What is the secret mesmerism which friendship possesses, and under theoperation of which a person ordinarily sluggish, or cold, or timid,becomes wise, active, and resolute, in another's behalf? As Alexis,after a few passes from Dr. Elliotson, despises pain, reads with theback of his head, sees miles off, looks into next week, and performsother wonders, of which, in his own private normal condition, he isquite incapable; so you see, in the affairs of the world and under themagnetism of friendships, the modest man becomes bold, the shyconfident, the lazy active, or the impetuous prudent and peaceful.What is it, on the other hand, that makes the lawyer eschew his owncause, and call in his learned brother as an adviser? And what causesthe doctor, when ailing, to send for his rival, and not sit down andexamine his own tongue in the chimney Bass, or write his ownprescription at his study-table? I throw out these queries forintelligent readers to answer, who know, at once, how credulous we are,and how sceptical, how soft and how obstinate, how firm for others andhow diffident about ourselves: meanwhile, it is certain that ourfriend William Dobbin, who was personally of so complying a dispositionthat if his parents had pressed him much, it is probable he would havestepped down into the kitchen and married the cook, and who, to furtherhis own interests, would have found the most insuperable difficulty inwalking across the street, found himself as busy and eager in theconduct of George Osborne's affairs, as the most selfish tacticiancould be in the pursuit of his own.

Whilst our friend George and his young wife were enjoying the firstblushing days of the honeymoon at Brighton, honest William was left asGeorge's plenipotentiary in London, to transact all the business partof the marriage. His duty it was to call upon old Sedley and his wife,and to keep the former in good humour: to draw Jos and hisbrother-in-law nearer together, so that Jos's position and dignity, ascollector of Boggley Wollah, might compensate for his father's loss ofstation, and tend to reconcile old Osborne to the alliance: andfinally, to communicate it to the latter in such a way as should leastirritate the old gentleman.

Now, before he faced the head of the Osborne house with the news whichit was his duty to tell, Dobbin bethought him that it would be politicto make friends of the rest of the family, and, if possible, have theladies on his side. They can't be angry in their hearts, thought he.No woman ever was really angry at a romantic marriage. A little cryingout, and they must come round to their brother; when the three of uswill lay siege to old Mr. Osborne. So this Machiavellian captain ofinfantry cast about him for some happy means or stratagem by which hecould gently and gradually bring the Misses Osborne to a knowledge oftheir brother's secret.

By a little inquiry regarding his mother's engagements, he was prettysoon able to find out by whom of her ladyship's friends parties weregiven at that season; where he would be likely to meet Osborne'ssisters; and, though he had that abhorrence of routs and eveningparties which many sensible men, alas! entertain, he soon found onewhere the Misses Osborne were to be present. Making his appearance atthe ball, where he danced a couple of sets with both of them, and wasprodigiously polite, he actually had the courage to ask Miss Osbornefor a few minutes' conversation at an early hour the next day, when hehad, he said, to communicate to her news of the very greatest interest.

What was it that made her start back, and gaze upon him for a moment,and then on the ground at her feet, and make as if she would faint onhis arm, had he not by opportunely treading on her toes, brought theyoung lady back to self-control? Why was she so violently agitated atDobbin's request? This can never be known. But when he came the nextday, Maria was not in the drawing-room with her sister, and Miss Wirtwent off for the purpose of fetching the latter, and the Captain andMiss Osborne were left together. They were both so silent that theticktock of the Sacrifice of Iphigenia clock on the mantelpiece becamequite rudely audible.

"What a nice party it was last night," Miss Osborne at length began,encouragingly; "and--and how you're improved in your dancing, CaptainDobbin. Surely somebody has taught you," she added, with amiablearchness.

"You should see me dance a reel with Mrs. Major O'Dowd of ours; and ajig--did you ever see a jig? But I think anybody could dance with you,Miss Osborne, who dance so well."

"Is the Major's lady young and beautiful, Captain?" the fair questionercontinued. "Ah, what a terrible thing it must be to be a soldier'swife! I wonder they have any spirits to dance, and in these dreadfultimes of war, too! O Captain Dobbin, I tremble sometimes when I thinkof our dearest George, and the dangers of the poor soldier. Are theremany married officers of the --th, Captain Dobbin?"

