第42章

somedreadfulquarrel，hewascertain，hadoccurredbetweenMr。O。andtheyoungCaptain。ChopperhadbeeninstructedtomakeoutanaccountofallsumspaidtoCaptainOsbornewithinthelastthreeyears。”Andapreciouslotofmoneyhehashadtoo。”thechiefclerksaid，andrespectedhisoldandyoungmasterthemore，fortheliberalwayinwhichtheguineashadbeenflungabout。

ThedisputewassomethingaboutMissSedley。Mrs。

ChoppervowedanddeclaredshepitiedthatpooryoungladytolosesuchahandsomeyoungfellowastheCapting。

Asthedaughterofanunluckyspeculator，whohadpaidaveryshabbydividend，Mr。ChopperhadnogreatregardforMissSedley。HerespectedthehouseofOsbornebeforeallothersintheCityofLondon：andhishopeandwishwasthatCaptainGeorgeshouldmarryanobleman’sdaughter。Theclerksleptagreatdealsounderthanhisprincipalthatnight；and，cuddlinghischildrenafterbreakfast(ofwhichhepartookwithaveryheartyappetite，thoughhismodestcupoflifewasonlysweetenedwithbrownsugar)，hesetoffinhisbestSundaysuitandfrilledshirtforbusiness，promisinghisadmiringwifenottopunishCaptainD。’sporttooseverelythatevening。

Mr。Osborne’scountenance，whenhearrivedintheCityathisusualtime，struckthosedependantswhowereaccustomed，forgoodreasons，towatchitsexpression，aspeculiarlyghastlyandworn。Attwelveo’clockMr。

Higgs(ofthefirmofHiggs&Blatherwick，solicitors，BedfordRow)calledbyappointment，andwasusheredintothegovernor’sprivateroom，andclosetedthereformorethananhour。AtaboutoneMr。ChopperreceivedanotebroughtbyCaptainDobbin’sman，andcontaininganinclosureforMr。Osborne，whichtheclerkwentinanddelivered。AshorttimeafterwardsMr。

ChopperandMr。Birch，thenextclerk，weresummoned，andrequestedtowitnessapaper。”I’vebeenmakinganewwill。”Mr。Osbornesaid，towhichthesegentlemenappendedtheirnamesaccordingly。Noconversationpassed。Mr。Higgslookedexceedinglygraveashecameintotheouterrooms，andveryhardinMr。Chopper’sface；buttherewerenotanyexplanations。ItwasremarkedthatMr。Osbornewasparticularlyquietandgentleallday，tothesurpriseofthosewhohadauguredillfromhisdarklingdemeanour。Hecallednomannamesthatday，andwasnotheardtoswearonce。Heleftbusinessearly；andbeforegoingaway，summonedhischiefclerkoncemore，andhavinggivenhimgeneralinstructions，askedhim，aftersomeseeminghesitationandreluctancetospeak，ifheknewwhetherCaptainDobbinwasintown？

Choppersaidhebelievedhewas。Indeedbothofthemknewthefactperfectly。

Osbornetookaletterdirectedtothatofficer，andgivingittotheclerk，requestedthelattertodeliveritintoDobbin’sownhandsimmediately。

“Andnow，Chopper。”sayshe，takinghishat，andwithastrangelook，“mymindwillbeeasy。”Exactlyastheclockstrucktwo(therewasnodoubtanappointmentbetweenthepair)Mr。FrederickBullockcalled，andheandMr。Osbornewalkedawaytogether。

TheColonelofthe——thregiment，inwhichMessieursDobbinandOsbornehadcompanies，wasanoldGeneralwhohadmadehisfirstcampaignunderWolfeatQuebec，andwaslongsincequitetoooldandfeebleforcommand；

buthetooksomeinterestintheregimentofwhichhewasthenominalhead，andmadecertainofhisyoungofficerswelcomeathistable，akindofhospitalitywhichIbelieveisnotnowcommonamongsthisbrethren。CaptainDobbinwasanespecialfavouriteofthisoldGeneral。Dobbinwasversedintheliteratureofhisprofession，andcouldtalkaboutthegreatFrederick，andtheEmpressQueen，andtheirwars，almostaswellastheGeneralhimself，whowasindifferenttothetriumphsofthepresentday，andwhoseheartwaswiththetacticiansoffiftyyearsback。ThisofficersentasummonstoDobbintocomeandbreakfastwithhim，onthemorningwhenMr。OsbornealteredhiswillandMr。Chopperputonhisbestshirtfrill，andtheninformedhisyoungfavourite，acoupleofdaysinadvance，ofthatwhichtheywereallexpecting——amarchingordertogotoBelgium。

TheorderfortheregimenttoholditselfinreadinesswouldleavetheHorseGuardsinadayortwo；andastransportswereinplenty，theywouldgettheirroutebeforetheweekwasover。RecruitshadcomeinduringthestayoftheregimentatChatham；andtheoldGeneralhopedthattheregimentwhichhadhelpedtobeatMontcalminCanada，andtoroutMr。WashingtononLongIsland，woul