Vanity Fair - Page 360/573

Jane Osborne kept her bedroom for many days. She was not allowed to

have a companion afterwards. Her father swore to her that she should

not have a shilling of his money if she made any match without his

concurrence; and as he wanted a woman to keep his house, he did not

choose that she should marry, so that she was obliged to give up all

projects with which Cupid had any share. During her papa's life, then,

she resigned herself to the manner of existence here described, and was

content to be an old maid. Her sister, meanwhile, was having children

with finer names every year and the intercourse between the two grew

fainter continually. "Jane and I do not move in the same sphere of

life," Mrs. Bullock said. "I regard her as a sister, of course"--which

means--what does it mean when a lady says that she regards Jane as a

sister?

It has been described how the Misses Dobbin lived with their father at

a fine villa at Denmark Hill, where there were beautiful graperies and

peach-trees which delighted little Georgy Osborne. The Misses Dobbin,

who drove often to Brompton to see our dear Amelia, came sometimes to

Russell Square too, to pay a visit to their old acquaintance Miss

Osborne. I believe it was in consequence of the commands of their

brother the Major in India (for whom their papa had a prodigious

respect), that they paid attention to Mrs. George; for the Major, the

godfather and guardian of Amelia's little boy, still hoped that the

child's grandfather might be induced to relent towards him and

acknowledge him for the sake of his son. The Misses Dobbin kept Miss

Osborne acquainted with the state of Amelia's affairs; how she was

living with her father and mother; how poor they were; how they

wondered what men, and such men as their brother and dear Captain

Osborne, could find in such an insignificant little chit; how she was

still, as heretofore, a namby-pamby milk-and-water affected

creature--but how the boy was really the noblest little boy ever

seen--for the hearts of all women warm towards young children, and the

sourest spinster is kind to them.

One day, after great entreaties on the part of the Misses Dobbin,

Amelia allowed little George to go and pass a day with them at Denmark

Hill--a part of which day she spent herself in writing to the Major in

India. She congratulated him on the happy news which his sisters had

just conveyed to her. She prayed for his prosperity and that of the

bride he had chosen. She thanked him for a thousand thousand kind

offices and proofs of stead fast friendship to her in her affliction.

She told him the last news about little Georgy, and how he was gone to

spend that very day with his sisters in the country. She underlined

the letter a great deal, and she signed herself affectionately his

friend, Amelia Osborne. She forgot to send any message of kindness to

Lady O'Dowd, as her wont was--and did not mention Glorvina by name, and

only in italics, as the Major's BRIDE, for whom she begged blessings.

But the news of the marriage removed the reserve which she had kept up

towards him. She was glad to be able to own and feel how warmly and

gratefully she regarded him--and as for the idea of being jealous of

Glorvina (Glorvina, indeed!), Amelia would have scouted it, if an angel

from heaven had hinted it to her. That night, when Georgy came back in

the pony-carriage in which he rejoiced, and in which he was driven by

Sir Wm. Dobbin's old coachman, he had round his neck a fine gold chain

and watch. He said an old lady, not pretty, had given it him, who

cried and kissed him a great deal. But he didn't like her. He liked

grapes very much. And he only liked his mamma. Amelia shrank and

started; the timid soul felt a presentiment of terror when she heard

that the relations of the child's father had seen him.