Ramgunge,
where
there
is
a
magistrate
,
is
only
forty
miles
off
,
and
there
is
a
cavalry
station
about
thirty
miles
farther
;
so
Joseph
wrote
home
to
his
parents
,
when
he
took
possession
of
his
collectorship
.
He
had
lived
for
about
eight
years
of
his
life
,
quite
alone
,
at
this
charming
place
,
scarcely
seeing
a
Christian
face
except
twice
a
year
,
when
the
detachment
arrived
to
carry
off
the
revenues
which
he
had
collected
,
to
Calcutta
.
Luckily
,
at
this
time
he
caught
a
liver
complaint
,
for
the
cure
of
which
he
returned
to
Europe
,
and
which
was
the
source
of
great
comfort
and
amusement
to
him
in
his
native
country
.
He
did
not
live
with
his
family
while
in
London
,
but
had
lodgings
of
his
own
,
like
a
gay
young
bachelor
.
Before
he
went
to
India
he
was
too
young
to
partake
of
the
delightful
pleasures
of
a
man
about
town
,
and
plunged
into
them
on
his
return
with
considerable
assiduity
.
He
drove
his
horses
in
the
Park
;
he
dined
at
the
fashionable
taverns
(
for
the
Oriental
Club
was
not
as
yet
invented
)
;
he
frequented
the
theatres
,
as
the
mode
was
in
those
days
,
or
made
his
appearance
at
the
opera
,
laboriously
attired
in
tights
and
a
cocked
hat
.
On
returning
to
India
,
and
ever
after
,
he
used
to
talk
of
the
pleasure
of
this
period
of
his
existence
with
great
enthusiasm
,
and
give
you
to
understand
that
he
and
Brummel
were
the
leading
bucks
of
the
day
.
But
he
was
as
lonely
here
as
in
his
jungle
at
Boggley
Wollah
.
He
scarcely
knew
a
single
soul
in
the
metropolis
:
and
were
it
not
for
his
doctor
,
and
the
society
of
his
blue-pill
,
and
his
liver
complaint
,
he
must
have
died
of
loneliness
.
He
was
lazy
,
peevish
,
and
a
bon-vivant
;
the
appearance
of
a
lady
frightened
him
beyond
measure
;
hence
it
was
but
seldom
that
he
joined
the
paternal
circle
in
Russell
Square
,
where
there
was
plenty
of
gaiety
,
and
where
the
jokes
of
his
good
natured
old
father
frightened
his
amour-propre
.
His
bulk
caused
Joseph
much
anxious
thought
and
alarm
;
now
and
then
he
would
make
a
desperate
attempt
to
get
rid
of
his
superabundant
fat
;
but
his
indolence
and
love
of
good
living
speedily
got
the
better
of
these
endeavours
at
reform
,
and
he
found
himself
again
at
his
three
meals
a
day
.
he
never
was
well
dressed
;
but
he
took
the
hugest
pains
to
adorn
his
big
person
,
and
passed
many
hours
daily
in
that
occupation
.
His
valet
made
a
fortune
out
of
his
wardrobe
:
his
toilet-table
was
covered
with
as
many
pomatums
and
essences
as
ever
were
employed
by
an
old
beauty
:
he
had
tried
,
in
order
to
give
himself
a
waist
,
every
girth
,
stay
,
and
waistband
then
invented
.
Like
most
fat
men
,
he
would
have
his
clothes
made
too
tight
,
and
took
care
they
should
be
of
the
most
brilliant
colours
and
youthful
cut
.
When
dressed
at
length
,
in
the
afternoon
,
he
would
issue
forth
to
take
a
drive
with
nobody
in
the
Park
;
and
then
would
come
back
in
order
to
dress
again
and
go
and
dine
with
nobody
at
the
Piazza
Coffee-House
.
He
was
as
vain
as
a
girl
;
and
perhaps
his
extreme
shyness
was
one
of
the
results
of
his
extreme
vanity
.
If
Miss
Rebecca
can
get
the
better
of
him
,
and
at
her
first
entrance
into
life
,
she
is
a
young
person
of
no
ordinary
cleverness
.
The
first
move
showed
considerable
skill
.
When
she
called
Sedley
a
very
handsome
man
,
she
knew
that
Amelia
would
tell
her
mother
,
who
would
probably
tell
Joseph
,
or
who
,
at
any
rate
,
would
be
pleased
by
the
compliment
paid
to
her
son
.
All
mothers
are
.
If
you
had
told
Sycorax
that
her
son
Caliban
was
as
handsome
as
Apollo
,
she
would
have
been
pleased
,
witch
as
she
was
.
