第87章

“IexpectYOU，dear。”Mrs。Bullockwouldsay，“forofcoursemyshareofourPapa’spropertymustgototheheadofthehouse，youknow。DearRhodaMcMullwilldisengagethewholeoftheCastletoddypropertyassoonaspoordearLordCastletoddydies，whoisquiteepileptic；andlittleMacduffMcMullwillbeViscountCastletoddy。BoththeMr。BludyersofMincingLanehavesettledtheirfortunesonFannyBludyer’slittleboy。MydarlingFrederickmustpositivelybeaneldestson；and——

anddoaskPapatobringusbackhisaccountinLombardStreet，willyou，dear？Itdoesn’tlookwell，hisgoingtoStumpyandRowdy’s。”Afterwhichkindofspeeches，inwhichfashionandthemainchancewereblendedtogether，andafterakiss，whichwaslikethecontactofanoyster——Mrs。FrederickBullockwouldgatherherstarchednurslingsandsimperbackintohercarriage。

Everyvisitwhichthisleaderoftonpaidtoherfamilywasmoreunluckyforher。HerfatherpaidmoremoneyintoStumpyandRowdy’s。Herpatronagebecamemoreandmoreinsufferable。ThepoorwidowinthelittlecottageatBrompton，guardinghertreasurethere，littleknewhoweagerlysomepeoplecovetedit。

OnthatnightwhenJaneOsbornehadtoldherfatherthatshehadseenhisgrandson，theoldmanhadmadehernoreply，buthehadshownnoanger——andhadbadehergood-nightongoinghimselftohisroominratherakindlyvoice。AndhemusthavemeditatedonwhatshesaidandhavemadesomeinquiriesoftheDobbinfamilyregardinghervisit，forafortnightafterittookplace，heaskedherwherewasherlittleFrenchwatchandchainsheusedtowear？

“Iboughtitwithmymoney，sir。”shesaidinagreatfright。

“Goandorderanotherlikeit，orabetterifyoucangetit。”saidtheoldgentlemanandlapsedagainintosilence。

OflatetheMissesDobbinmorethanoncerepeatedtheirentreatiestoAmelia，toallowGeorgetovisitthem。

Hisaunthadshownherinclination；perhapshisgrandfatherhimself，theyhinted，mightbedisposedtobereconciledtohim。Surely，Ameliacouldnotrefusesuchadvantageouschancesfortheboy。Norcouldshe，butsheaccededtotheirovertureswithaveryheavyandsuspiciousheart，wasalwaysuneasyduringthechild’sabsencefromher，andwelcomedhimbackasifhewasrescuedoutofsomedanger。Hebroughtbackmoneyandtoys，atwhichthewidowlookedwithalarmandjealousy；

sheaskedhimalwaysifhehadseenanygentleman——

“OnlyoldSirWilliam，whodrovehimaboutinthefour-

wheeledchaise，andMr。Dobbin，whoarrivedonthebeautifulbayhorseintheafternoon——inthegreencoatandpinkneck-cloth，withthegold-headedwhip，whopromisedtoshowhimtheTowerofLondonandtakehimoutwiththeSurreyhounds。”Atlast，hesaid，“Therewasanoldgentleman，withthickeyebrows，andabroadhat，andlargechainandseals。”HecameonedayasthecoachmanwaslungingGeorgyroundthelawnonthegraypony。”Helookedatmeverymuch。Heshookverymuch。Isaid’MynameisNorval’afterdinner。Myauntbegantocry。Sheisalwayscrying。”SuchwasGeorge’sreportonthatnight。

ThenAmeliaknewthattheboyhadseenhisgrandfather；andlookedoutfeverishlyforaproposalwhichshewassurewouldfollow，andwhichcame，infact，inafewdaysafterwards。Mr。Osborneformallyofferedtotaketheboyandmakehimheirtothefortunewhichhehadintendedthathisfathershouldinherit。HewouldmakeMrs。GeorgeOsborneanallowance，suchastoassureheradecentcompetency。IfMrs。GeorgeOsborneproposedtomarryagain，asMr。O。heardwasherintention，hewouldnotwithdrawthatallowance。ButitmustbeunderstoodthatthechildwouldliveentirelywithhisgrandfatherinRussellSquare，oratwhateverotherplaceMr。O。shouldselect，andthathewouldbeoccasionallypermittedtoseeMrs。GeorgeOsborneatherownresidence。Thismessagewasbroughtorreadtoherinaletteroneday，whenhermotherwasfromhomeandherfatherabsentasusualintheCity。

Shewasneverseenangrybuttwiceorthriceinherlife，anditwasinoneofthesemoodsthatMr。Osborne’sattorneyhadthefortunetobeholdher。Sheroseuptremblingandflushingver