“Thank you, Dobbin,” he said, rubbing
his eyes with his knuckles, “I was just—just
telling her I would. And, O Sir, she’s
so dam kind to me.” The water pumps were
at work again, and I am not sure that the soft-hearted
Captain’s eyes did not also twinkle.
The two ensigns, the Captain, and Mr. Chopper, dined
together in the same box. Chopper brought the
letter from Mr. Osborne, in which the latter briefly
presented his compliments to Captain Dobbin, and requested
him to forward the inclosed to Captain George Osborne.
Chopper knew nothing further; he described Mr. Osborne’s
appearance, it is true, and his interview with his
lawyer, wondered how the governor had sworn at nobody,
and—especially as the wine circled round—abounded
in speculations and conjectures. But these grew
more vague with every glass, and at length became perfectly
unintelligible. At a late hour Captain Dobbin
put his guest into a hackney coach, in a hiccupping
state, and swearing that he would be the kick—the
kick—Captain’s friend for ever and
ever.
When Captain Dobbin took leave of Miss Osborne we
have said that he asked leave to come and pay her
another visit, and the spinster expected him for some
hours the next day, when, perhaps, had he come, and
had he asked her that question which she was prepared
to answer, she would have declared herself as her
brother’s friend, and a reconciliation might
have been effected between George and his angry father.
But though she waited at home the Captain never came.
He had his own affairs to pursue; his own parents to
visit and console; and at an early hour of the day
to take his place on the Lightning coach, and go down
to his friends at Brighton. In the course of
the day Miss Osborne heard her father give orders that
that meddling scoundrel, Captain Dobbin, should never
be admitted within his doors again, and any hopes
in which she may have indulged privately were thus
abruptly brought to an end. Mr. Frederick Bullock
came, and was particularly affectionate to Maria, and
attentive to the broken-spirited old gentleman.
For though he said his mind would be easy, the means
which he had taken to secure quiet did not seem to
have succeeded as yet, and the events of the past
two days had visibly shattered him.
CHAPTER XXV
In Which All the Principal Personages Think Fit to
Leave Brighton
Conducted to the ladies, at the Ship Inn, Dobbin assumed
a jovial and rattling manner, which proved that this
young officer was becoming a more consummate hypocrite
every day of his life. He was trying to hide
his own private feelings, first upon seeing Mrs. George
Osborne in her new condition, and secondly to mask
the apprehensions he entertained as to the effect
which the dismal news brought down by him would certainly
have upon her.