Perhaps
,
too
,
Joseph
Sedley
would
overhear
the
compliment
—
Rebecca
spoke
loud
enough
—
and
he
did
hear
,
and
(
thinking
in
his
heart
that
he
was
a
very
fine
man
)
,
the
praise
thrilled
through
every
fibre
of
his
big
body
,
and
made
it
tingle
with
pleasure
.
Then
,
however
,
came
a
recoil
.
“
Is
the
girl
making
fun
of
me
?
”
he
thought
,
and
straightway
he
bounced
towards
the
bell
,
and
was
for
retreating
,
as
we
have
seen
,
when
his
father’s
jokes
and
his
mother’s
entreaties
caused
him
to
pause
and
stay
where
he
was
.
He
conducted
the
young
lady
down
to
dinner
in
a
dubious
and
agitated
frame
of
mind
.
“
Does
she
really
think
I
am
handsome
?
”
thought
he
,
“
or
is
she
only
making
game
of
me
?
”
We
have
talked
of
Joseph
Sedley
being
as
vain
as
a
girl
.
Heaven
help
us
!
the
girls
have
only
to
turn
the
tables
,
and
say
of
one
of
their
own
sex
,
“
She
is
as
vain
as
a
man
,
”
and
they
will
have
perfect
reason
.
The
bearded
creatures
are
quite
as
eager
for
praise
,
quite
as
finikin
over
their
toilets
,
quite
as
proud
of
their
personal
advantages
,
quite
as
conscious
of
their
powers
of
fascination
,
as
any
coquette
in
the
world
.
Down
stairs
,
then
,
they
went
,
Joseph
very
red
and
blushing
,
Rebecca
very
modest
,
and
holding
her
green
eyes
downwards
.
She
was
dressed
in
white
,
with
bare
shoulders
as
white
as
snow
—
the
picture
of
youth
,
unprotected
innocence
,
and
humble
virgin
simplicity
.
“
I
must
be
very
quiet
,
”
thought
Rebecca
,
“
and
very
much
interested
about
India
.
”
Now
we
have
heard
how
Mrs.
Sedley
had
prepared
a
fine
curry
for
her
son
,
just
as
he
liked
it
,
and
in
the
course
of
dinner
a
portion
of
this
dish
was
offered
to
Rebecca
.
“
What
is
it
?
”
said
she
,
turning
an
appealing
look
to
Mr.
Joseph
.
“
Capital
,
”
said
he
.
His
mouth
was
full
of
it
;
his
face
quite
red
with
the
delightful
exercise
of
gobbling
.
“
Mother
,
it’s
as
good
as
my
own
curries
in
India
.
”
“
Oh
,
I
must
try
some
,
if
it
is
an
Indian
dish
,
”
said
Miss
Rebecca
.
“
I
am
sure
everything
must
be
good
that
comes
from
there
.
”
“
Give
Miss
Sharp
some
curry
,
my
dear
,
”
said
Mr.
Sedley
,
laughing
.
Rebecca
had
never
tasted
the
dish
before
.
“
Do
you
find
it
as
good
as
everything
else
from
India
?
”
said
Mr.
Sedley
.
“
Oh
,
excellent
!
”
said
Rebecca
,
who
was
suffering
tortures
with
the
cayenne
pepper
.
“
Try
a
chili
with
it
,
Miss
Sharp
,
”
said
Joseph
,
really
interested
.
“
A
chili
,
”
said
Rebecca
,
gasping
.
“
Oh
,
yes
!
”
She
thought
a
chili
was
something
cool
,
as
its
name
imported
,
and
was
served
with
some
.
“
How
fresh
and
green
they
look
,
”
she
said
,
and
put
one
into
her
mouth
.
It
was
hotter
than
the
curry
;
flesh
and
blood
could
bear
it
no
longer
.
She
laid
down
her
fork
.
“
Water
,
for
Heaven’s
sake
,
water
!
”
she
cried
.
Mr.
Sedley
burst
out
laughing
(
he
was
a
coarse
man
,
from
the
Stock
Exchange
,
where
they
love
all
sorts
of
practical
jokes
)
.
“
They
are
real
Indian
,
I
assure
you
,
”
said
he
.
“
Sambo
,
give
Miss
Sharp
some
water
.
”
The
paternal
laugh
was
echoed
by
Joseph
,
who
thought
the
joke
capital
.
The
ladies
only
smiled
a
little
.
They
thought
poor
Rebecca
suffered
too
much
.
She
would
have
liked
to
choke
old
Sedley
,
but
she
swallowed
her
mortification
as
well
as
she
had
the
abominable
curry
before
it
,
and
as
soon
as
she
could
speak
,
said
,
with
a
comical
,
good-humoured
air
—
“
I
ought
to
have
remembered
the
pepper
which
the
Princess
of
Persia
puts
in
the
cream-tarts
in
the
Arabian
Nights
.
