When Jos's fine carriage drove up to the inn door at Chatham, the firstface which Amelia recognized was the friendly countenance of CaptainDobbin, who had been pacing the street for an hour past in expectationof his friends' arrival. The Captain, with shells on his frockcoat,and a crimson sash and sabre, presented a military appearance, whichmade Jos quite proud to be able to claim such an acquaintance, and thestout civilian hailed him with a cordiality very different from thereception which Jos vouchsafed to his friend in Brighton and BondStreet.

Along with the Captain was Ensign Stubble; who, as the barouche nearedthe inn, burst out with an exclamation of "By Jove! what a prettygirl"; highly applauding Osborne's choice. Indeed, Amelia dressed inher wedding-pelisse and pink ribbons, with a flush in her face,occasioned by rapid travel through the open air, looked so fresh andpretty, as fully to justify the Ensign's compliment. Dobbin liked himfor making it. As he stepped forward to help the lady out of thecarriage, Stubble saw what a pretty little hand she gave him, and whata sweet pretty little foot came tripping down the step. He blushedprofusely, and made the very best bow of which he was capable; to whichAmelia, seeing the number of the the regiment embroidered on theEnsign's cap, replied with a blushing smile, and a curtsey on her part;which finished the young Ensign on the spot. Dobbin took most kindly toMr. Stubble from that day, and encouraged him to talk about Amelia intheir private walks, and at each other's quarters. It became thefashion, indeed, among all the honest young fellows of the --th toadore and admire Mrs. Osborne. Her simple artless behaviour, andmodest kindness of demeanour, won all their unsophisticated hearts; allwhich simplicity and sweetness are quite impossible to describe inprint. But who has not beheld these among women, and recognised thepresence of all sorts of qualities in them, even though they say nomore to you than that they are engaged to dance the next quadrille, orthat it is very hot weather? George, always the champion of hisregiment, rose immensely in the opinion of the youth of the corps, byhis gallantry in marrying this portionless young creature, and by hischoice of such a pretty kind partner.

In the sitting-room which was awaiting the travellers, Amelia, to hersurprise, found a letter addressed to Mrs. Captain Osborne. It was atriangular billet, on pink paper, and sealed with a dove and an olivebranch, and a profusion of light blue sealing wax, and it was writtenin a very large, though undecided female hand.

"It's Peggy O'Dowd's fist," said George, laughing. "I know it by thekisses on the seal." And in fact, it was a note from Mrs. Major O'Dowd,requesting the pleasure of Mrs. Osborne's company that very evening toa small friendly party. "You must go," George said. "You will makeacquaintance with the regiment there. O'Dowd goes in command of theregiment, and Peggy goes in command."

But they had not been for many minutes in the enjoyment of Mrs.O'Dowd's letter, when the door was flung open, and a stout jolly lady,in a riding-habit, followed by a couple of officers of Ours, enteredthe room.

"Sure, I couldn't stop till tay-time. Present me, Garge, my dearfellow, to your lady. Madam, I'm deloighted to see ye; and to presentto you me husband, Meejor O'Dowd"; and with this, the jolly lady in theriding-habit grasped Amelia's hand very warmly, and the latter knew atonce that the lady was before her whom her husband had so often laughedat. "You've often heard of me from that husband of yours," said thelady, with great vivacity.

"You've often heard of her," echoed her husband, the Major.

Amelia answered, smiling, "that she had."

"And small good he's told you of me," Mrs. O'Dowd replied; adding that"George was a wicked divvle."

"That I'll go bail for," said the Major, trying to look knowing, atwhich George laughed; and Mrs. O'Dowd, with a tap of her whip, told theMajor to be quiet; and then requested to be presented in form to Mrs.Captain Osborne.

"This, my dear," said George with great gravity, "is my very good,kind, and excellent friend, Auralia Margaretta, otherwise called Peggy."

"Faith, you're right," interposed the Major.

"Otherwise called Peggy, lady of Major Michael O'Dowd, of our regiment,and daughter of Fitzjurld Ber'sford de Burgo Malony of Glenmalony,County Kildare."

"And Muryan Squeer, Doblin," said the lady with calm superiority.

"And Muryan Square, sure enough," the Major whispered.

"'Twas there ye coorted me, Meejor dear," the lady said; and the Majorassented to this as to every other proposition which was made generallyin company.