"Upon my word, she's playing her hand rather too openly," Miss Wirtthought; but this observation is merely parenthetic, and was not heardthrough the crevice of the door at which the governess uttered it.

"One of our young men is just married," Dobbin said, now coming to thepoint. "It was a very old attachment, and the young couple are as pooras church mice." "O, how delightful! O, how romantic!" Miss Osbornecried, as the Captain said "old attachment" and "poor." Her sympathyencouraged him.

"The finest young fellow in the regiment," he continued. "Not a braveror handsomer officer in the army; and such a charming wife! How youwould like her! how you will like her when you know her, MissOsborne." The young lady thought the actual moment had arrived, andthat Dobbin's nervousness which now came on and was visible in manytwitchings of his face, in his manner of beating the ground with hisgreat feet, in the rapid buttoning and unbuttoning of his frock-coat,&c.--Miss Osborne, I say, thought that when he had given himself alittle air, he would unbosom himself entirely, and prepared eagerly tolisten. And the clock, in the altar on which Iphigenia was situated,beginning, after a preparatory convulsion, to toll twelve, the meretolling seemed as if it would last until one--so prolonged was theknell to the anxious spinster.

"But it's not about marriage that I came to speak--that is thatmarriage--that is--no, I mean--my dear Miss Osborne, it's about ourdear friend George," Dobbin said.

"About George?" she said in a tone so discomfited that Maria and MissWirt laughed at the other side of the door, and even that abandonedwretch of a Dobbin felt inclined to smile himself; for he was notaltogether unconscious of the state of affairs: George having oftenbantered him gracefully and said, "Hang it, Will, why don't you takeold Jane? She'll have you if you ask her. I'll bet you five to two shewill."

"Yes, about George, then," he continued. "There has been a differencebetween him and Mr. Osborne. And I regard him so much--for you knowwe have been like brothers--that I hope and pray the quarrel may besettled. We must go abroad, Miss Osborne. We may be ordered off at aday's warning. Who knows what may happen in the campaign? Don't beagitated, dear Miss Osborne; and those two at least should partfriends."

"There has been no quarrel, Captain Dobbin, except a little usual scenewith Papa," the lady said. "We are expecting George back daily. WhatPapa wanted was only for his good. He has but to come back, and I'msure all will be well; and dear Rhoda, who went away from here in sadsad anger, I know will forgive him. Woman forgives but too readily,Captain."

"Such an angel as YOU I am sure would," Mr. Dobbin said, with atrociousastuteness. "And no man can pardon himself for giving a woman pain.What would you feel, if a man were faithless to you?"

"I should perish--I should throw myself out of window--I should takepoison--I should pine and die. I know I should," Miss cried, who hadnevertheless gone through one or two affairs of the heart without anyidea of suicide.

"And there are others," Dobbin continued, "as true and as kind-heartedas yourself. I'm not speaking about the West Indian heiress, MissOsborne, but about a poor girl whom George once loved, and who was bredfrom her childhood to think of nobody but him. I've seen her in herpoverty uncomplaining, broken-hearted, without a fault. It is of MissSedley I speak. Dear Miss Osborne, can your generous heart quarrelwith your brother for being faithful to her? Could his own conscienceever forgive him if he deserted her? Be her friend--she always lovedyou--and--and I am come here charged by George to tell you that heholds his engagement to her as the most sacred duty he has; and toentreat you, at least, to be on his side."

When any strong emotion took possession of Mr. Dobbin, and after thefirst word or two of hesitation, he could speak with perfect fluency,and it was evident that his eloquence on this occasion made someimpression upon the lady whom he addressed.

"Well," said she, "this is--most surprising--most painful--mostextraordinary--what will Papa say?--that George should fling away sucha superb establishment as was offered to him but at any rate he hasfound a very brave champion in you, Captain Dobbin. It is of no use,however," she continued, after a pause; "I feel for poor Miss Sedley,most certainly--most sincerely, you know. We never thought the match agood one, though we were always very kind to her here--very. But Papawill never consent, I am sure. And a well brought up young woman, youknow--with a well-regulated mind, must--George must give her up, dearCaptain Dobbin, indeed he must."

