The good looks, gallant bearing, and gentleman-like
appearance of the boy won the grandsire's heart for him. Mr. Osborne was as
proud of him as ever he had been of the elder George.
    The child had many more luxuries and indulgences than had been awarded to
his father. Osborne's commerce had prospered greatly of late years. His wealth
and importance in the City had very much increased. He had been glad enough in
former days to put the elder George to a good private school; and a commission
in the army for his son had been a source of no small pride to him. For little
George and his future prospects the old man looked much higher. He would make a
gentleman of the little chap, was Mr. Osborne's constant saying regarding little
Georgy. He saw him in his mind's eye, a collegian, a Parliament man - a Baronet,
perhaps. The old man thought he would die contended if he could see his grandson
in a fair way to such honours. He would have none but a tip-top college man to
educate him - none of your quacks and pretenders - no, no. A few years before,
he used to be savage and inveigh against all parsons, scholars, and the like, -
declaring that they were a pack of humbugs, and quacks, that weren't fit to get
their living but by grinding Latin and Greek, and a set of supercilious dogs,
that pretended to look down upon British merchants and gentlemen, who could buy
up half a hundred of 'em. He would mourn now, in a very solemn manner, that his
own education had been neglected, and repeatedly point out, in pompous orations
to Georgy, the necessity and excellence of classical acquirements.
    When they met at dinner the grandsire used to ask the lad he had been
reading during the day, and was greatly interested to understand little George
when he spoke regarding them. He made a hundred blunders, and showed his
ignorance many a time. It did not increase the respect which the child had for
his senior. A quick brain and a better education elsewhere showed the boy very
soon that his grandsire was a dullard, and he began accordingly to command him
and to look down upon him; for his previous education, humble and contracted as
it had been, had made a much better gentleman of Georgy than any plants of his
grandfather could make him. He had been brought up by a kind, weak, and tender
woman, who had no pride about anything but about him, and whose heart was