第107章

TheillnessofthatoldladyhadbeentheoccupationandperhapsthesafeguardofAmelia。Whatdomenknowaboutwomen’smartyrdoms？Weshouldgomadhadwetoendurethehundredthpartofthosedailypainswhicharemeeklybornebymanywomen。Ceaselessslaverymeetingwithnoreward；constantgentlenessandkindnessmetbycrueltyasconstant；love，labour，patience，watchfulness，withoutevensomuchastheacknowledgementofagoodword；allthis，howmanyofthemhavetobearinquiet，andappearabroadwithcheerfulfacesasiftheyfeltnothing。Tenderslavesthattheyare，theymustneedsbehypocritesandweak。

FromherchairAmelia’smotherhadtakentoherbed，whichshehadneverleft，andfromwhichMrs。OsborneherselfwasneverabsentexceptwhensherantoseeGeorge。Theoldladygrudgedhereventhoserarevisits；

she，whohadbeenakind，smiling，good-naturedmotheronce，inthedaysofherprosperity，butwhompovertyandinfirmitieshadbrokendown。HerillnessorestrangementdidnotaffectAmelia。Theyratherenabledhertosupporttheothercalamityunderwhichshewassuffering，andfromthethoughtsofwhichshewaskeptbytheceaselesscallsoftheinvalid。Ameliaboreherharshnessquitegently；smoothedtheuneasypillow；wasalwaysreadywithasoftanswertothewatchful，querulousvoice；soothedthesuffererwithwordsofhope，suchasherpioussimpleheartcouldbestfeelandutter，andclosedtheeyesthathadoncelookedsotenderlyuponher。

Thenallhertimeandtendernessweredevotedtotheconsolationandcomfortofthebereavedoldfather，whowasstunnedbytheblowwhichhadbefallenhim，andstoodutterlyaloneintheworld。Hiswife，hishonour，hisfortune，everythinghelovedbesthadfallenawayfromhim。TherewasonlyAmeliatostandbyandsupportwithhergentlearmsthetottering，heart-brokenoldman。

Wearenotgoingtowritethehistory：itwouldbetoodrearyandstupid。IcanseeVanityFairyawningoveritd’avance。

OnedayastheyounggentlemenwereassembledinthestudyattheRev。Mr。Veal’s，andthedomesticchaplaintotheRightHonourabletheEarlofBareacreswasspoutingawayasusual，asmartcarriagedroveuptothedoordecoratedwiththestatueofAthene，andtwogentlemensteppedout。TheyoungMastersBanglesrushedtothewindowwithavaguenotionthattheirfathermighthavearrivedfromBombay。Thegreathulkingscholarofthree-and-twenty，whowascryingsecretlyoverapassageofEutropius，flattenedhisneglectednoseagainstthepanesandlookedatthedrag，asthelaquaisdeplacesprangfromtheboxandletoutthepersonsinthecarriage。

“It’safatoneandathinone。”Mr。Blucksaidasathunderingknockcametothedoor。

Everybodywasinterested，fromthedomesticchaplainhimself，whohopedhesawthefathersofsomefuturepupils，downtoMasterGeorgy，gladofanypretextforlayinghisbookdown。

Theboyintheshabbyliverywiththefadedcopperbuttons，whoalwaysthrusthimselfintothetightcoattoopenthedoor，cameintothestudyandsaid，“TwogentlemenwanttoseeMasterOsborne。”Theprofessorhadhadatriflingaltercationinthemorningwiththatyounggentleman，owingtoadifferenceabouttheintroductionofcrackersinschool-time；buthisfaceresumeditshabitualexpressionofblandcourtesyashesaid，“MasterOsborne，Igiveyoufullpermissiontogoandseeyourcarriagefriends——towhomIbegyoutoconveytherespectfulcomplimentsofmyselfandMrs。

Veal。”

Georgywentintothereception-roomandsawtwostrangers，whomhelookedatwithhisheadup，inhisusualhaughtymanner。Onewasfat，withmustachios，andtheotherwasleanandlong，inabluefrock-coat，withabrownfaceandagrizzledhead。

“MyGod，howlikeheis！”saidthelonggentlemanwithastart。”Canyouguesswhoweare，George？”

Theboy’sfaceflushedup，asitdidusuallywhenhewasmoved，andhiseyesbrightened。”Idon’tknowtheother。”hesaid，“butIshouldthinkyoumustbeMajorDobbin。”

Indeeditwasouroldfriend。Hisvoicetrembledwithpleasureashegreetedtheboy，andtakingboththeother’shandsinhisown，drewtheladtohim。

“Yourmotherhastalkedtoyouaboutme——hasshe？”hesaid。

“Thatshehas。”Georgyanswered，“hundredsandhundredsoftimes。”

CHAPTERLVII

EothenItwasoneofthemanycausesforpersonalpridewithwhicholdOsbornechosetorecreatehimselfthatS