hospitality。　　And　though　I　have　feasted　with　the　great　and
  noble　of　the　worldfor　I　presume　that　I　may　call　my
  excellent　friend　and　patron；　the　Right　Honourable　George
  Earl　of　Bareacres；　one　of　the　numberyet　I　assure　you
  that　the　board　of　the　British　merchant　was　to　the　full
  as　richly　served；　and　his　reception　as　gratifying　and
  noble。　　Mr。　Bluck；　sir；　we　will　resume；　if　you　please；
  that　passage　of　Eutropis；　which　was　interrupted　by　the
  late　arrival　of　Master　Osborne。〃
  To　this　great　man　George's　education　was　for　some
  time　entrusted。　　Amelia　was　bewildered　by　his　phrases；
  but　thought　him　a　prodigy　of　learning。　　That　poor　widow
  made　friends　of　Mrs。　Veal；　for　reasons　of　her　own。　　She
  liked　to　be　in　the　house　and　see　Georgy　coming　to　school
  there。　　She　liked　to　be　asked　to　Mrs。　Veal's　conversazioni；
  which　took　place　once　a　month　（as　you　were　informed　on
  pink　cards；　with　AOHNH　engraved　on　them）；　and　where
  the　professor　welcomed　his　pupils　and　their　friends　to　weak
  tea　and　scientific　conversation。　　Poor　little　Amelia　never
  missed　one　of　these　entertainments　and　thought　them
  delicious　so　long　as　she　might　have　Georgy　sitting　by　her。
  And　she　would　walk　from　Brompton　in　any　weather；
  and　embrace　Mrs。　Veal　with　tearful　gratitude　for　the
  delightful　evening　she　had　passed；　when；　the　company
  having　retired　and　Georgy　gone　off　with　Mr。　Rowson；　his
  attendant；　poor　Mrs。　Osborne　put　on　her　cloaks　and
  her　shawls　preparatory　to　walking　home。
  As　for　the　learning　which　Georgy　imbibed　under　this
  valuable　master　of　a　hundred　sciences；　to　judge　from
  the　weekly　reports　which　the　lad　took　home　to　his
  grandfather；　his　progress　was　remarkable。　　The　names　of　a
  score　or　more　of　desirable　branches　of　knowledge　were
  printed　in　a　table；　and　the　pupil's　progress　in　each　was
  marked　by　the　professor。　　In　Greek　Georgy　was
  pronounced　aristos；　in　Latin　optimus；　in　French　tres　bien；
  and　so　forth；　and　everybody　had　prizes　for　everything
  at　the　end　of　the　year。　　Even　Mr。　Swartz；　the　wooly…
  headed　young　gentleman；　and　half…brother　to　the
  Honourable　Mrs。　Mac　Mull；　and　Mr。　Bluck；　the　neglected
  young　pupil　of　three…and…twenty　from　the　agricultural
  district；　and　that　idle　young　scapegrace　of　a　Master　Todd
  before　mentioned；　received　little　eighteen…penny　books；
  with　〃Athene〃　engraved　on　them；　and　a　pompous　Latin
  inscription　from　the　professor　to　his　young　friends。
  The　family　of　this　Master　Todd　were　hangers…on　of
  the　house　of　Osborne。　　The　old　gentleman　had　advanced
  Todd　from　being　a　clerk　to　be　a　junior　partner　in　his
  establishment。
  Mr。　Osborne　was　the　godfather　of　young　Master　Todd
  （who　in　subsequent　life　wrote　Mr。　Osborne　Todd　on　his
  cards　and　became　a　man　of　decided　fashion）；　while　Miss
  Osborne　had　accompanied　Miss　Maria　Todd　to　the　font；
  and　gave　her　protegee　a　prayer…book；　a　collection　of
  tracts；　a　volume　of　very　low　church　poetry；　or　some
  such　memento　of　her　goodness　every　year。　　Miss　O。　　drove
  the　Todds　out　in　her　carriage　now　and　then；　when　they
  were　ill；　her　footman；　in　large　plush　smalls　and
  waistcoat；　brought　jellies　and　delicacies　from　Russell　Square　to
