over　by　ever　so　many　guardian　angels；　with　and　without
  wages？　　Bon　Dieu；　I　say；　is　it　not　hard　that　the　fateful
  rush　of　the　great　Imperial　struggle　can't　take　place　without
  affecting　a　poor　little　harmless　girl　of　eighteen；　who
  is　occupied　in　billing　and　cooing；　or　working　muslin
  collars　in　Russell　Square？　　You　too；　kindly；　homely　flower！
  is　the　great　roaring　war　tempest　coming　to　sweep　you
  down；　here；　although　cowering　under　the　shelter　of
  Holborn？　　Yes；　Napoleon　is　flinging　his　last　stake；　and　poor
  little　Emmy　Sedley's　happiness　forms；　somehow；　part　of　it。
  In　the　first　place；　her　father's　fortune　was　swept　down
  with　that　fatal　news。　　All　his　speculations　had　of　late　gone
  wrong　with　the　luckless　old　gentleman。　　Ventures　had
  failed；　merchants　had　broken；　funds　had　risen　when　he
  calculated　they　would　fall。　　What　need　to　particularize？
  If　success　is　rare　and　slow；　everybody　knows　how　quick
  and　easy　ruin　is。　　Old　Sedley　had　kept　his　own　sad　counsel。
  Everything　seemed　to　go　on　as　usual　in　the　quiet；
  opulent　house；　the　good…natured　mistress　pursuing；　quite
  unsuspiciously；　her　bustling　idleness；　and　daily　easy
  avocations；　the　daughter　absorbed　still　in　one　selfish；　tender
  thought；　and　quite　regardless　of　all　the　world　besides；
  when　that　final　crash　came；　under　which　the　worthy
  family　fell。
  One　night　Mrs。　Sedley　was　writing　cards　for　a　party；
  the　Osbornes　had　given　one；　and　she　must　not　be
  behindhand；　John　Sedley；　who　had　come　home　very　late　from
  the　City；　sate　silent　at　the　chimney　side；　while　his　wife
  was　prattling　to　him；　Emmy　had　gone　up　to　her　room
  ailing　and　low…spirited。　　〃She's　not　happy；〃　the　mother
  went　on。　　〃George　Osborne　neglects　her。　　I've　no　patience
  with　the　airs　of　those　people。　　The　girls　have　not　been　in
  the　house　these　three　weeks；　and　George　has　been　twice
  in　town　without　coming。　　Edward　Dale　saw　him　at　the
  Opera。　　Edward　would　marry　her　I'm　sure：　and　there's
  Captain　Dobbin　who；　I　think；　wouldonly　I　hate　all
  army　men。　　Such　a　dandy　as　George　has　become。　　With
  his　military　airs；　indeed！　　We　must　show　some　folks　that
  we're　as　good　as　they。　　Only　give　Edward　Dale　any
  encouragement；　and　you'll　see。　　We　must　have　a　party；　Mr。
  S。　　Why　don't　you　speak；　John？　　Shall　I　say　Tuesday　fortnight？
  Why　don't　you　answer？　Good　God；　John；　what　has　happened？〃
  John　Sedley　sprang　up　out　of　his　chair　to　meet　his
  wife；　who　ran　to　him。　　He　seized　her　in　his　arms；　and
  said　with　a　hasty　voice；　〃We're　ruined；　Mary。　　We've
  got　the　world　to　begin　over　again；　dear。　　It's　best　that　you
  should　know　all；　and　at　once。〃　　As　he　spoke；　he　trembled
  in　every　limb；　and　almost　fell。　　He　thought　the　news　would
  have　overpowered　his　wifehis　wife；　to　whom　he　had
  never　said　a　hard　word。　　But　it　was　he　that　was　the　most
  moved；　sudden　as　the　shock　was　to　her。　　When　he　sank
  back　into　his　seat；　it　was　the　wife　that　took　the　office　of
  consoler。　　She　took　his　trembling　hand；　and　kissed　it；　and
  put　it　round　her　neck：　she　called　him　her　Johnher　dear
  Johnher　old　manher　kind　old　man；　she　poured　out　a
  hundred　words　of　incoherent　love　and　tenderness；　her