Do
you
put
cayenne
into
your
cream-tarts
in
India
,
sir
?
”
Old
Sedley
began
to
laugh
,
and
thought
Rebecca
was
a
good-humoured
girl
.
Joseph
simply
said
—
“
Cream-tarts
,
Miss
?
Our
cream
is
very
bad
in
Bengal
.
We
generally
use
goats’
milk
;
and
,
’gad
,
do
you
know
,
I’ve
got
to
prefer
it
!
”
“
You
won’t
like
everything
from
India
now
,
Miss
Sharp
,
”
said
the
old
gentleman
;
but
when
the
ladies
had
retired
after
dinner
,
the
wily
old
fellow
said
to
his
son
,
“
Have
a
care
,
Joe
;
that
girl
is
setting
her
cap
at
you
.
”
“
Pooh
!
nonsense
!
”
said
Joe
,
highly
flattered
.
“
I
recollect
,
sir
,
there
was
a
girl
at
Dumdum
,
a
daughter
of
Cutler
of
the
Artillery
,
and
afterwards
married
to
Lance
,
the
surgeon
,
who
made
a
dead
set
at
me
in
the
year
’4
—
at
me
and
Mulligatawney
,
whom
I
mentioned
to
you
before
dinner
—
a
devilish
good
fellow
,
Mulligatawney
—
he’s
a
magistrate
at
Budgebudge
,
and
sure
to
be
in
council
in
five
years
.
Well
,
sir
,
the
Artillery
gave
a
ball
,
and
Quintin
,
of
the
King’s
14th
,
said
to
me
,
‘Sedley
,
’
said
he
,
‘I
bet
you
thirteen
to
ten
that
Sophy
Cutler
hooks
either
you
or
Mulligatawney
before
the
rains.’
‘Done
,
’
says
I
;
and
egad
,
sir
—
this
claret’s
very
good
.
Adamson’s
or
Carbonell’s
?
”
...
A
slight
snore
was
the
only
reply
:
the
honest
stock-broker
was
asleep
,
and
so
the
rest
of
Joseph’s
story
was
lost
for
that
day
.
But
he
was
always
exceedingly
communicative
in
a
man’s
party
,
and
has
told
this
delightful
tale
many
scores
of
times
to
his
apothecary
,
Dr.
Gollop
,
when
he
came
to
inquire
about
the
liver
and
the
blue-pill
.
Being
an
invalid
,
Joseph
Sedley
contented
himself
with
a
bottle
of
claret
besides
his
Madeira
at
dinner
,
and
he
managed
a
couple
of
plates
full
of
strawberries
and
cream
,
and
twenty-four
little
rout
cakes
,
that
were
lying
neglected
in
a
plate
near
him
,
and
certainly
(
for
novelists
have
the
privilege
of
knowing
everything
)
,
he
thought
a
great
deal
about
the
girl
upstairs
.
“
A
nice
,
gay
,
merry
young
creature
,
”
thought
he
to
himself
.
“
How
she
looked
at
me
when
I
picked
up
her
handkerchief
at
dinner
!
She
dropped
it
twice
.
Who’s
that
singing
in
the
drawing-room
?
’Gad
!
shall
I
go
up
and
see
?
”
But
his
modesty
came
rushing
upon
him
with
uncontrollable
force
.
His
father
was
asleep
:
his
hat
was
in
the
hall
:
there
was
a
hackney-coach
stand
hard
by
in
Southampton
Row
.
“
I’ll
go
and
see
the
Forty
Thieves
,
”
said
he
,
“
and
Miss
Decamp’s
dance
;
”
and
he
slipped
gently
away
on
the
pointed
toes
of
his
boots
,
and
disappeared
,
without
waking
his
worthy
parent
.
“
There
goes
Joseph
,
”
said
Amelia
,
who
was
looking
from
the
open
windows
of
the
drawing-room
,
while
Rebecca
was
singing
at
the
piano
.
“
Miss
Sharp
has
frightened
him
away
,
”
said
Mrs.
Sedley
.
“
Poor
Joe
,
why
will
he
be
so
shy
?
”
IV
.
The
Green
Silk
Purse
POOR
Joe’s
panic
lasted
for
two
or
three
days
;
during
which
he
did
not
visit
the
house
,
nor
during
that
period
did
Miss
Rebecca
ever
mention
his
name
.
She
was
all
respectful
gratitude
to
Mrs.
Sedley
;
delighted
beyond
measure
at
the
Bazaars
;
and
in
a
whirl
of
wonder
at
the
theatre
,
whither
the
good-natured
lady
took
her
.
