had　been　disinherited；　thought　himself　infamously
  swindled　by　the　old　merchant；　and　for　some　time　made　as
  if　he　would　break　off　the　match　altogether。　　Osborne
  withdrew　his　account　from　Bullock　and　Hulker's；　went　on
  'Change　with　a　horsewhip　which　he　swore　he　would　lay
  across　the　back　of　a　certain　scoundrel　that　should　be
  nameless；　and　demeaned　himself　in　his　usual　violent
  manner。　　Jane　Osborne　condoled　with　her　sister　Maria
  during　this　family　feud。　　〃I　always　told　you；　Maria；　that　it
  was　your　money　he　loved　and　not　you；〃　she　said；
  soothingly。
  〃He　selected　me　and　my　money　at　any　rate；　he　didn't
  choose　you　and　yours；〃　replied　Maria；　tossing　up　her　head。
  The　rapture　was；　however；　only　temporary。　　Fred's　father
  and　senior　partners　counselled　him　to　take　Maria；　even
  with　the　twenty　thousand　settled；　half　down；　and　half　at
  the　death　of　Mr。　Osborne；　with　the　chances　of　the　further
  division　of　the　property。　　So　he　〃knuckled　down；〃　again　to
  use　his　own　phrase；　and　sent　old　Hulker　with　peaceable
  overtures　to　Osborne。　　It　was　his　father；　he　said；　who　would
  not　hear　of　the　match；　and　had　made　the　difficulties；　he
  was　most　anxious　to　keep　the　engagement。　　The　excuse　was
  sulkily　accepted　by　Mr。　Osborne。　　Hulker　and　Bullock　were
  a　high　family　of　the　City　aristocracy；　and　connected　with
  the　〃nobs〃　at　the　West　End。　　It　was　something　for　the　old
  man　to　be　able　to　say；　〃My　son；　sir；　of　the　house　of　Hulker；
  Bullock；　and　Co。；　sir；　my　daughter's　cousin；　Lady　Mary
  Mango；　sir；　daughter　of　the　Right　Hon。　　The　Earl　of
  Castlemouldy。〃　In　his　imagination　he　saw　his　house
  peopled　by　the　〃nobs。〃　So　he　forgave　young　Bullock　and
  consented　that　the　marriage　should　take　place。
  It　was　a　grand　affairthe　bridegroom's　relatives　giving　the
  breakfast；　their　habitations　being　near　St。　　George's；
  Hanover　Square；　where　the　business　took　place。　　The　〃nobs
  of　the　West　End〃　were　invited；　and　many　of　them　signed
  the　book。　　Mr。　Mango　and　Lady　Mary　Mango　were　there；
  with　the　dear　young　Gwendoline　and　Guinever　Mango　as
  bridesmaids；　Colonel　Bludyer　of　the　Dragoon　Guards　（eldest
  son　of　the　house　of　Bludyer　Brothers；　Mincing　Lane）；
  another　cousin　of　the　bridegroom；　and　the　Honourable　Mrs。
  Bludyer；　the　Honourable　George　Boulter；　Lord　Levant's　son；
  and　his　lady；　Miss　Mango　that　was；　Lord　Viscount
  Castletoddy；　Honourable　James　McMull　and　Mrs。　McMull
  （formerly　Miss　Swartz）；　and　a　host　of　fashionables；　who
  have　all　married　into　Lombard　Street　and　done　a　great
  deal　to　ennoble　Cornhill。
  The　young　couple　had　a　house　near　Berkeley　Square　and　a
  small　villa　at　Roehampton；　among　the　banking　colony
  there。　　Fred　was　considered　to　have　made　rather　a
  mesalliance　by　the　ladies　of　his　family；　whose　grandfather
  had　been　in　a　Charity　School；　and　who　were　allied　through
  the　husbands　with　some　of　the　best　blood　in　England。　　And
  Maria　was　bound；　by　superior　pride　and　great　care　in　the
  composition　of　her　visiting…book；　to　make　up　for　the
  defects　of　birth；　and　felt　it　her　duty　to　see　her　father　and
  sister　as　little　as　possible。
  That　she　should　utterly　break　with　the　old　man；　who　had