  faithful　voice　and　simple　caresses　wrought　this　sad　heart
  up　to　an　inexpressible　delight　and　anguish；　and　cheered
  and　solaced　his　over…burdened　soul。
  Only　once　in　the　course　of　the　long　night　as　they　sate
  together；　and　poor　Sedley　opened　his　pent…up　soul；　and
  told　the　story　of　his　losses　and　embarrassmentsthe
  treason　of　some　of　his　oldest　friends；　the　manly　kindness
  of　some；　from　whom　he　never　could　have　expected　itin
  a　general　confessiononly　once　did　the　faithful　wife　give
  way　to　emotion。
  〃My　God；　my　God；　it　will　break　Emmy's　heart；〃　she
  said。
  The　father　had　forgotten　the　poor　girl。　　She　was　lying；
  awake　and　unhappy；　overhead。　　In　the　midst　of　friends；
  home；　and　kind　parents；　she　was　alone。　　To　how　many
  people　can　any　one　tell　all？　　Who　will　be　open　where　there
  is　no　sympathy；　or　has　call　to　speak　to　those　who　never
  can　understand？　　Our　gentle　Amelia　was　thus　solitary。　　She
  had　no　confidante；　so　to　speak；　ever　since　she　had　anything
  to　confide。　　She　could　not　tell　the　old　mother　her
  doubts　and　cares；　the　would…be　sisters　seemed　every　day
  more　strange　to　her。　　And　she　had　misgivings　and　fears
  which　she　dared　not　acknowledge　to　herself；　though　she
  was　always　secretly　brooding　over　them。
  Her　heart　tried　to　persist　in　asserting　that　George
  Osborne　was　worthy　and　faithful　to　her；　though　she　knew
  otherwise。　　How　many　a　thing　had　she　said；　and　got　no
  echo　from　him。　　How　many　suspicions　of　selfishness　and
  indifference　had　she　to　encounter　and　obstinately
  overcome。　　To　whom　could　the　poor　little　martyr　tell　these
  daily　struggles　and　tortures？　　Her　hero　himself　only　half
  understood　her。　　She　did　not　dare　to　own　that　the　man　she
  loved　was　her　inferior；　or　to　feel　that　she　had　given　her
  heart　away　too　soon。　　Given　once；　the　pure　bashful
  maiden　was　too　modest；　too　tender；　too　trustful；　too
  weak；　too　much　woman　to　recall　it。　　We　are　Turks　with
  the　affections　of　our　women；　and　have　made　them
  subscribe　to　our　doctrine　too。　　We　let　their　bodies　go　abroad
  liberally　enough；　with　smiles　and　ringlets　and　pink
  bonnets　to　disguise　them　instead　of　veils　and　yakmaks。　　But
  their　souls　must　be　seen　by　only　one　man；　and　they　obey
  not　unwillingly；　and　consent　to　remain　at　home　as　our
  slavesministering　to　us　and　doing　drudgery　for　us。
  So　imprisoned　and　tortured　was　this　gentle　little　heart；
  when　in　the　month　of　March；　Anno　Domini　1815；
  Napoleon　landed　at　Cannes；　and　Louis　XVIII　fled；　and　all
  Europe　was　in　alarm；　and　the　funds　fell；　and　old　John
  Sedley　was　ruined。
  We　are　not　going　to　follow　the　worthy　old　stockbroker
  through　those　last　pangs　and　agonies　of　ruin　through
  which　he　passed　before　his　commercial　demise　befell。
  They　declared　him　at　the　Stock　Exchange；　he　was
  absent　from　his　house　of　business：　his　bills　were　protested：
  his　act　of　bankruptcy　formal。　　The　house　and　furniture　of
  Russell　Square　were　seized　and　sold　up；　and　he　and　his
  family　were　thrust　away；　as　we　have　seen；　to　hide　their
  heads　where　they　might。
  John　Sedley　had　not　the　heart　to　review　the　domestic
