第36章

“It’smybelief，sir，thatyouhavenotthepowerortherighttoseparatethosetwo。”Dobbinansweredinalowvoice；“andthatifyoudon’tgiveyourdaughteryourconsentitwillbeherdutytomarrywithoutit。There’snoreasonsheshoulddieorlivemiserablybecauseyouarewrong-headed。Tomythinking，she’sjustasmuchmarriedasifthebannshadbeenreadinallthechurchesinLondon。AndwhatbetteranswercantherebetoOsborne’schargesagainstyou，aschargesthereare，thanthathissonclaimstoenteryourfamilyandmarryyourdaughter？”

AlightofsomethinglikesatisfactionseemedtobreakoveroldSedleyasthispointwasputtohim：buthestillpersistedthatwithhisconsentthemarriagebetweenAmeliaandGeorgeshouldnevertakeplace。

“Wemustdoitwithout。”Dobbinsaid，smiling，andtoldMr。Sedley，ashehadtoldMrs。Sedleyintheday，before，thestoryofRebecca’selopementwithCaptainCrawley。Itevidentlyamusedtheoldgentleman。”You’reterriblefellows，youCaptains。”saidhe，tyinguphispapers；andhisfaceworesomethinglikeasmileuponit，totheastonishmentoftheblear-eyedwaiterwhonowentered，andhadneverseensuchanexpressionuponSedley’scountenancesincehehadusedthedismalcoffee-house。

TheideaofhittinghisenemyOsbornesuchablowsoothed，perhaps，theoldgentleman：and，theircolloquypresentlyending，heandDobbinpartedprettygoodfriends。

“Mysisterssayshehasdiamondsasbigaspigeons’

eggs。”Georgesaid，laughing。”Howtheymustsetoffhercomplexion！Aperfectilluminationitmustbewhenherjewelsareonherneck。Herjet-blackhairisascurlyasSambo’s。Idaresaysheworeanoseringwhenshewenttocourt；andwithaplumeoffeathersinhertop-knotshewouldlookaperfectBelleSauvage。”

George，inconversationwithAmelia，wasrallyingtheappearanceofayoungladyofwhomhisfatherandsistershadlatelymadetheacquaintance，andwhowasanobjectofvastrespecttotheRussellSquarefamily。ShewasreportedtohaveIdon’tknowhowmanyplantationsintheWestIndies；adealofmoneyinthefunds；andthreestarstohernameintheEastIndiastockholders’list。ShehadamansioninSurrey，andahouseinPortlandPlace。

ThenameoftherichWestIndiaheiresshadbeenmentionedwithapplauseintheMorningPost。Mrs。Haggistoun，ColonelHaggistoun’swidow，herrelative，“chaperoned“

her，andkeptherhouse。Shewasjustfromschool，whereshehadcompletedhereducation，andGeorgeandhissistershadmetherataneveningpartyatoldHulker’shouse，DevonshirePlace(Hulker，Bullock，andCo。werelongthecorrespondentsofherhouseintheWestIndies)，andthegirlshadmadethemostcordialadvancestoher，whichtheheiresshadreceivedwithgreatgoodhumour。

Anorphaninherposition——withhermoney——sointeresting！

theMissesOsbornesaid。TheywerefulloftheirnewfriendwhentheyreturnedfromtheHulkerballtoMissWirt，theircompanion；theyhadmadearrangementsforcontinuallymeeting，andhadthecarriageanddrovetoseehertheverynextday。Mrs。Haggistoun，ColonelHaggistoun’swidow，arelationofLordBinkie，andalwaystalkingofhim，struckthedearunsophisticatedgirlsasratherhaughty，andtoomuchinclinedtotalkabouthergreatrelations：butRhodawaseverythingtheycouldwish——

thefrankest，kindest，mostagreeablecreature——wantingalittlepolish，butsogood-natured。ThegirlsChristian-

namedeachotheratonce。

“Youshouldhaveseenherdressforcourt，Emmy。”

Osbornecried，laughing。”Shecametomysisterstoshowitoff，beforeshewaspresentedinstatebymyLadyBinkie，theHaggistoun’skinswoman。She’srelatedtoeveryone，thatHaggistoun。HerdiamondsblazedoutlikeVauxhallonthenightwewerethere。(DoyourememberVauxhall，Emmy，andJossingingtohisdearestdiddlediddledarling？)Diamondsandmahogany，mydear！

thinkwhatanadvantageouscontrast——andthewhitefeathersinherhair——Imeaninherwool。Shehadearringslikechandeliers；youmighthavelighted’emup，byJove——andayellowsatintrainthatstreeledafterherlikethetailofacornet。”

“Howoldisshe？”askedEmmy，towhomGeorgewasrattlingawayregardingthisdarkparagon，onthemorningoftheirreunion——rattlingawayasnoothermanintheworldsurelycould。

“WhytheBlackPrincess，thoughshehasonlyjustleftschool，mustbetwoorthreeandtwenty。Andyoushouldseethehandshewrites！Mrs。ColonelHaggistounusuallywritesherletters，butinamomentofconfidence，sheputpentopaperformysisters；shespeltsatinsatting，andSaintJames’s，SaintJams。”

“Why，surelyitmustbeMissSwartz，theparlourboarder。”Emmysaid，rememberingthatgood-naturedyoungmulattogirl，whohadbeensohystericallyaffectedwhenAmelialeftMissPinkerton’sacademy“Theveryname。”Georgesaid。”HerfatherwasaGermanJew——aslave-ownertheysay——connectedwiththeCannibalIslandsinsomewayorother。Hediedlastyear，a