  still　so　many　scores　of　thousand　pounds　to　give　away；　is
  absurd　to　suppose。　　Fred　Bullock　would　never　allow　her　to
  do　that。　　But　she　was　still　young　and　incapable　of　hiding　her
  feelings；　and　by　inviting　her　papa　and　sister　to　her　third…
  rate　parties；　and　behaving　very　coldly　to　them　when　they
  came；　and　by　avoiding　Russell　Square；　and　indiscreetly
  begging　her　father　to　quit　that　odious　vulgar　place；　she　did
  more　harm　than　all　Frederick's　diplomacy　could　repair；　and
  perilled　her　chance　of　her　inheritance　like　a　giddy　heedless
  creature　as　she　was。
  So　Russell　Square　is　not　good　enough　for　Mrs。　Maria；　hay？〃
  said　the　old　gentleman；　rattling　up　the　carriage　windows　as
  he　and　his　daughter　drove　away　one　night　from　Mrs。
  Frederick　Bullock's；　after　dinner。　　〃So　she　invites　her　father
  and　sister　to　a　second　day's　dinner　（if　those　sides；　or
  ontrys；　as　she　calls　'em；　weren't　served　yesterday；　I'm
  dd）；　and　to　meet　City　folks　and　littery　men；　and　keeps
  the　Earls　and　the　Ladies；　and　the　Honourables　to　herself。
  Honourables？　Damn　Honourables。　　I　am　a　plain　British
  merchant　I　am；　and　could　buy　the　beggarly　hounds　over
  and　over。　　Lords；　indeed！why；　at　one　of　her　swarreys　I
  saw　one　of　'em　speak　to　a　dam　fiddlera　fellar　I　despise。
  And　they　won't　come　to　Russell　Square；　won't　they？　Why；
  I'll　lay　my　life　I've　got　a　better　glass　of　wine；　and　pay　a
  better　figure　for　it；　and　can　show　a　handsomer　service　of
  silver；　and　can　lay　a　better　dinner　on　my　mahogany；　than
  ever　they　see　on　theirsthe　cringing；　sneaking；　stuck…up
  fools。　　Drive　on　quick；　James：　　I　want　to　get　back　to　Russell
  Squareha；　ha！〃　and　he　sank　back　into　the　corner　with　a
  furious　laugh。　　With　such　reflections　on　his　own　superior
  merit；　it　was　the　custom　of　the　old　gentleman　not
  unfrequently　to　console　himself。
  Jane　Osborne　could　not　but　concur　in　these　opinions
  respecting　her　sister's　conduct；　and　when　Mrs。　Frederick's
  first…born；　Frederick　Augustus　Howard　Stanley　Devereux
  Bullock；　was　born；　old　Osborne；　who　was　invited　to　the
  christening　and　to　be　godfather；　contented　himself　with
  sending　the　child　a　gold　cup；　with　twenty　guineas　inside　it
  for　the　nurse。　　〃That's　more　than　any　of　your　Lords　will
  give；　I'LL　warrant；〃　he　said　and　refused　to　attend　at　the
  ceremony。
  The　splendour　of　the　gift；　however；　caused　great
  satisfaction　to　the　house　of　Bullock。　　Maria　thought　that　her
  father　was　very　much　pleased　with　her；　and　Frederick
  augured　the　best　for　his　little　son　and　heir。
  One　can　fancy　the　pangs　with　which　Miss　Osborne　in　her
  solitude　in　Russell　Square　read　the　Morning　Post；　where
  her　sister's　name　occurred　every　now　and　then；　in　the
  articles　headed　〃Fashionable　Reunions；〃　and　where　she　had
  an　opportunity　of　reading　a　description　of　Mrs。　F。　　Bullock's
  costume；　when　presented　at　the　drawing　room　by　Lady
  Frederica　Bullock。　　Jane's　own　life；　as　we　have　said；
  admitted　of　no　such　grandeur。　　It　was　an　awful　existence。
  She　had　to　get　up　of　black　winter's　mornings　to　make
  breakfast　for　her　scowling　old　father；　who　would　have
  turned　the　whole　house　out　of　doors　if　his　tea　had　not　been