One
day
,
Amelia
had
a
head-ache
,
and
could
not
go
upon
some
party
of
pleasure
to
which
the
two
young
people
were
invited
;
nothing
could
induce
her
friend
to
go
without
her
.
“
What
!
you
who
have
shown
the
poor
orphan
what
happiness
and
love
are
for
the
first
time
in
her
life
—
quit
you
?
never
!
”
and
the
green
eyes
looked
up
to
Heaven
and
filled
with
tears
;
and
Mrs.
Sedley
could
not
but
own
that
her
daughter’s
friend
had
a
charming
kind
heart
of
her
own
.
As
for
Mr.
Sedley’s
jokes
,
Rebecca
laughed
at
them
with
a
cordiality
and
perseverance
which
not
a
little
pleased
and
softened
that
good-natured
gentleman
.
Nor
was
it
with
the
chiefs
of
the
family
alone
that
Miss
Sharp
found
favour
.
She
interested
Mrs.
Blenkinsop
by
evincing
the
deepest
sympathy
in
the
raspberry-jam
preserving
,
which
operation
was
then
going
on
in
the
Housekeeper’s
room
;
she
persisted
in
calling
Sambo
“
Sir
,
”
and
“
Mr.
Sambo
,
”
to
the
delight
of
that
attendant
;
and
she
apologised
to
the
lady’s
maid
for
giving
her
trouble
in
venturing
to
ring
the
bell
,
with
such
sweetness
and
humility
,
that
the
Servants’
Hall
was
almost
as
charmed
with
her
as
the
Drawing
Room
.
Once
,
in
looking
over
some
drawings
which
Amelia
had
sent
from
school
,
Rebecca
suddenly
came
upon
one
which
caused
her
to
burst
into
tears
and
leave
the
room
.
It
was
on
the
day
when
Joe
Sedley
made
his
second
appearance
.
Amelia
hastened
after
her
friend
to
know
the
cause
of
this
display
of
feeling
and
the
good-natured
girl
came
back
without
her
companion
,
rather
affected
too
.
“
You
know
,
her
father
was
our
drawing-master
,
Mamma
,
at
Chiswick
,
and
used
to
do
all
the
best
parts
of
our
drawings
.
”
“
My
love
!
I’m
sure
I
always
heard
Miss
Pinkerton
say
that
he
did
not
touch
them
—
he
only
mounted
them
.
”
“
It
was
called
mounting
,
Mamma
.
Rebecca
remembers
the
drawing
,
and
her
father
working
at
it
,
and
the
thought
of
it
came
upon
her
rather
suddenly
—
and
so
,
you
know
,
she
—
—
”
“
The
poor
child
is
all
heart
,
”
said
Mrs.
Sedley
.
“
I
wish
she
could
stay
with
us
another
week
,
”
said
Amelia
.
“
She’s
devilish
like
Miss
Cutler
that
I
used
to
meet
at
Dumdum
,
only
fairer
.
She’s
married
now
to
Lance
,
the
Artillery
Surgeon
.
Do
you
know
,
Ma’am
,
that
once
Quintin
,
of
the
14th
,
bet
me
—
—
”
“
O
Joseph
we
know
that
story
,
”
said
Amelia
,
laughing
.
“
Never
mind
about
telling
that
,
but
persuade
Mamma
to
write
to
Sir
Something
Crawley
for
leave
of
absence
for
poor
dear
Rebecca
:
—
here
she
comes
,
her
eyes
red
with
weeping
.
”
“
I’m
better
,
now
,
”
said
the
girl
,
with
the
sweetest
smile
possible
,
taking
good-natured
Mrs.
Sedley’s
extended
hand
and
kissing
it
respectfully
.
“
How
kind
you
all
are
to
me
!
All
,
”
she
added
,
with
a
laugh
,
“
except
you
,
Mr.
Joseph
.
”
“
Me
!
”
said
Joseph
,
meditating
an
instant
departure
.
“
Gracious
Heavens
!
Good
Gad
!
Miss
Sharp
!
”
“
Yes
;
how
could
you
be
so
cruel
as
to
make
me
eat
that
horrid
pepper-dish
at
dinner
,
the
first
day
I
ever
saw
you
?
You
are
not
so
good
to
me
as
dear
Amelia
.
”
“
He
doesn’t
know
you
so
well
,
”
cried
Amelia
.
“
I
defy
anybody
not
to
be
good
to
you
,
my
dear
,
”
said
her
mother
.
“
The
curry
was
capital
;
indeed
it
was
,
”
said
Joe
,
quite
gravely
.
“
Perhaps
there
was
not
enough
citron
juice
in
it
:
no
,
there
was
not
.
”
“
And
the
chilis
?
”
“
By
Jove
,
how
they
made
you
cry
out
!
