After leaving St. Helena he became very generous, disposing of a great

quantity of ship stores, claret, preserved meats, and great casks

packed with soda-water, brought out for his private delectation. There

were no ladies on board; the Major gave the pas of precedency to the

civilian, so that he was the first dignitary at table, and treated by

Captain Bragg and the officers of the Ramchunder with the respect which

his rank warranted. He disappeared rather in a panic during a

two-days' gale, in which he had the portholes of his cabin battened

down, and remained in his cot reading the Washerwoman of Finchley

Common, left on board the Ramchunder by the Right Honourable the Lady

Emily Hornblower, wife of the Rev. Silas Hornblower, when on their

passage out to the Cape, where the Reverend gentleman was a missionary;

but, for common reading, he had brought a stock of novels and plays

which he lent to the rest of the ship, and rendered himself agreeable

to all by his kindness and condescension.

Many and many a night as the ship was cutting through the roaring dark

sea, the moon and stars shining overhead and the bell singing out the

watch, Mr. Sedley and the Major would sit on the quarter-deck of the

vessel talking about home, as the Major smoked his cheroot and the

civilian puffed at the hookah which his servant prepared for him.

In these conversations it was wonderful with what perseverance and

ingenuity Major Dobbin would manage to bring the talk round to the

subject of Amelia and her little boy. Jos, a little testy about his

father's misfortunes and unceremonious applications to him, was soothed

down by the Major, who pointed out the elder's ill fortunes and old

age. He would not perhaps like to live with the old couple, whose ways

and hours might not agree with those of a younger man, accustomed to

different society (Jos bowed at this compliment); but, the Major

pointed out, how advantageous it would be for Jos Sedley to have a

house of his own in London, and not a mere bachelor's establishment as

before; how his sister Amelia would be the very person to preside over

it; how elegant, how gentle she was, and of what refined good manners.

He recounted stories of the success which Mrs. George Osborne had had

in former days at Brussels, and in London, where she was much admired

by people of very great fashion; and he then hinted how becoming it

would be for Jos to send Georgy to a good school and make a man of him,

for his mother and her parents would be sure to spoil him. In a word,

this artful Major made the civilian promise to take charge of Amelia

and her unprotected child. He did not know as yet what events had

happened in the little Sedley family, and how death had removed the

mother, and riches had carried off George from Amelia. But the fact is

that every day and always, this love-smitten and middle-aged gentleman

was thinking about Mrs. Osborne, and his whole heart was bent upon

doing her good. He coaxed, wheedled, cajoled, and complimented Jos

Sedley with a perseverance and cordiality of which he was not aware

himself, very likely; but some men who have unmarried sisters or

daughters even, may remember how uncommonly agreeable gentlemen are to

the male relations when they are courting the females; and perhaps this

rogue of a Dobbin was urged by a similar hypocrisy.




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