chaplain　to　the　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Bareacres
  was　spouting　away　as　usual；　a　smart　carriage　drove　up
  to　the　door　decorated　with　the　statue　of　Athene；　and　two
  gentlemen　stepped　out。　　The　young　Masters　Bangles　rushed
  to　the　window　with　a　vague　notion　that　their　father
  might　have　arrived　from　Bombay。　　The　great　hulking
  scholar　of　three…and…twenty；　who　was　crying　secretly　over　a
  passage　of　Eutropius；　flattened　his　neglected　nose　against
  the　panes　and　looked　at　the　drag；　as　the　laquais　de　place
  sprang　from　the　box　and　let　out　the　persons　in　the　carriage。
  〃It's　a　fat　one　and　a　thin　one；〃　Mr。　Bluck　said　as　a
  thundering　knock　came　to　the　door。
  Everybody　was　interested；　from　the　domestic　chaplain
  himself；　who　hoped　he　saw　the　fathers　of　some　future
  pupils；　down　to　Master　Georgy；　glad　of　any　pretext　for
  laying　his　book　down。
  The　boy　in　the　shabby　livery　with　the　faded　copper
  buttons；　who　always　thrust　himself　into　the　tight　coat
  to　open　the　door；　came　into　the　study　and　said；　〃Two
  gentlemen　want　to　see　Master　Osborne。〃　The　professor
  had　had　a　trifling　altercation　in　the　morning　with　that
  young　gentleman；　owing　to　a　difference　about　the
  introduction　of　crackers　in　school…time；　but　his　face
  resumed　its　habitual　expression　of　bland　courtesy　as　he
  said；　〃Master　Osborne；　I　give　you　full　permission　to　go
  and　see　your　carriage　friendsto　whom　I　beg　you　to
  convey　the　respectful　compliments　of　myself　and　Mrs。
  Veal。〃
  Georgy　went　into　the　reception…room　and　saw　two
  strangers；　whom　he　looked　at　with　his　head　up；　in　his
  usual　haughty　manner。　　One　was　fat；　with　mustachios；
  and　the　other　was　lean　and　long；　in　a　blue　frock…coat；
  with　a　brown　face　and　a　grizzled　head。
  〃My　God；　how　like　he　is！〃　said　the　long　gentleman
  with　a　start。　　〃Can　you　guess　who　we　are；　George？〃
  The　boy's　face　flushed　up；　as　it　did　usually　when　he
  was　moved；　and　his　eyes　brightened。　　〃I　don't　know　the
  other；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　should　think　you　must　be　Major
  Dobbin。〃
  Indeed　it　was　our　old　friend。　　His　voice　trembled
  with　pleasure　as　he　greeted　the　boy；　and　taking　both　the
  other's　hands　in　his　own；　drew　the　lad　to　him。
  〃Your　mother　has　talked　to　you　about　mehas
  she？〃　he　said。
  〃That　she　has；〃　Georgy　answered；　〃hundreds　and
  hundreds　of　times。〃
  CHAPTER　LVII
  Eothen
  It　was　one　of　the　many　causes　for　personal　pride
  with　which　old　Osborne　chose　to　recreate　himself
  that　Sedley；　his　ancient　rival；　enemy；　and　benefactor；
  was　in　his　last　days　so　utterly　defeated　and　humiliated
  as　to　be　forced　to　accept　pecuniary　obligations　at　the
  hands　of　the　man　who　had　most　injured　and　insulted
  him。　　The　successful　man　of　the　world　cursed　the　old
  pauper　and　relieved　him　from　time　to　time。　　As　he
  furnished　George　with　money　for　his　mother；　he　gave
  the　boy　to　understand　by　hints；　delivered　in　his　brutal；
  coarse　way；　that　George's　maternal　grandfather　was
  but　a　wretched　old　bankrupt　and　dependant；　and　that
  John　Sedley　might　thank　the　man　to　whom　he　already
  owed　ever　so　much　money　for　the　aid　which　his　generosity
