"I did not know," said poor old Dob, and his countenance fell.
Emmy did not note the circumstance at the time, nor take immediate heed of the very dismal expression which honest Dobbin's countenance assumed, but she thought of it afterwards. And then it struck her, with inexpressible pain and mortification too, that it was William who was the giver of the piano, and not George, as she had fancied. It was not George's gift; the only one which she had received from her lover, as she thought--the thing she had cherished beyond all others--her dearest relic and prize. She had spoken to it about George; played his favourite airs upon it; sat for long evening hours, touching, to the best of her simple art, melancholy harmonies on the keys, and weeping over them in silence. It was not George's relic. It was valueless now. The next time that old Sedley asked her to play, she said it was shockingly out of tune, that she had a headache, that she couldn't play.
Then, according to her custom, she rebuked herself for her pettishness and ingratitude and determined to make a reparation to honest William for the slight she had not expressed to him, but had felt for his piano. A few days afterwards, as they were seated in the drawing-room, where Jos had fallen asleep with great comfort after dinner, Amelia said with rather a faltering voice to Major Dobbin--

"I did not know," said poor old Dob, and his face fell.
Emmy did not heed this at the time, but she thought of it afterwards. And then it struck her, with inexpressible pain and mortification, that it was William who was the giver of the piano, and not George. It was not, as she had thought, George's gift; her dearest relic. She had spoken to it about George; played his favourite airs upon it; sat for long evening hours, touching melancholy harmonies on the keys, and weeping over them in silence. It was valueless now. The next time old Sedley asked her to play, she said it was shockingly out of tune, that she had a headache, that she couldn't play it.
Then she rebuked herself for her pettish ingratitude and determined to make up for the slight she had not expressed to honest William, but had felt for his piano. A few days afterwards, as they were seated in the drawing-room, where Jos had fallen asleep after dinner, Amelia said falteringly to Major Dobbin