If some parts of his conduct made Captain Dobbin exceedingly grave and cool; of what use was it to tell George that, though his whiskers were large, and his own opinion of his knowingness great, he was as green as a schoolboy? that Rawdon was making a victim of him as he had done of many before, and as soon as he had used him would fling him off with scorn? He would not listen: and so, as Dobbin, upon those days when he visited the 0sborne house, seldom had the advantage of meeting his old friend, much painful and unavailing talk between them was spared.Our friend George was in the full career of the pleasures of Vanity Fair.
There never was, since the days of Darius, such a brilliant train of camp-followers as hung round the Duke of Wellington's army in the Low Countries, in 1815; and led it dancing and feasting, as it were, up to the very brink of battle.A certain ball which a noble Duchess gave at Brussels on the 15th of June in the above-named year is historical.All Brussels had been in a state of excitement about it, and I have heard from ladies who were in that town at the period, that the talk and interest of persons of their own sex regarding the ball was much greater even than in respect of the enemy in their front.
The struggles, intrigues, and prayers to get tickets were such as only English ladies will employ, in order to gain admission to the society of the great of their own nation.
Jos and Mrs.O'Dowd, who were panting to be asked, strove in vain to procure tickets; but others of our friends were more lucky.For instance, through the interest of my Lord Bareacres, and as a set-off for the dinner at the restaurateur's, George got a card for Captain and Mrs.
Osborne; which circumstance greatly elated him.Dobbin, who was a friend of the General commanding the division in which their regiment was, came laughing one day to Mrs.Osborne, and displayed a similar invitation, which made Jos envious, and George wonder how the deuce he should be getting into society.Mr.and Mrs.
Rawdon, finally, were of course invited; as became the friends of a General commanding a cavalry brigade.
On the appointed night, George, having commanded new dresses and ornaments of all sorts for Amelia, drove to the famous ball, where his wife did not know a single soul.After looking about for Lady Bareacres, who cut him, thinking the card was quite enough--and after placing Amelia on a bench, he left her to her own cogitations there, thinking, on his own part, that he had behaved very handsomely in getting her new clothes, and bringing her to the ball, where she was free to amuse herself as she liked.Her thoughts were not of the pleasantest, and nobody except honest Dobbin came to disturb them.
Whilst her appearance was an utter failure (as her husband felt with a sort of rage), Mrs.Rawdon Crawley's debut was, on the contrary, very brilliant.She arrived very late.Her face was radiant; her dress perfection.In the midst of the great persons assembled, and the eye-glasses directed to her, Rebecca seemed to be as cool and collected as when she used to marshal Miss Pinkerton's little girls to church.Numbers of the men she knew already, and the dandies thronged round her.As for the ladies, it was whispered among them that Rawdon had run away with her from out of a convent, and that she was a relation of the Montmorency family.She spoke French so perfectly that there might be some truth in this report, and it was agreed that her manners were fine, and her air distingue.Fifty would-be partners thronged round her at once, and pressed to have the honour to dance with her.But she said she was engaged, and only going to dance very little; and made her way at once to the place where Emmy sate quite unnoticed, and dismally unhappy.And so, to finish the poor child at once, Mrs.Rawdon ran and greeted affectionately her dearest Amelia, and began forthwith to patronise her.
She found fault with her friend's dress, and her hairdresser, and wondered how she could be so chaussee, and vowed that she must send her corsetiere the next morning.She vowed that it was a delightful ball; that there was everybody that every one knew, and only a VERY few nobodies in the whole room.It is a fact, that in a fortnight, and after three dinners in general society, this young woman had got up the genteel jargon so well, that a native could not speak it better; and it was only from her French being so good, that you could know she was not a born woman of fashion.
George, who had left Emmy on her bench on entering the ball-room, very soon found his way back when Rebecca was by her dear friend's side.Becky was just lecturing Mrs.Osborne upon the follies which her husband was committing."For God's sake, stop him from gambling, my dear," she said, "or he will ruin himself.
He and Rawdon are playing at cards every night, and you know he is very poor, and Rawdon will win every shilling from him if he does not take care.Why don't you prevent him, you little careless creature? Why don't you come to us of an evening, instead of moping at home with that Captain Dobbin? I dare say he is tres aimable;but how could one love a man with feet of such size?
Your husband's feet are darlings--Here he comes.Where have you been, wretch? Here is Emmy crying her eyes out for you.Are you coming to fetch me for the quadrille?"And she left her bouquet and shawl by Amelia's side, and tripped off with George to dance.Women only know how to wound so.There is a poison on the tips of their little shafts, which stings a thousand times more than a man's blunter weapon.Our poor Emmy, who had never hated, never sneered all her life, was powerless in the hands of her remorseless little enemy.