”
said
Joe
,
caught
by
the
ridicule
of
the
circumstance
,
and
exploding
in
a
fit
of
laughter
which
ended
quite
suddenly
,
as
usual
.
“
I
shall
take
care
how
I
let
you
choose
for
me
another
time
,
”
said
Rebecca
,
as
they
went
down
again
to
dinner
.
“
I
didn’t
think
men
were
fond
of
putting
poor
harmless
girls
to
pain
.
”
“
By
Gad
,
Miss
Rebecca
,
I
wouldn’t
hurt
you
for
the
world
.
”
“
No
,
”
said
she
,
“
I
know
you
wouldn’t
;
”
and
then
she
gave
him
ever
so
gentle
a
pressure
with
her
little
hand
,
and
drew
it
back
quite
frightened
,
and
looked
first
for
one
instant
in
his
face
,
and
then
down
at
the
carpet-rods
;
and
I
am
not
prepared
to
say
that
Joe’s
heart
did
not
thump
at
this
little
involuntary
,
timid
,
gentle
motion
of
regard
on
the
part
of
the
simple
girl
.
It
was
an
advance
,
and
as
such
,
perhaps
,
some
ladies
of
indisputable
correctness
and
gentility
will
condemn
the
action
as
immodest
;
but
,
you
see
,
poor
dear
Rebecca
had
all
this
work
to
do
for
herself
.
If
a
person
is
too
poor
to
keep
a
servant
,
though
ever
so
elegant
,
he
must
sweep
his
own
rooms
:
if
a
dear
girl
has
no
dear
Mamma
to
settle
matters
with
the
young
man
,
she
must
do
it
for
herself
.
And
oh
,
what
a
mercy
it
is
that
these
women
do
not
exercise
their
powers
oftener
!
We
can’t
resist
them
,
if
they
do
.
Let
them
show
ever
so
little
inclination
,
and
men
go
down
on
their
knees
at
once
:
old
or
ugly
,
it
is
all
the
same
.
And
this
I
set
down
as
a
positive
truth
.
A
woman
with
fair
opportunities
,
and
without
an
absolute
hump
,
may
marry
WHOM
SHE
LIKES
.
Only
let
us
be
thankful
that
the
darlings
are
like
the
beasts
of
the
field
,
and
don’t
know
their
own
power
.
They
would
overcome
us
entirely
if
they
did
.
“
Egad
!
”
thought
Joseph
,
entering
the
dining-room
,
“
I
exactly
begin
to
feel
as
I
did
at
Dumdum
with
Miss
Cutler
.
”
Many
sweet
little
appeals
,
half
tender
,
half
jocular
,
did
Miss
Sharp
make
to
him
about
the
dishes
at
dinner
;
for
by
this
time
she
was
on
a
footing
of
considerable
familiarity
with
the
family
,
and
as
for
the
girls
,
they
loved
each
other
like
sisters
.
Young
unmarried
girls
always
do
,
if
they
are
in
a
house
together
for
ten
days
.
As
if
bent
upon
advancing
Rebecca’s
plans
in
every
way
—
what
must
Amelia
do
,
but
remind
her
brother
of
a
promise
made
last
Easter
holidays
—
“
When
I
was
a
girl
at
school
,
”
said
she
,
laughing
—
a
promise
that
he
,
Joseph
,
would
take
her
to
Vauxhall
.
“
Now
,
”
she
said
,
“
that
Rebecca
is
with
us
,
will
be
the
very
time
.
”
“
O
,
delightful
!
”
said
Rebecca
,
going
to
clap
her
hands
;
but
she
recollected
herself
,
and
paused
,
like
a
modest
creature
,
as
she
was
.
“
To-night
is
not
the
night
,
”
said
Joe
.
“
Well
,
to-morrow
.
”
“
To-morrow
your
Papa
and
I
dine
out
,
”
said
Mrs.
Sedley
.
“
You
don’t
suppose
that
I’m
going
,
Mrs.
Sed
.
?
”
said
her
husband
,
“
and
that
a
woman
of
your
years
and
size
is
to
catch
cold
,
in
such
an
abominable
damp
place
?
”
“
The
children
must
have
some
one
with
them
,
”
cried
Mrs.
Sedley
.
“
Let
Joe
go
,
”
said
his
father
,
laughing
.
“
He’s
big
enough
.
”
At
which
speech
even
Mr.
Sambo
at
the
side
board
burst
out
laughing
,
and
poor
fat
Joe
felt
inclined
to
become
a
parricide
almost
.
“
Undo
his
stays
!
”
continued
the
pitiless
old
gentleman
.
“
Fling
some
water
in
his
face
,
Miss
Sharp
,
or
carry
him
upstairs
:
the
dear
creature’s
fainting
.
