Vanity Fair - Page 330/573

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 VERY interesting 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

I cannot 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.