Behind Mr.Osborne's dining-room was the usual apartment which went in his house by the name of the study; and was sacred to the master of the house.Hither Mr.Osborne would retire of a Sunday forenoon when not minded to go to church; and here pass the morning in his crimson leather chair, reading the paper.A couple of glazed book-cases were here, containing standard works in stout gilt bindings.The "Annual Register," the "Gentleman's Magazine," "Blair's Sermons," and "Hume and Smollett." From year's end to year's end he never took one of these volumes from the shelf; but there was no member of the family that would dare for his life to touch one of the books, except upon those rare Sunday evenings when there was no dinner-party, and when the great scarlet Bible and Prayer-book were taken out from the corner where they stood beside his copy of the Peerage, and the servants being rung up to the dining parlour, Osborne read the evening service to his family in a loud grating pompous voice.No member of the household, child, or domestic, ever entered that room without a certain terror.Here he checked the housekeeper's accounts, and overhauled the butler's cellar-book.Hence he could command, across the clean gravel court-yard, the back entrance of the stables with which one of his bells communicated, and into this yard the coachman issued from his premises as into a dock, and Osborne swore at him from the study window.Four times a year Miss Wirt entered this apartment to get her salary; and his daughters to receive their quarterly allowance.George as a boy had been horsewhipped in this room many times; his mother sitting sick on the stair listening to the cuts of the whip.The boy was scarcely ever known to cry under the punishment; the poor woman used to fondle and kiss him secretly, and give him money to soothe him when he came out.
There was a picture of the family over the mantelpiece, removed thither from the front room after Mrs.Osborne's death--George was on a pony, the elder sister holding him up a bunch of flowers; the younger led by her mother's hand; all with red cheeks and large red mouths, simpering on each other in the approved family-portrait manner.The mother lay underground now, long since forgotten--the sisters and brother had a hundred different interests of their own, and, familiar still, were utterly estranged from each other.Some few score of years afterwards, when all the parties represented are grown old, what bitter satire there is in those flaunting childish family-portraits, with their farce of sentiment and smiling lies, and innocence so self-conscious and self-satisfied.Osborne's own state portrait, with that of his great silver inkstand and arm-chair, had taken the place of honour in the dining-room, vacated by the family-piece.
To this study old Osborne retired then, greatly to the relief of the small party whom he left.When the servants had withdrawn, they began to talk for a while volubly but very low; then they went upstairs quietly, Mr.Bullock accompanying them stealthily on his creaking shoes.He had no heart to sit alone drinking wine, and so close to the terrible old gentleman in the study hard at hand.
An hour at least after dark, the butler, not having received any summons, ventured to tap at his door and take him in wax candles and tea.The master of the house sate in his chair, pretending to read the paper, and when the servant, placing the lights and refreshment on the table by him, retired, Mr.Osborne got up and locked the door after him.This time there was no mistaking the matter; all the household knew that some great catastrophe was going to happen which was likely direly to affect Master George.
In the large shining mahogany escritoire Mr.Osborne had a drawer especially devoted to his son's affairs and papers.Here he kept all the documents relating to him ever since he had been a boy: here were his prize copy-books and drawing-books, all bearing George's hand, and that of the master: here were his first letters in large round-hand sending his love to papa and mamma, and conveying his petitions for a cake.His dear godpapa Sedley was more than once mentioned in them.Curses quivered on old Osborne's livid lips, and horrid hatred and disappointment writhed in his heart, as looking through some of these papers he came on that name.
They were all marked and docketed, and tied with red tape.
It was--From Georgy, requesting 5s., April 23, 18--;answered, April 25"--or "Georgy about a pony, October 13"--and so forth.In another packet were "Dr.S.'s accounts"--"G.'s tailor's bills and outfits, drafts on me by G.Osborne, jun.," &c.--his letters from the West Indies --his agent's letters, and the newspapers containing his commissions: here was a whip he had when a boy, and in a paper a locket containing his hair, which his mother used to wear.
Turning one over after another, and musing over these memorials, the unhappy man passed many hours.His dearest vanities, ambitious hopes, had all been here.What pride he had in his boy! He was the handsomest child ever seen.Everybody said he was like a nobleman's son.A royal princess had remarked him, and kissed him, and asked his name in Kew Gardens.What City man could show such another? Could a prince have been better cared for? Anything that money could buy had been his son's.He used to go down on speech-days with four horses and new liveries, and scatter new shillings among the boys at the school where George was: when he went with George to the depot of his regiment, before the boy embarked for Canada, he gave the officers such a dinner as the Duke of York might have sat down to.Had he ever refused a bill when George drew one?