Poor
victim
!
carry
him
up
;
he’s
as
light
as
a
feather
!
”
“
If
I
stand
this
,
I’m
d
—
—
!
”
roared
Joseph
.
“
Order
Mr.
Jos’s
elephant
,
Sambo
!
”
cried
the
father
.
“
Send
to
Exeter
’Change
,
Sambo
;
”
but
seeing
Jos
ready
almost
to
cry
with
vexation
,
the
old
joker
stopped
his
laughter
,
and
said
,
holding
out
his
hand
to
his
son
,
“
It’s
all
fair
on
the
Stock
Exchange
,
Jos
,
—
and
,
Sambo
.
never
mind
the
elephant
,
but
give
me
and
Mr.
Jos
a
glass
of
Champagne
.
Boney
himself
hasn’t
got
such
in
his
cellar
,
my
boy
!
”
A
goblet
of
Champagne
restored
Joseph’s
equanimity
,
and
before
the
bottle
was
emptied
,
of
which
as
an
invalid
he
took
two-thirds
,
he
had
agreed
to
take
the
young
ladies
to
Vauxhall
.
“
The
girls
must
have
a
gentleman
apiece
,
”
said
the
old
gentleman
.
“
Jos
will
be
sure
to
leave
Emmy
in
the
crowd
,
he
will
be
so
taken
up
with
Miss
Sharp
here
.
Send
to
96
and
ask
George
Osborne
if
he’ll
come
.
”
At
this
,
I
don’t
know
in
the
least
for
what
reason
,
Mrs.
Sedley
looked
at
her
husband
and
laughed
.
Mr.
Sedley’s
eyes
twinkled
in
a
manner
indescribably
roguish
,
and
he
looked
at
Amelia
;
and
Amelia
,
hanging
down
her
head
,
blushed
as
only
young
ladies
of
seventeen
know
how
to
blush
,
and
as
Miss
Rebecca
Sharp
never
blushed
in
her
life
—
at
least
not
since
she
was
eight
years
old
,
and
when
she
was
caught
stealing
jam
out
of
a
cupboard
by
her
godmother
.
“
Amelia
had
better
write
a
note
,
”
said
her
father
;
“
and
let
George
Osborne
see
what
a
beautiful
hand-writing
we
have
brought
back
from
Miss
Pinkerton’s
.
Do
you
remember
when
you
wrote
to
him
to
come
on
Twelfth-night
,
Emmy
,
and
spelt
twelfth
without
the
f
?
”
“
That
was
years
ago
,
”
said
Amelia
.
“
It
seems
like
yesterday
,
don’t
it
,
John
?
”
said
Mrs.
Sedley
to
her
husband
;
and
that
night
in
a
conversation
which
took
place
in
a
front
room
in
the
second-floor
,
in
a
sort
of
tent
,
hung
round
with
chintz
of
a
rich
and
fantastic
India
pattern
,
and
doublé
with
calico
of
a
tender
rose-colour
;
in
the
interior
of
which
species
of
marquee
was
a
feather-bed
,
on
which
were
two
pillows
,
on
which
were
two
round
red
faces
,
one
in
a
laced
nightcap
,
and
one
in
a
simple
cotton
one
,
ending
in
a
tassel
:
—
in
a
curtain
lecture
,
I
say
,
Mrs.
Sedley
took
her
husband
to
task
for
his
cruel
conduct
to
poor
Joe
.
“
It
was
quite
wicked
of
you
,
Mr.
Sedley
,
”
said
she
,
“
to
torment
the
poor
boy
so
.
”
“
My
dear
,
”
said
the
cotton-tassel
in
defence
of
his
conduct
,
“
Jos
is
a
great
deal
vainer
than
you
ever
were
in
your
life
,
and
that’s
saying
a
good
deal
.
Though
,
some
thirty
years
ago
,
in
the
year
seventeen
hundred
and
eighty
—
what
was
it
?
—
perhaps
you
had
a
right
to
be
vain
.
—
I
don’t
say
no.
“
But
I’ve
no
patience
with
Jos
and
his
dandified
modesty
.
It
is
out-Josephing
Joseph
,
my
dear
,
and
all
the
while
the
boy
is
only
thinking
of
himself
.
and
what
a
fine
fellow
he
is
.
I
doubt
,
Ma’am
,
we
shall
have
some
trouble
with
him
yet
.
Here
is
Emmy’s
little
friend
making
love
to
him
as
hard
as
she
can
;
that’s
quite
clear
;
and
if
she
does
not
catch
him
some
other
will
.
That
man
is
destined
to
be
a
prey
to
woman
.
as
I
am
to
go
on
’Change
every
day
.
It’s
a
mercy
he
did
not
bring
us
over
a
black
daughter-in-law
,
my
dear
.
