the ante-room," he said to Isidor, the

servant.

"Perhaps he won't want it again," replied the lackey, looking knowingly

at his master. He hated George too, whose insolence towards him was

quite of the English sort.

"And ask if Madame is coming to breakfast," Mr. Sedley said with great

majesty, ashamed to enter with a servant upon the subject of his

dislike for George. The truth is, he had abused his brother to the

valet a score of times before.

Alas! Madame could not come to breakfast, and cut the tartines that

Mr. Jos liked. Madame was a great deal too ill, and had been in a

frightful state ever since her husband's departure, so her bonne said.

Jos showed his sympathy by pouring her out a large cup of tea It was

his way of exhibiting kindness: and he improved on this; he not only

sent her breakfast, but he bethought him what delicacies she would most

like for dinner.