  Coram　Street。　　Coram　Street　trembled　and　looked　up　to
  Russell　Square　indeed；　and　Mrs。　Todd；　who　had　a　pretty
  hand　at　cutting　out　paper　trimmings　for　haunches　of
  mutton；　and　could　make　flowers；　ducks；　&c。；　out　of　turnips
  and　carrots　in　a　very　creditable　manner；　would　go　to　〃the
  Square；〃　as　it　was　called；　and　assist　in　the　preparations
  incident　to　a　great　dinner；　without　even　so　much　as
  thinking　of　sitting　down　to　the　banquet。　　If　any　guest　failed　at
  the　eleventh　hour；　Todd　was　asked　to　dine。　　Mrs。　Todd　and
  Maria　came　across　in　the　evening；　slipped　in　with　a　muffled
  knock；　and　were　in　the　drawing…room　by　the　time　Miss
  Osborne　and　the　ladies　under　her　convoy　reached　that
  apartmentand　ready　to　fire　off　duets　and　sing　until
  the　gentlemen　came　up。　　Poor　Maria　Todd；　poor　young
  lady！　　How　she　had　to　work　and　thrum　at　these　duets
  and　sonatas　in　the　Street；　before　they　appeared　in　public
  in　the　Square！
  Thus　it　seemed　to　be　decreed　by　fate　that　Georgy
  was　to　domineer　over　everybody　with　whom　he　came　in
  contact；　and　that　friends；　relatives；　and　domestics　were
  all　to　bow　the　knee　before　the　little　fellow。　　It　must
  be　owned　that　he　accommodated　himself　very　willingly
  to　this　arrangement。　　Most　people　do　so。　　And　Georgy
  liked　to　play　the　part　of　master　and　perhaps　had　a
  natural　aptitude　for　it。
  In　Russell　Square　everybody　was　afraid　of　Mr。　Osborne；
  and　Mr。　Osborne　was　afraid　of　Georgy。　　The　boy's
  dashing　manners；　and　offhand　rattle　about　books　and
  learning；　his　likeness　to　his　father　（dead　unreconciled　in
  Brussels　yonder）　awed　the　old　gentleman　and　gave　the
  young　boy　the　mastery。　　The　old　man　would　start　at
  some　hereditary　feature　or　tone　unconsciously　used　by
  the　little　lad；　and　fancy　that　George's　father　was　again
  before　him。　　He　tried　by　indulgence　to　the　grandson　to
  make　up　for　harshness　to　the　elder　George。　　People　were
  surprised　at　his　gentleness　to　the　boy。　　He　growled　and
  swore　at　Miss　Osborne　as　usual；　and　would　smile　when
  George　came　down　late　for　breakfast。
  Miss　Osborne；　George's　aunt；　was　a　faded　old　spinster；
  broken　down　by　more　than　forty　years　of　dulness　and
  coarse　usage。　　It　was　easy　for　a　lad　of　spirit　to　master　her。
  And　whenever　George　wanted　anything　from　her；　from　the
  jam…pots　in　her　cupboards　to　the　cracked　and　dry　old
  colours　in　her　paint…box　（the　old　paint…box　which　she
  had　had　when　she　was　a　pupil　of　Mr。　Smee　and　was
  still　almost　young　and　blooming）；　Georgy　took　possession
  of　the　object　of　his　desire；　which　obtained；　he　took　no
  further　notice　of　his　aunt。
  For　his　friends　and　cronies；　he　had　a　pompous　old
  schoolmaster；　who　flattered　him；　and　a　toady；　his　senior；
  whom　he　could　thrash。　　It　was　dear　Mrs。　Todd's　delight　to
  leave　him　with　her　youngest　daughter；　Rosa　Jemima；　a
  darling　child　of　eight　years　old。　　The　little　pair　looked　so
  well　together；　she　would　say　（but　not　to　the　folks　in　〃the
  Square；〃　we　may　be　sure）　〃who　knows　what　might
  happen？　Don't　they　make　a　pretty　little　couple？〃　the
  fond　mother　thought。
  The　broken…spirited；　old；　maternal　grandfather　was
  likewise　subject　to　the　little　tyrant。　　He　could　not　help