But
,
mark
my
words
,
the
first
woman
who
fishes
for
him
,
hooks
him
.
”
“
She
shall
go
off
to-morrow
,
the
little
artful
creature
,
”
said
Mrs.
Sedley
,
with
great
energy
.
“
Why
not
she
as
well
as
another
,
Mrs.
Sedley
?
The
girl’s
a
white
face
at
any
rate
.
I
don’t
care
who
marries
him
.
Let
Joe
please
himself
.
”
And
presently
the
voices
of
the
two
speakers
were
hushed
,
or
were
replaced
by
the
gentle
but
unromantic
music
of
the
nose
;
and
save
when
the
church
bells
tolled
the
hour
and
the
watchman
called
it
,
all
was
silent
at
the
house
of
John
Sedley
,
Esquire
.
of
Russell
Square
,
and
the
Stock
Exchange
.
When
morning
came
,
the
good-natured
Mrs.
Sedley
no
longer
thought
of
executing
her
threats
with
regard
to
Miss
Sharp
;
for
though
nothing
is
more
keen
,
nor
more
common
,
nor
more
justifiable
,
than
maternal
jealousy
,
yet
she
could
not
bring
herself
to
suppose
that
the
little
,
humble
,
grateful
,
gentle
governess
,
would
dare
to
look
up
to
such
a
magnificent
personage
as
the
Collector
of
Boggley
Wollah
.
The
petition
,
too
,
for
an
extension
of
the
young
lady’s
leave
of
absence
had
already
been
despatched
,
and
it
would
be
difficult
to
find
a
pretext
for
abruptly
dismissing
her
.
And
as
if
all
things
conspired
in
favour
of
the
gentle
Rebecca
,
the
very
elements
(
although
she
was
not
inclined
at
first
to
acknowledge
their
action
in
her
behalf
)
interposed
to
aid
her
.
For
on
the
evening
appointed
for
the
Vauxhall
party
,
George
Osborne
having
come
to
dinner
,
and
the
elders
of
the
house
having
departed
,
according
to
invitation
,
to
dine
with
Alderman
Balls
,
at
Highbury
Barn
,
there
came
on
such
a
thunder-storm
as
only
happens
on
Vauxhall
nights
,
and
as
obliged
the
young
people
,
perforce
,
to
remain
at
home
.
Mr.
Osborne
did
not
seem
in
the
least
disappointed
at
this
occurrence
.
He
and
Joseph
Sedley
drank
a
fitting
quantity
of
port-wine
,
tête-à-tête
,
in
the
dining-room
,
—
during
the
drinking
of
which
Sedley
told
a
number
of
his
best
Indian
stories
;
for
he
was
extremely
talkative
in
man’s
society
;
—
and
afterwards
Miss
Amelia
Sedley
did
the
honours
of
the
drawing-room
;
and
these
four
young
persons
passed
such
a
comfortable
evening
together
,
that
they
declared
they
were
rather
glad
of
the
thunder-storm
than
otherwise
,
which
had
caused
them
to
put
off
their
visit
to
Vauxhall
.
Osborne
was
Sedley’s
godson
,
and
had
been
one
of
the
family
any
time
these
three-and-twenty
years
.
At
six
weeks
old
,
he
had
received
from
John
Sedley
a
present
of
a
silver
cup
;
at
six
months
old
,
a
coral
with
gold
whistle
and
bells
;
from
his
youth
,
upwards
,
he
was
“
tipped
”
regularly
by
the
old
gentleman
at
Christmas
:
and
on
going
back
to
school
,
he
remembered
perfectly
well
being
thrashed
by
Joseph
Sedley
,
when
the
latter
was
a
big
,
swaggering
,
hobbadyhoy
,
and
George
an
impudent
urchin
of
ten
years
old
.
In
a
word
George
was
as
familiar
with
the
family
as
such
daily
acts
of
kindness
and
intercourse
could
make
him
.
“
Do
you
remember
,
Sedley
,
what
a
fury
you
were
in
when
I
cut
off
the
tassels
of
your
Hessian
boots
,
and
how
Miss
—
hem
—
how
Amelia
rescued
me
from
a
beating
,
by
falling
down
on
her
knees
and
crying
out
to
her
brother
Jos
,
not
to
beat
little
George
?
”
Jos
remembered
this
remarkable
circumstance
perfectly
well
,
but
vowed
that
he
had
totally
forgotten
it
.
“
Well
,
do
you
remember
coming
down
in
a
gig
to
Dr.
Swishtail’s
to
see
me
,
before
you
went
to
India
,
and
giving
me
half
a
guinea
and
a
pat
on
the
head
?
I
always
had
an
idea
that
you
were
at
least
seven
feet
high
,
and
was
quite
astonished
at
your
return
from
India
to
find
you
no
taller
than
myself
.
