as he rode on the omnibus from Richmond; while it
changed horses, this present chronicler, being on the
roof, marked three little children playing in a puddle
below, very dirty, and friendly, and happy.
To these three presently came another little one.
“Polly,” says she, “Your
sister’s got A penny.”
At which the children got up from the puddle instantly,
and ran off to pay their court to Peggy. And
as the omnibus drove off I saw Peggy with the infantine
procession at her tail, marching with great dignity
towards the stall of a neighbouring lollipop-woman.
In Which Mr. Osborne Takes Down the Family Bible
So having prepared the sisters, Dobbin hastened away
to the City to perform the rest and more difficult
part of the task which he had undertaken. The
idea of facing old Osborne rendered him not a little
nervous, and more than once he thought of leaving the
young ladies to communicate the secret, which, as
he was aware, they could not long retain. But
he had promised to report to George upon the manner
in which the elder Osborne bore the intelligence; so
going into the City to the paternal counting-house
in Thames Street, he despatched thence a note to Mr.
Osborne begging for a half-hour’s conversation
relative to the affairs of his son George. Dobbin’s
messenger returned from Mr. Osborne’s house of
business, with the compliments of the latter, who
would be very happy to see the Captain immediately,
and away accordingly Dobbin went to confront him.
The Captain, with a half-guilty secret to confess,
and with the prospect of a painful and stormy interview
before him, entered Mr. Osborne’s offices with
a most dismal countenance and abashed gait, and, passing
through the outer room where Mr. Chopper presided,
was greeted by that functionary from his desk with
a waggish air which farther discomfited him.
Mr. Chopper winked and nodded and pointed his pen
towards his patron’s door, and said, “You’ll
find the governor all right,” with the most
provoking good humour.
Osborne rose too, and shook him heartily by the hand,
and said, “How do, my dear boy?” with
a cordiality that made poor George’s ambassador
feel doubly guilty. His hand lay as if dead in
the old gentleman’s grasp. He felt that
he, Dobbin, was more or less the cause of all that
had happened. It was he had brought back George
to Amelia: it was he had applauded, encouraged,
transacted almost the marriage which he was come to
reveal to George’s father: and the latter
was receiving him with smiles of welcome; patting him
on the shoulder, and calling him “Dobbin, my
dear boy.” The envoy had indeed good reason
to hang his head.
Osborne fully believed that Dobbin had come to announce
his son’s surrender. Mr. Chopper and his
principal were talking over the matter between George
and his father, at the very moment when Dobbin’s
messenger arrived. Both agreed that George was
sending in his submission. Both had been expecting
it for some days—and “Lord!
Chopper, what a marriage we’ll have!” Mr.
Osborne said to his clerk, snapping his big fingers,
and jingling all the guineas and shillings in his
great pockets as he eyed his subordinate with a look
of triumph.
