How is this? some carping reader exclaims. How is it that Amelia, who

had such a number of friends at school, and was so beloved there, comes

out into the world and is spurned by her discriminating sex? My dear

sir, there were no men at Miss Pinkerton's establishment except the old

dancing-master; and you would not have had the girls fall out about

HIM? When George, their handsome brother, ran off directly after

breakfast, and dined from home half-a-dozen times a week, no wonder the

neglected sisters felt a little vexation. When young Bullock (of the

firm of Hulker, Bullock & Co., Bankers, Lombard Street), who had been

making up to Miss Maria the last two seasons, actually asked Amelia to

dance the cotillon, could you expect that the former young lady should

be pleased? And yet she said she was, like an artless forgiving

creature. "I'm so delighted you like dear Amelia," she said quite

eagerly to Mr. Bullock after the dance. "She's engaged to my brother

George; there's not much in her, but she's the best-natured and most

unaffected young creature: at home we're all so fond of her." Dear

girl! who can calculate the depth of affection expressed in that

enthusiastic SO?

Miss Wirt and these two affectionate young women so earnestly and

frequently impressed upon George Osborne's mind the enormity of the

sacrifice he was making, and his romantic generosity in throwing

himself away upon Amelia, that I'm not sure but that he really thought

he was one of the most deserving characters in the British army, and

gave himself up to be loved with a good deal of easy resignation.

Somehow, although he left home every morning, as was stated, and dined

abroad six days in the week, when his sisters believed the infatuated

youth to be at Miss Sedley's apron-strings: he was NOT always with

Amelia, whilst the world supposed him at her feet. Certain it is that

on more occasions than one, when Captain Dobbin called to look for his

friend, Miss Osborne (who was very attentive to the Captain, and

anxious to hear his military stories, and to know about the health of

his dear Mamma), would laughingly point to the opposite side of the

square, and say, "Oh, you must go to the Sedleys' to ask for George; WE

never see him from morning till night." At which kind of speech the

Captain would laugh in rather an absurd constrained manner, and turn

off the conversation, like a consummate man of the world, to some topic

of general interest, such as the Opera, the Prince's last ball at

Carlton House, or the weather--that blessing to society.

"What an innocent it is, that pet of yours," Miss Maria would then say

to Miss Jane, upon the Captain's departure. "Did you see how he

blushed at the mention of poor George on duty?"




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