  establishment　who　have　appeared　now　and　anon　in　our
  pages　and　of　whom　he　was　now　forced　by　poverty　to
  take　leave。　　The　wages　of　those　worthy　people　were
  discharged　with　that　punctuality　which　men　frequently　show
  who　only　owe　in　great　sumsthey　were　sorry　to　leave
  good　placesbut　they　did　not　break　their　hearts　at　parting
  from　their　adored　master　and　mistress。　　Amelia's　maid
  was　profuse　in　condolences；　but　went　off　quite　resigned
  to　better　herself　in　a　genteeler　quarter　of　the　town。　　Black
  Sambo；　with　the　infatuation　of　his　profession；　determined
  on　setting　up　a　public…house。　　Honest　old　Mrs。　Blenkinsop
  indeed；　who　had　seen　the　birth　of　Jos　and　Amelia；　and
  the　wooing　of　John　Sedley　and　his　wife；　was　for　staying
  by　them　without　wages；　having　amassed　a　considerable
  sum　in　their　service：　and　she　accompanied　the　fallen
  people　into　their　new　and　humble　place　of　refuge；　where
  she　tended　them　and　grumbled　against　them　for　a　while。
  Of　all　Sedley's　opponents　in　his　debates　with　his　creditors
  which　now　ensued；　and　harassed　the　feelings　of　the
  humiliated　old　gentleman　so　severely；　that　in　six　weeks　he
  oldened　more　than　he　had　done　for　fifteen　years　before
  the　most　determined　and　obstinate　seemed　to　be　John
  Osborne；　his　old　friend　and　neighbourJohn　Osborne；
  whom　he　had　set　up　in　lifewho　was　under　a　hundred
  obligations　to　himand　whose　son　was　to　marry　Sedley's
  daughter。　　Any　one　of　these　circumstances　would　account
  for　the　bitterness　of　Osborne's　opposition。
  When　one　man　has　been　under　very　remarkable
  obligations　to　another；　with　whom　he　subsequently　quarrels；
  a　common　sense　of　decency；　as　it　were；　makes　of　the
  former　a　much　severer　enemy　than　a　mere　stranger
  would　be。　　To　account　for　your　own　hard…heartedness　and
  ingratitude　in　such　a　case；　you　are　bound　to　prove　the
  other　party's　crime。　　It　is　not　that　you　are　selfish；　brutal；
  and　angry　at　the　failure　of　a　speculationno；　noit　is
  that　your　partner　has　led　you　into　it　by　the　basest　treachery
  and　with　the　most　sinister　motives。　　From　a　mere
  sense　of　consistency；　a　persecutor　is　bound　to　show　that
  the　fallen　man　is　a　villainotherwise　he；　the　persecutor；
  is　a　wretch　himself。
  And　as　a　general　rule；　which　may　make　all　creditors
  who　are　inclined　to　be　severe　pretty　comfortable　in　their
  minds；　no　men　embarrassed　are　altogether　honest；　very
  likely。　　They　conceal　something；　they　exaggerate　chances
  of　good　luck；　hide　away　the　real　state　of　affairs；　say　that
  things　are　flourishing　when　they　are　hopeless；　keep　a
  smiling　face　（a　dreary　smile　it　is）　upon　the　verge　of
  bankruptcyare　ready　to　lay　hold　of　any　pretext　for
  delay　or　of　any　money；　so　as　to　stave　off　the　inevitable
  ruin　a　few　days　longer。　　〃Down　with　such　dishonesty；〃
  says　the　creditor　in　triumph；　and　reviles　his　sinking
  enemy。　　〃You　fool；　why　do　you　catch　at　a　straw？〃　calm
  good　sense　says　to　the　man　that　is　drowning。　　〃You　villain；
  why　do　you　shrink　from　plunging　into　the　irretrievable
  Gazette？〃　says　prosperity　to　the　poor　devil　battling　in
  that　black　gulf。　　Who　has　not　remarked　the　readiness　with
  which　the　closest　of　friends　a