Major O'Dowd, who had served his sovereign in every quarter of theworld, and had paid for every step in his profession by some more thanequivalent act of daring and gallantry, was the most modest, silent,sheep-faced and meek of little men, and as obedient to his wife as ifhe had been her tay-boy. At the mess-table he sat silently, and dranka great deal. When full of liquor, he reeled silently home. When hespoke, it was to agree with everybody on every conceivable point; andhe passed through life in perfect ease and good-humour. The hottestsuns of India never heated his temper; and the Walcheren ague nevershook it. He walked up to a battery with just as much indifference asto a dinner-table; had dined on horse-flesh and turtle with equalrelish and appetite; and had an old mother, Mrs. O'Dowd of O'Dowdstownindeed, whom he had never disobeyed but when he ran away and enlisted,and when he persisted in marrying that odious Peggy Malony.

Peggy was one of five sisters, and eleven children of the noble houseof Glenmalony; but her husband, though her own cousin, was of themother's side, and so had not the inestimable advantage of being alliedto the Malonys, whom she believed to be the most famous family in theworld. Having tried nine seasons at Dublin and two at Bath andCheltenham, and not finding a partner for life, Miss Malony ordered hercousin Mick to marry her when she was about thirty-three years of age;and the honest fellow obeying, carried her off to the West Indies, topreside over the ladies of the --th regiment, into which he had justexchanged.

Before Mrs. O'Dowd was half an hour in Amelia's (or indeed in anybodyelse's) company, this amiable lady told all her birth and pedigree toher new friend. "My dear," said she, good-naturedly, "it was myintention that Garge should be a brother of my own, and my sisterGlorvina would have suited him entirely. But as bygones are bygones,and he was engaged to yourself, why, I'm determined to take you as asister instead, and to look upon you as such, and to love you as one ofthe family. Faith, you've got such a nice good-natured face and waywidg you, that I'm sure we'll agree; and that you'll be an addition toour family anyway."

"'Deed and she will," said O'Dowd, with an approving air, and Ameliafelt herself not a little amused and grateful to be thus suddenlyintroduced to so large a party of relations.

"We're all good fellows here," the Major's lady continued. "There's nota regiment in the service where you'll find a more united society nor amore agreeable mess-room. There's no quarrelling, bickering,slandthering, nor small talk amongst us. We all love each other."

"Especially Mrs. Magenis," said George, laughing.

"Mrs. Captain Magenis and me has made up, though her treatment of mewould bring me gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

"And you with such a beautiful front of black, Peggy, my dear," theMajor cried.

"Hould your tongue, Mick, you booby. Them husbands are always in theway, Mrs. Osborne, my dear; and as for my Mick, I often tell him heshould never open his mouth but to give the word of command, or to putmeat and drink into it. I'll tell you about the regiment, and warn youwhen we're alone. Introduce me to your brother now; sure he's a mightyfine man, and reminds me of me cousin, Dan Malony (Malony ofBallymalony, my dear, you know who mar'ied Ophalia Scully, ofOystherstown, own cousin to Lord Poldoody). Mr. Sedley, sir, I'mdeloighted to be made known te ye. I suppose you'll dine at the messto-day. (Mind that divvle of a docther, Mick, and whatever ye du, keepyourself sober for me party this evening.)"

"It's the 150th gives us a farewell dinner, my love," interposed theMajor, "but we'll easy get a card for Mr. Sedley."

"Run Simple (Ensign Simple, of Ours, my dear Amelia. I forgot tointrojuice him to ye). Run in a hurry, with Mrs. Major O'Dowd'scompliments to Colonel Tavish, and Captain Osborne has brought hisbrothernlaw down, and will bring him to the 150th mess at five o'clocksharp--when you and I, my dear, will take a snack here, if you like."Before Mrs. O'Dowd's speech was concluded, the young Ensign wastrotting downstairs on his commission.

"Obedience is the soul of the army. We will go to our duty while Mrs.O'Dowd will stay and enlighten you, Emmy," Captain Osborne said; andthe two gentlemen, taking each a wing of the Major, walked out withthat officer, grinning at each other over his head.