  ready　at　half…past　eight。　　She　remained　silent　opposite　to
  him；　listening　to　the　urn　hissing；　and　sitting　in　tremor
  while　the　parent　read　his　paper　and　consumed　his
  accustomed　portion　of　muffins　and　tea。　　At　half…past　nine
  he　rose　and　went　to　the　City；　and　she　was　almost　free　till
  dinner…time；　to　make　visitations　in　the　kitchen　and　to　scold
  the　servants；　to　drive　abroad　and　descend　upon　the
  tradesmen；　who　were　prodigiously　respectful；　to　leave　her
  cards　and　her　papa's　at　the　great　glum　respectable　houses
  of　their　City　friends；　or　to　sit　alone　in　the　large　drawing…
  room；　expecting　visitors；　and　working　at　a　huge　piece　of
  worsted　by　the　fire；　on　the　sofa；　hard　by　the　great
  Iphigenia　clock；　which　ticked　and　tolled　with　mournful
  loudness　in　the　dreary　room。　　The　great　glass　over　the
  mantelpiece；　faced　by　the　other　great　console　glass　at　the
  opposite　end　of　the　room；　increased　and　multiplied
  between　them　the　brown　Holland　bag　in　which　the
  chandelier　hung；　until　you　saw　these　brown　Holland　bags
  fading　away　in　endless　perspectives；　and　this　apartment　of
  Miss　Osborne's　seemed　the　centre　of　a　system　of
  drawing…rooms。　　When　she　removed　the　cordovan　leather
  from　the　grand　piano　and　ventured　to　play　a　few　notes　on
  it；　it　sounded　with　a　mournful　sadness；　startling　the　dismal
  echoes　of　the　house。　　George's　picture　was　gone；　and　laid
  upstairs　in　a　lumber…room　in　the　garret；　and　though　there
  was　a　consciousness　of　him；　and　father　and　daughter　often
  instinctively　knew　that　they　were　thinking　of　him；　no
  mention　was　ever　made　of　the　brave　and　once　darling　son。
  At　five　o'clock　Mr。　Osborne　came　back　to　his　dinner；　which
  he　and　his　daughter　took　in　silence　（seldom　broken；　except
  when　he　swore　and　was　savage；　if　the　cooking　was　not　to
  his　liking）；　or　which　they　shared　twice　in　a　month　with　a
  party　of　dismal　friends　of　Osborne's　rank　and　age。　　Old　Dr。
  Gulp　and　his　lady　from　Bloomsbury　Square；　old　Mr。
  Frowser；　the　attorney；　from　Bedford　Row；　a　very　great
  man；　and　from　his　business；　hand…in…glove　with　the　〃nobs
  at　the　West　End〃；　old　Colonel　Livermore；　of　the　Bombay
  Army；　and　Mrs。　Livermore；　from　Upper　Bedford　Place；　old
  Sergeant　Toffy　and　Mrs。　Toffy；　and　sometimes　old　Sir
  Thomas　Coffin　and　Lady　Coffin；　from　Bedford　Square。　　Sir
  Thomas　was　celebrated　as　a　hanging　judge；　and　the
  particular　tawny　port　was　produced　when　he　dined　with
  Mr。　Osborne。
  These　people　and　their　like　gave　the　pompous　Russell
  Square　merchant　pompous　dinners　back　again。　　They　had
  solemn　rubbers　of　whist；　when　they　went　upstairs　after
  drinking；　and　their　carriages　were　called　at　half　past　ten。
  Many　rich　people；　whom　we　poor　devils　are　in　the　habit　of
  envying；　lead　contentedly　an　existence　like　that　above
  described。　　Jane　Osborne　scarcely　ever　met　a　man　under
  sixty；　and　almost　the　only　bachelor　who　appeared　in　their
  society　was　Mr。　Smirk；　the　celebrated　ladies'　doctor。
  I　can't　say　that　nothing　had　occurred　to　disturb　the
  monotony　of　this　awful　existence：　　the　fact　is；　there　had
  been　a　secret　in　poor　Jane's　life　which　had　made　her　fat