  now　chose　to　administer。　　George　carried　the　pompous
  supplies　to　his　mother　and　the　shattered　old　widower　whom
  it　was　now　the　main　business　of　her　life　to　tend　and
  comfort。　　The　little　fellow　patronized　the　feeble　and
  disappointed　old　man。
  It　may　have　shown　a　want　of　〃proper　pride〃　in
  Amelia　that　she　chose　to　accept　these　money　benefits　at
  the　hands　of　her　father's　enemy。　　But　proper　pride　and
  this　poor　lady　had　never　had　much　acquaintance　together。
  A　disposition　naturally　simple　and　demanding　protection；
  a　long　course　of　poverty　and　humility；　of　daily　privations；
  and　hard　words；　of　kind　offices　and　no　returns；　had　been
  her　lot　ever　since　womanhood　almost；　or　since　her
  luckless　marriage　with　George　Osborne。　　You　who　see　your
  betters　bearing　up　under　this　shame　every　day；　meekly
  suffering　under　the　slights　of　fortune；　gentle　and　unpitied；
  poor；　and　rather　despised　for　their　poverty；　do　you　ever
  step　down　from　your　prosperity　and　wash　the　feet　of
  these　poor　wearied　beggars？　The　very　thought　of　them　is
  odious　and　low。　　〃There　must　be　classesthere　must　be
  rich　and　poor；〃　Dives　says；　smacking　his　claret　（it　is
  well　if　he　even　sends　the　broken　meat　out　to　Lazarus
  sitting　under　the　window）。　　Very　true；　but　think　how
  mysterious　and　often　unaccountable　it　isthat　lottery
  of　life　which　gives　to　this　man　the　purple　and　fine　linen
  and　sends　to　the　other　rags　for　garments　and　dogs　for
  comforters。
  So　I　must　own　that；　without　much　repining；　on　the
  contrary　with　something　akin　to　gratitude；　Amelia　took　the
  crumbs　that　her　father…in…law　let　drop　now　and　then；
  and　with　them　fed　her　own　parent。　　Directly　she　understood
  it　to　be　her　duty；　it　was　this　young　woman's　nature
  （ladies；　she　is　but　thirty　still；　and　we　choose　to　call　her
  a　young　woman　even　at　that　age）　it　was；　I　say；　her
  nature　to　sacrifice　herself　and　to　fling　all　that　she　had　at
  the　feet　of　the　beloved　object。　　During　what　long　thankless
  nights　had　she　worked　out　her　fingers　for　little　Georgy
  whilst　at　home　with　her；　what　buffets；　scorns；　privations；
  poverties　had　she　endured　for　father　and　mother！　　And
  in　the　midst　of　all　these　solitary　resignations　and　unseen
  sacrifices；　she　did　not　respect　herself　any　more　than　the
  world　respected　her；　but　I　believe　thought　in　her　heart
  that　she　was　a　poor…spirited；　despicable　little　creature；
  whose　luck　in　life　was　only　too　good　for　her　merits。　　O
  you　poor　women！　　O　you　poor　secret　martyrs　and　victims；
  whose　life　is　a　torture；　who　are　stretched　on　racks　in
  your　bedrooms；　and　who　lay　your　heads　down　on　the
  block　daily　at　the　drawing…room　table；　every　man　who
  watches　your　pains；　or　peers　into　those　dark　places　where
  the　torture　is　administered　to　you；　must　pity　youand
  and　thank　God　that　he　has　a　beard。　　I　recollect　seeing；
  years　ago；　at　the　prisons　for　idiots　and　madmen　at
  Bicetre；　near　Paris；　a　poor　wretch　bent　down　under
  the　bondage　of　his　imprisonment　and　his　personal
  infirmity；　to　whom　one　of　our　party　gave　a　halfpenny　worth
  of　snuff　in　a　cornet　or　〃screw〃　of　paper。　　The　kindness
  was　too　much　for　the　poor　epileptic　creature。　　He　cried
