Miss Crawley's graciousness was also remarkable. She continued her
raptures about little Amelia, talked about her before her face as if
she were a doll, or a servant, or a picture, and admired her with
the most benevolent wonder possible. I admire that admiration which
the genteel world sometimes extends to the commonalty. There is no
more agreeable object in life than to see Mayfair folks
condescending. Miss Crawley's prodigious benevolence rather
fatigued poor little Amelia, and I am not sure that of the three
ladies in Park Lane she did not find honest Miss Briggs the most
agreeable. She sympathised with Briggs as with all neglected or
gentle people: she wasn't what you call a woman of spirit.
George came to dinner--a repast en garcon with Captain Crawley.
The great family coach of the Osbornes transported him to Park Lane
from Russell Square; where the young ladies, who were not themselves
invited, and professed the greatest indifference at that slight,
nevertheless looked at Sir Pitt Crawley's name in the baronetage;
and learned everything which that work had to teach about the
Crawley family and their pedigree, and the Binkies, their relatives,
&c., &c. Rawdon Crawley received George Osborne with great
frankness and graciousness: praised his play at billiards: asked him
when he would have his revenge: was interested about Osborne's
regiment: and would have proposed piquet to him that very evening,
but Miss Crawley absolutely forbade any gambling in her house; so
that the young Lieutenant's purse was not lightened by his gallant
patron, for that day at least.
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