"Ought a man to give up the woman he loved, just when misfortune befellher?" Dobbin said, holding out his hand. "Dear Miss Osborne, is thisthe counsel I hear from you? My dear young lady! you must befriendher. He can't give her up. He must not give her up. Would a man,think you, give YOU up if you were poor?"

This adroit question touched the heart of Miss Jane Osborne not alittle. "I don't know whether we poor girls ought to believe what youmen say, Captain," she said. "There is that in woman's tenderness whichinduces her to believe too easily. I'm afraid you are cruel, crueldeceivers,"--and Dobbin certainly thought he felt a pressure of thehand which Miss Osborne had extended to him.

He dropped it in some alarm. "Deceivers!" said he. "No, dear MissOsborne, all men are not; your brother is not; George has loved AmeliaSedley ever since they were children; no wealth would make him marryany but her. Ought he to forsake her? Would you counsel him to do so?"

What could Miss Jane say to such a question, and with her own peculiarviews? She could not answer it, so she parried it by saying, "Well, ifyou are not a deceiver, at least you are very romantic"; and CaptainWilliam let this observation pass without challenge.

At length when, by the help of farther polite speeches, he deemed thatMiss Osborne was sufficiently prepared to receive the whole news, hepoured it into her ear. "George could not give up Amelia--George wasmarried to her"--and then he related the circumstances of the marriageas we know them already: how the poor girl would have died had not herlover kept his faith: how Old Sedley had refused all consent to thematch, and a licence had been got: and Jos Sedley had come fromCheltenham to give away the bride: how they had gone to Brighton inJos's chariot-and-four to pass the honeymoon: and how George counted onhis dear kind sisters to befriend him with their father, as women--sotrue and tender as they were--assuredly would do. And so, askingpermission (readily granted) to see her again, and rightly conjecturingthat the news he had brought would be told in the next five minutes tothe other ladies, Captain Dobbin made his bow and took his leave.

He was scarcely out of the house, when Miss Maria and Miss Wirt rushedin to Miss Osborne, and the whole wonderful secret was imparted to themby that lady. To do them justice, neither of the sisters was very muchdispleased. There is something about a runaway match with which fewladies can be seriously angry, and Amelia rather rose in theirestimation, from the spirit which she had displayed in consenting tothe union. As they debated the story, and prattled about it, andwondered what Papa would do and say, came a loud knock, as of anavenging thunder-clap, at the door, which made these conspiratorsstart. It must be Papa, they thought. But it was not he. It was onlyMr. Frederick Bullock, who had come from the City according toappointment, to conduct the ladies to a flower-show.

This gentleman, as may be imagined, was not kept long in ignorance ofthe secret. But his face, when he heard it, showed an amazement whichwas very different to that look of sentimental wonder which thecountenances of the sisters wore. Mr. Bullock was a man of the world,and a junior partner of a wealthy firm. He knew what money was, andthe value of it: and a delightful throb of expectation lighted up hislittle eyes, and caused him to smile on his Maria, as he thought thatby this piece of folly of Mr. George's she might be worth thirtythousand pounds more than he had ever hoped to get with her.

"Gad! Jane," said he, surveying even the elder sister with someinterest, "Eels will be sorry he cried off. You may be a fiftythousand pounder yet."

The sisters had never thought of the money question up to that moment,but Fred Bullock bantered them with graceful gaiety about it duringtheir forenoon's excursion; and they had risen not a little in theirown esteem by the time when, the morning amusement over, they droveback to dinner. And do not let my respected reader exclaim againstthis selfishness as unnatural. It was but this present morning, as herode on the omnibus from Richmond; while it changed horses, thispresent chronicler, being on the roof, marked three little childrenplaying in a puddle below, very dirty, and friendly, and happy. Tothese three presently came another little one. "POLLY," says she, "YOURSISTER'S GOT A PENNY." At which the children got up from the puddleinstantly, and ran off to pay their court to Peggy. And as the omnibusdrove off I saw Peggy with the infantine procession at her tail,marching with great dignity towards the stall of a neighbouringlollipop-woman.