  in　an　anguish　of　delight　and　gratitude：　　if　anybody　gave
  you　and　me　a　thousand　a　year；　or　saved　our　lives；　we
  could　not　be　so　affected。　　And　so；　if　you　properly　tyrannize
  over　a　woman；　you　will　find　a　h'p'orth　of　kindness　act
  upon　her　and　bring　tears　into　her　eyes；　as　though　you
  were　an　angel　benefiting　her。
  Some　such　boons　as　these　were　the　best　which　Fortune
  allotted　to　poor　little　Amelia。　　Her　life；　begun　not
  unprosperously；　had　come　down　to　thisto　a　mean　prison
  and　a　long；　ignoble　bondage。　　Little　George　visited　her
  captivity　sometimes　and　consoled　it　with　feeble　gleams
  of　encouragement。　　Russell　Square　was　the　boundary　of
  her　prison：　　she　might　walk　thither　occasionally；　but　was
  always　back　to　sleep　in　her　cell　at　night；　to　perform
  cheerless　duties；　to　watch　by　thankless　sick…beds；　to
  suffer　the　harassment　and　tyranny　of　querulous
  disappointed　old　age。　　How　many　thousands　of　people　are
  there；　women　for　the　most　part；　who　are　doomed　to　endure
  this　long　slavery？who　are　hospital　nurses　without
  wagessisters　of　Charity；　if　you　like；　without　the
  romance　and　the　sentiment　of　sacrificewho　strive；　fast；
  watch；　and　suffer；　unpitied；　and　fade　away　ignobly　and
  unknown。
  The　hidden　and　awful　Wisdom　which　apportions　the
  destinies　of　mankind　is　pleased　so　to　humiliate　and　cast
  down　the　tender；　good；　and　wise；　and　to　set　up　the　selfish；
  the　foolish；　or　the　wicked。　　Oh；　be　humble；　my　brother；
  in　your　prosperity！　　Be　gentle　with　those　who　are　less
  lucky；　if　not　more　deserving。　　Think；　what　right　have　you
  to　be　scornful；　whose　virtue　is　a　deficiency　of　temptation；
  whose　success　may　be　a　chance；　whose　rank　may　be
  an　ancestor's　accident；　whose　prosperity　is　very　likely
  a　satire。
  They　buried　Amelia's　mother　in　the　churchyard　at
  Brompton；　upon　just　such　a　rainy；　dark　day　as　Amelia
  recollected　when　first　she　had　been　there　to　marry　George。
  Her　little　boy　sat　by　her　side　in　pompous　new　sables。
  She　remembered　the　old　pew…woman　and　clerk。　　Her
  thoughts　were　away　in　other　times　as　the　parson　read。
  But　that　she　held　George's　hand　in　her　own；　perhaps　she
  would　have　liked　to　change　places　with。。。。　　Then；　as
  usual；　she　felt　ashamed　of　her　selfish　thoughts　and　prayed
  inwardly　to　be　strengthened　to　do　her　duty。
  So　she　determined　with　all　her　might　and　strength　to
  try　and　make　her　old　father　happy。　　She　slaved；　toiled；
  patched；　and　mended；　sang　and　played　backgammon；　read
  out　the　newspaper；　cooked　dishes；　for　old　Sedley；　walked
  him　out　sedulously　into　Kensington　Gardens　or　the　Brompton
  Lanes；　listened　to　his　stories　with　untiring　smiles　and
  affectionate　hypocrisy；　or　sat　musing　by　his　side　and
  communing　with　her　own　thoughts　and　reminiscences；
  as　the　old　man；　feeble　and　querulous；　sunned　himself　on
  the　garden　benches　and　prattled　about　his　wrongs　or　his
  sorrows。　　What　sad；　unsatisfactory　thoughts　those　of　the
  widow　were！　　The　children　running　up　and　down　the
  slopes　and　broad　paths　in　the　gardens　reminded　her　of
  George；　who　was　taken　from　her；　the　first　George　was
  taken　from　her；　her　selfish；　guilty　love；　in　both　instances；
  had　been　rebuked　and　bitterly　ch