"She is a pretty girl, but I don't know why George stays friendly with her." This is what Maria Osborne, George's sister, said to her younger sister, Jane, about Amelia.
"I can't agree more." Jane said.
One day Dobbin came to the Osborne house to visit George, but he was not at home.
"You are at the wrong house," laughed Maria, and pointed to the Sedley's house on the other side of the street. "That's where he is."
Dobbin smiled strangely and went away. He knew that George had not been there. Amelia was there alone, hoping that George would come to visit her. Day after day, she waited. Day after day, he didn't come. He was busy playing billiards with his friends in the army.
A lot of people thought that the army would soon join in the war against Napoleon. and Amelia was worried that her George would have to go and fight. Perhaps, he would be injured or killed！Then the war in Europe ended, and Amelia were very happy. However, George told her that he had to travel to some other parts of England with his troops. While he was away, he sometimes wrote her a short note. She wrote him very long letters every day.
George was tired of reading these long letters and sometimes used them to light his cigars. His friends Stubble and Spooney wondered who was sending all those long letters to Captain Osborne, but he would not tell them. Dobbin heard Stubble and Spooney speaking about it one day.
"She's probably an actress or singer and just wants his money, "said Spooney.
"Miss Sedley is one of the nicest young women that ever lived." said Dobbin, annoyed. "and Lieutenant Osborne has been engaged（订婚）to her for a long time. "
Soon, everybody in the army knew about it, and George was angry with Dobbin. Then he remembered that Dobbin often helped him by giving him money. He did not want to lose such a good friend. Dobbin told him that he should write to Amelia and try to make her happier. The next day George decided to go to London and visit Amelia. He borrowed some money from Dobbin, so that he could buy her a present. When he arrived in London, he saw a lovely shirt in a shop and bought it for himself. He had no money left to buy a present for Amelia.
"Never mind, "he said to himself. "She doesn't care about presents. She just wants to see me. "
She was, indeed, very happy to see him, and admired his new shirt. He talked to her about his plans to retire from the army because the war in Europe had ended and was going to live somewhere in the country with her. She was very happy.
"I will take you to visit your sisters-in-law, "said George. "I have some important business in the city, but I will be back in time for dinner. "
George took her to the Osborne house, and then he went into the city and played billiards with his friends. He was late for dinner.
After dinner, his father talked to him about his plans. He wanted him to stop gambling and playing billiards with his friends, and George promised that he would.
"Can't you find another girl to marry?" asked Mr. Osborne suddenly.
"But she loves me, and you arranged it many years ago with Mr. Sedley,"replied George.
"Yes, I know. Sedley was my friend once and helped me in business. Now his business does not look good. I think he has lost a lot of money. I don't want a poor man's daughter in my family!"
George was not upset to hear this, and he did not tell Amelia what his father had said. He made Amelia very happy, and that night she wrote him another long letter. He read it and sighed.
"Poor Amelia,"he said. "She loves me so much! This wine has given me a headache!"
C . George still kept the engagement because he deeply loved Amelia.
D . Mr. Osborne broke the engagement mainly because of his son's gambling.