And, now having her new friend to herself, the impetuous Mrs. O'Dowdproceeded to pour out such a quantity of information as no poor littlewoman's memory could ever tax itself to bear. She told Amelia athousand particulars relative to the very numerous family of which theamazed young lady found herself a member. "Mrs. Heavytop, theColonel's wife, died in Jamaica of the yellow faver and a broken heartcomboined, for the horrud old Colonel, with a head as bald as acannon-ball, was making sheep's eyes at a half-caste girl there. Mrs.Magenis, though without education, was a good woman, but she had thedivvle's tongue, and would cheat her own mother at whist. Mrs. CaptainKirk must turn up her lobster eyes forsooth at the idea of an honestround game (wherein me fawther, as pious a man as ever went to church,me uncle Dane Malony, and our cousin the Bishop, took a hand at loo, orwhist, every night of their lives). Nayther of 'em's goin' with theregiment this time," Mrs. O'Dowd added. "Fanny Magenis stops with hermother, who sells small coal and potatoes, most likely, inIslington-town, hard by London, though she's always bragging of herfather's ships, and pointing them out to us as they go up the river:and Mrs. Kirk and her children will stop here in Bethesda Place, to benigh to her favourite preacher, Dr. Ramshorn. Mrs. Bunny's in aninteresting situation--faith, and she always is, then--and has giventhe Lieutenant seven already. And Ensign Posky's wife, who joined twomonths before you, my dear, has quarl'd with Tom Posky a score oftimes, till you can hear'm all over the bar'ck (they say they're cometo broken pleets, and Tom never accounted for his black oi), and she'llgo back to her mother, who keeps a ladies' siminary at Richmond--badluck to her for running away from it! Where did ye get your finishing,my dear? I had moin, and no expince spared, at Madame Flanahan's, atIlyssus Grove, Booterstown, near Dublin, wid a Marchioness to teach usthe true Parisian pronunciation, and a retired Mejor-General of theFrench service to put us through the exercise."

Of this incongruous family our astonished Amelia found herself all of asudden a member: with Mrs. O'Dowd as an elder sister. She waspresented to her other female relations at tea-time, on whom, as shewas quiet, good-natured, and not too handsome, she made rather anagreeable impression until the arrival of the gentlemen from the messof the 150th, who all admired her so, that her sisters began, ofcourse, to find fault with her.

"I hope Osborne has sown his wild oats," said Mrs. Magenis to Mrs.Bunny. "If a reformed rake makes a good husband, sure it's she willhave the fine chance with Garge," Mrs. O'Dowd remarked to Posky, whohad lost her position as bride in the regiment, and was quite angrywith the usurper. And as for Mrs. Kirk: that disciple of Dr. Ramshornput one or two leading professional questions to Amelia, to see whethershe was awakened, whether she was a professing Christian and so forth,and finding from the simplicity of Mrs. Osborne's replies that she wasyet in utter darkness, put into her hands three little penny books withpictures, viz., the "Howling Wilderness," the "Washerwoman ofWandsworth Common," and the "British Soldier's best Bayonet," which,bent upon awakening her before she slept, Mrs. Kirk begged Amelia toread that night ere she went to bed.

But all the men, like good fellows as they were, rallied round theircomrade's pretty wife, and paid her their court with soldierlygallantry. She had a little triumph, which flushed her spirits andmade her eyes sparkle. George was proud of her popularity, and pleasedwith the manner (which was very gay and graceful, though naive and alittle timid) with which she received the gentlemen's attentions, andanswered their compliments. And he in his uniform--how much handsomerhe was than any man in the room! She felt that he was affectionatelywatching her, and glowed with pleasure at his kindness. "I will makeall his friends welcome," she resolved in her heart. "I will love allas I love him. I will always try and be gay and good-humoured and makehis home happy."

The regiment indeed adopted her with acclamation. The Captainsapproved, the Lieutenants applauded, the Ensigns admired. Old Cutler,the Doctor, made one or two jokes, which, being professional, need notbe repeated; and Cackle, the Assistant M.D. of Edinburgh, condescendedto examine her upon leeterature, and tried her with his three bestFrench quotations. Young Stubble went about from man to manwhispering, "Jove, isn't she a pretty gal?" and never took his eyes offher except when the negus came in.

As for Captain Dobbin, he never so much as spoke to her during thewhole evening. But he and Captain Porter of the 150th took home Jos tothe hotel, who was in a very maudlin state, and had told his tiger-huntstory with great effect, both at the mess-table and at the soiree, toMrs. O'Dowd in her turban and bird of paradise. Having put theCollector into the hands of his servant, Dobbin loitered about, smokinghis cigar before the inn door. George had meanwhile very carefullyshawled his wife, and brought her away from Mrs. O'Dowd's after ageneral handshaking from the young officers, who accompanied her to thefly, and cheered that vehicle as it drove off. So Amelia gave Dobbinher little hand as she got out of the carriage, and rebuked himsmilingly for not having taken any notice of her all night.

The Captain continued that deleterious amusement of smoking, long afterthe inn and the street were gone to bed. He watched the lights vanishfrom George's sitting-room windows, and shine out in the bedroom closeat hand. It was almost morning when he returned to his own quarters.He could hear the cheering from the ships in the river, where thetransports were already taking in their cargoes preparatory to droppingdown the Thames.