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humbly born manbut you have had advantages. Make a good use of em. Mix with the young nobility. Theres many of em who cant spend a dollar to your guinea, my boy. And as for the pink bonnets (here from under the heavy eyebrows there came a knowing and not very pleasing leer)why boys will be boys. Only theres one thing I order you to avoid, which, if you do not, Ill cut you off with a shilling, by Jove; and thats gambling, Oh, of course, sir, said George. But to return to the other business about Amelia: why shouldnt you marry higher than a stockbrokers daughter, Georgethats what I want to know? Its a family business, sir,, says George, cracking filberts. You and Mr. Sedley made the match a hundred years ago. I dont deny it; but peoples positions alter, sir. I dont deny that Sedley made my fortune, or rather put me in the way of acquiring, by my own talents and genius, that proud position, which, I may say, I occupy in the tallow trade and the City of London. Ive shown my gratitude to Sedley; and hes tried it of late, sir, as my cheque-book can show. George! I tell you in confidence I dont like the looks of Mr. Sedleys affairs. My chief clerk, Mr. Chopper, does not like the looks of em, and hes an old file, and knows Change as well as any man in London. Hulker & Bullock are looking shy at him. Hes been dabbling on his own account I fear. They say the Jeune Amelie was his, which was taken by the Yankee privateer Molasses. And thats flatunless I see Amelias ten thousand down you dont marry her. Ill have no lame ducks daughter in my family. Pass the wine, siror ring for coffee. With which Mr. Osborne spread out the evening paper, and George knew from this signal that the colloquy was ended, and that his papa was about to take a nap. He hurried upstairs to Amelia in the highest spirits. What was it that made him more attentive to her on that night than he had been for a long timemore eager to amuse her, more tender, more brilliant in talk? Was it that his generous heart warmed to her at the prospect of misfortune; or that the idea of losing the dear little prize made him value it more? She lived upon the recollections of that happy evening for many days afterwards, remembering his words; his looks; the song he sang; his attitude, as he leant over her or looked at her from a distance. As it seemed to her, no night ever passed so quickly at Mr. Osbornes house before; and for once this young person was almost provoked to be angry by the premature arrival of Mr. Sambo with her shawl. George came and took a tender leave of her the next morning; and then hurried off to the City, where he visited Mr. Chopper, his fathers head man, and received from that gentleman a document which he exchanged at Hulker & Bullocks for a whole pocketful of money. As George entered the house, old John Sedley was passing out of the bankers parlour, looking very dismal. But his godson was much too elated to mark the worthy stockbrokers depression, or the dreary eyes which the kind old gentleman cast upon him. Young Bullock did not come grinning out of the parlour with him as had been his wont in former years. And as the swinging doors of Hulker, Bullock & Co. closed upon Mr. Sedley, Mr. Quill, the cashier (whose benevolent occupation it is to hand out crisp bank-notes from a drawer and dispense sovereigns out of a copper shovel), winked at Mr. Driver, the clerk at the desk on his right. Mr. Driver winked again. No go, Mr. D. whispered. Not at no price, Mr. Q. said. Mr. George Osborne, sir, how will you take it? George crammed eagerly a quantity of notes into his pockets, and paid Dobbin fifty pounds that very evening at mess. That very evening Amelia wrote him the tenderest of long letters. Her heart was overflowing with tenderness, but it still foreboded evil. What was the cause of Mr. Osbornes dark looks? she asked. Had any difference arisen between him and her papa? Her poor papa returned so melancholy from the City, that all were alarmed about him at homein fine, there were four pages of loves and fears and hopes and forebodings. Poor little Emmydear little Emmy. How fond she is of me, George said, as he perused the missiveand Gad, what a headache that mixed punch has given me! Poor little Emmy, indeed. |
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