Love may be felt for any young lady endowed with such qualities as Miss

Swartz possessed; and a great dream of ambition entered into old Mr.

Osborne's soul, which she was to realize. He encouraged, with the

utmost enthusiasm and friendliness, his daughters' amiable attachment

to the young heiress, and protested that it gave him the sincerest

pleasure as a father to see the love of his girls so well disposed.

"You won't find," he would say to Miss Rhoda, "that splendour and rank

to which you are accustomed at the West End, my dear Miss, at our

humble mansion in Russell Square. My daughters are plain,

disinterested girls, but their hearts are in the right place, and

they've conceived an attachment for you which does them honour--I say,

which does them honour. I'm a plain, simple, humble British

merchant--an honest one, as my respected friends Hulker and Bullock

will vouch, who were the correspondents of your late lamented father.

You'll find us a united, simple, happy, and I think I may say

respected, family--a plain table, a plain people, but a warm welcome,

my dear Miss Rhoda--Rhoda, let me say, for my heart warms to you, it

does really. I'm a frank man, and I like you. A glass of Champagne!

Hicks, Champagne to Miss Swartz."

There is little doubt that old Osborne believed all he said, and that

the girls were quite earnest in their protestations of affection for

Miss Swartz. People in Vanity Fair fasten on to rich folks quite

naturally. If the simplest people are disposed to look not a little

kindly on great Prosperity (for I defy any member of the British public

to say that the notion of Wealth has not something awful and pleasing

to him; and you, if you are told that the man next you at dinner has

got half a million, not to look at him with a certain interest)--if the

simple look benevolently on money, how much more do your old worldlings

regard it! Their affections rush out to meet and welcome money. Their

kind sentiments awaken spontaneously towards the interesting possessors

of it. I know some respectable people who don't consider themselves at

liberty to indulge in friendship for any individual who has not a

certain competency, or place in society. They give a loose to their

feelings on proper occasions. And the proof is, that the major part of

the Osborne family, who had not, in fifteen years, been able to get up

a hearty regard for Amelia Sedley, became as fond of Miss Swartz in the

course of a single evening as the most romantic advocate of friendship

at first sight could desire.

What a match for George she'd be (the sisters and Miss Wirt agreed),

and how much better than that insignificant little Amelia! Such a

dashing young fellow as he is, with his good looks, rank, and

accomplishments, would be the very husband for her. Visions of balls

in Portland Place, presentations at Court, and introductions to half

the peerage, filled the minds of the young ladies; who talked of

nothing but George and his grand acquaintances to their beloved new

friend.




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