Page 356 - vanity-fair

fashion.’ So it was agreed to represent the duty of the British
army in Belgium in this harmless light to Amelia.
This plot being arranged, the hypocritical Dobbin salut-
ed Mrs. George Osborne quite gaily, tried to pay her one
or two compliments relative to her new position as a bride
(which compliments, it must be confessed, were exceeding-
ly clumsy and hung fire woefully), and then fell to talking
about Brighton, and the sea-air, and the gaieties of the place,
and the beauties of the road and the merits of the Lightning
coach and horses—all in a manner quite incomprehensible
to Amelia, and very amusing to Rebecca, who was watching
the Captain, as indeed she watched every one near whom
she came.
Little Amelia, it must be owned, had rather a mean opin-
ion of her husband’s friend, Captain Dobbin. He lisped—he
was very plain and homely-looking: and exceedingly awk-
ward and ungainly. She liked him for his attachment to her
husband (to be sure there was very little merit in that), and
she thought George was most generous and kind in ex-
tending his friendship to his brother officer. George had
mimicked Dobbin’s lisp and queer manners many times to
her, though to do him justice, he always spoke most highly
of his friend’s good qualities. In her little day of triumph,
and not knowing him intimately as yet, she made light of
honest William—and he knew her opinions of him quite
well, and acquiesced in them very humbly. A time came
when she knew him better, and changed her notions regard-
ing him; but that was distant as yet.
As for Rebecca, Captain Dobbin had not been two hours

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