  respecting　a　lad　who　had　such　fine　clothes　and　rode　with
  a　groom　behind　him。　　Georgy；　on　his　side；　was　in　the
  constant　habit　of　hearing　coarse　abuse　and　vulgar　satire
  levelled　at　John　Sedley　by　his　pitiless　old　enemy；　Mr。
  Osborne。　　Osborne　used　to　call　the　other　the　old　pauper；
  the　old　coal…man；　the　old　bankrupt；　and　by　many　other
  such　names　of　brutal　contumely。　　How　was　little　George
  to　respect　a　man　so　prostrate？　A　few　months　after　he
  was　with　his　paternal　grandfather；　Mrs。　Sedley　died。
  There　had　been　little　love　between　her　and　the　child。
  He　did　not　care　to　show　much　grief。　　He　came　down　to
  visit　his　mother　in　a　fine　new　suit　of　mourning；　and　was
  very　angry　that　he　could　not　go　to　a　play　upon　which
  he　had　set　his　heart。
  The　illness　of　that　old　lady　had　been　the　occupation
  and　perhaps　the　safeguard　of　Amelia。　　What　do　men　know
  about　women's　martyrdoms？　We　should　go　mad　had
  we　to　endure　the　hundredth　part　of　those　daily　pains
  which　are　meekly　borne　by　many　women。　　Ceaseless
  slavery　meeting　with　no　reward；　constant　gentleness　and
  kindness　met　by　cruelty　as　constant；　love；　labour；　patience；
  watchfulness；　without　even　so　much　as　the　acknowledgement
  of　a　good　word；　all　this；　how　many　of　them　have
  to　bear　in　quiet；　and　appear　abroad　with　cheerful　faces
  as　if　they　felt　nothing。　　Tender　slaves　that　they　are；　they
  must　needs　be　hypocrites　and　weak。
  From　her　chair　Amelia's　mother　had　taken　to　her　bed；
  which　she　had　never　left；　and　from　which　Mrs。　Osborne
  herself　was　never　absent　except　when　she　ran　to　see
  George。　　The　old　lady　grudged　her　even　those　rare　visits；
  she；　who　had　been　a　kind；　smiling；　good…natured　mother
  once；　in　the　days　of　her　prosperity；　but　whom　poverty
  and　infirmities　had　broken　down。　　Her　illness　or　estrangement
  did　not　affect　Amelia。　　They　rather　enabled　her　to
  support　the　other　calamity　under　which　she　was　suffering；
  and　from　the　thoughts　of　which　she　was　kept　by　the
  ceaseless　calls　of　the　invalid。　　Amelia　bore　her　harshness
  quite　gently；　smoothed　the　uneasy　pillow；　was　always
  ready　with　a　soft　answer　to　the　watchful；　querulous
  voice；　soothed　the　sufferer　with　words　of　hope；　such　as
  her　pious　simple　heart　could　best　feel　and　utter；　and
  closed　the　eyes　that　had　once　looked　so　tenderly　upon
  her。
  Then　all　her　time　and　tenderness　were　devoted　to　the
  consolation　and　comfort　of　the　bereaved　old　father；　who
  was　stunned　by　the　blow　which　had　befallen　him；　and
  stood　utterly　alone　in　the　world。　　His　wife；　his　honour；
  his　fortune；　everything　he　loved　best　had　fallen　away
  from　him。　　There　was　only　Amelia　to　stand　by　and　support
  with　her　gentle　arms　the　tottering；　heart…broken　old　man。
  We　are　not　going　to　write　the　history：　　it　would　be　too
  dreary　and　stupid。　　I　can　see　Vanity　Fair　yawning　over　it
  d'avance。
  One　day　as　the　young　gentlemen　were　assembled
  in　the　study　at　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Veal's；　and　the　domestic
  chaplain　to　the　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Bareacres
  was　spouting　away　as　usual；　a　smart　carriage　drove　up
  to　the　door　decorated　wit