Not caring for society, and moping there a great deal, Emmy's chief pleasure in the summer evenings was to take long walks with Georgy (during which Rebecca was left to the society of Mr. Joseph), and then the mother and son used to talk about the Major in a way which even made the boy smile. She told him that she thought Major William was the best man in all the world--the gentlest and the kindest, the bravest and the humblest. Over and over again she told him how they owed everything which they possessed in the world to that kind friend's benevolent care of them; how he had befriended them all through their poverty and misfortunes; watched over them when nobody cared for them; how all his comrades admired him though he never spoke of his own gallant actions; how Georgy's father trusted him beyond all other men, and had been constantly befriended by the good William. "Why, when your papa was a little boy," she said, "he often told me that it was William who defended him against a tyrant at the school where they were; and their friendship never ceased from that day until the last, when your dear father fell."
"Did Dobbin kill the man who killed Papa?" Georgy said. "I'm sure he did, or he would if he could have caught him, wouldn't he, Mother? When I'm in the Army, won't I hate the French?--that's all."

Not caring for society, Emmy's chief pleasure in the summer evenings was to take long walks with Georgy, while Rebecca was left to the society of Joseph. Then the mother and son used to talk about the Major in a way which even made the boy smile. She told him that she thought Major William was the best man in the world - the gentlest and kindest, the bravest and humblest. She told him again how they owed everything to that kind friend's care; how he had befriended them through their misfortunes, and watched over them; how all his comrades admired him though he never spoke of his own gallant actions; how Georgy's father trusted him beyond all other men.
"When your papa was a little boy," she said, "he often told me that it was William who defended him against a tyrant at their school; and their friendship never ceased from that day until the last."