”
“
How
good
of
Mr.
Sedley
to
go
to
your
school
and
give
you
the
money
!
”
exclaimed
Rebecca
,
in
accents
of
extreme
delight
.
“
Yes
,
and
after
I
had
cut
the
tassels
of
his
boots
too
.
Boys
never
forget
those
tips
at
school
,
nor
the
givers
.
”
“
I
delight
in
Hessian
boots
,
”
said
Rebecca
.
Jos
Sedley
,
who
admired
his
own
legs
prodigiously
,
and
always
wore
this
ornamental
chaussure
,
was
extremely
pleased
at
this
remark
,
though
he
drew
his
legs
under
his
chair
as
it
was
made
.
“
Miss
Sharp
!
”
said
George
Osborne
,
“
you
who
are
so
clever
an
artist
,
you
must
make
a
grand
historical
picture
of
the
scene
of
the
boots
.
Sedley
shall
be
represented
in
buckskins
,
and
holding
one
of
the
injured
boots
in
one
hand
;
by
the
other
he
shall
have
hold
of
my
shirt-frill
.
Amelia
shall
be
kneeling
near
him
,
with
her
little
hands
up
,
and
the
picture
shall
have
a
grand
allegorical
title
,
as
the
frontispieces
have
in
the
Medulla
and
the
spellingbook
.
”
“
I
shan’t
have
time
to
do
it
here
,
”
said
Rebecca
.
“
I’ll
do
it
when
—
when
I’m
gone
.
”
And
she
dropped
her
voice
,
and
looked
so
sad
and
piteous
,
that
everybody
felt
how
cruel
her
lot
was
,
and
how
sorry
they
would
be
to
part
with
her
.
“
O
that
you
could
stay
longer
,
dear
Rebecca
,
”
said
Amelia
.
“
Why
?
”
answered
the
other
,
still
more
sadly
.
“
That
I
may
be
only
the
more
unhap
—
unwilling
to
lose
you
?
”
And
she
turned
away
her
head
.
Amelia
began
to
give
way
to
that
natural
infirmity
of
tears
which
,
we
have
said
,
was
one
of
the
defects
of
this
silly
little
thing
.
George
Osborne
looked
at
the
two
young
women
with
a
touched
curiosity
;
and
Joseph
Sedley
heaved
something
very
like
a
sigh
out
of
his
big
chest
,
as
he
cast
his
eyes
down
towards
his
favourite
Hessian
boots
.
“
Let
us
have
some
music
,
Miss
Sedley
—
Amelia
,
”
said
George
,
who
felt
at
that
moment
an
extraordinary
,
almost
irresistible
impulse
to
seize
the
above-mentioned
young
woman
in
his
arms
,
and
to
kiss
her
in
the
face
of
the
company
;
and
she
looked
at
him
for
a
moment
,
and
if
I
should
say
that
they
fell
in
love
with
each
other
at
that
single
instant
of
time
,
I
should
perhaps
be
telling
an
untruth
,
for
the
fact
is
,
that
these
two
young
people
had
been
bred
up
by
their
parents
for
this
very
purpose
,
and
their
banns
had
,
as
it
were
,
been
read
in
their
respective
families
any
time
these
ten
years
.
They
went
off
to
the
piano
,
which
was
situated
,
as
pianos
usually
are
,
in
the
back
drawing-room
;
and
as
it
was
rather
dark
,
Miss
Amelia
,
in
the
most
unaffected
way
in
the
world
,
put
her
hand
into
Mr.
Osborne’s
,
who
,
of
course
,
could
see
the
way
among
the
chairs
and
ottomans
a
great
deal
better
than
she
could
.
But
this
arrangement
left
Mr.
Joseph
Sedley
tête-à-tête
with
Rebecca
.
at
the
drawing-room
table
,
where
the
latter
was
occupied
in
knitting
a
green
silk
purse
.
“
There
is
no
need
to
ask
family
secrets
,
”
said
Miss
Sharp
.
“
Those
two
have
told
theirs
.
”
“
As
soon
as
he
gets
his
company
,
”
said
Joseph
,
“
I
believe
the
affair
is
settled
.
George
Osborne
is
a
capital
fellow
.
”
“
And
your
sister
the
dearest
creature
in
the
world
,
”
said
Rebecca
.
“
Happy
the
man
who
wins
her
!
”
With
this
Miss
Sharp
gave
a
great
sigh
.
When
two
unmarried
persons
get
together
,
and
talk
upon
such
delicate
subjects
as
the
present
,
a
great
deal
of
confidence
and
intimacy
is
presently
established
between
them
.
There
is
no
need
of
giving
a
special
report
of
the
conversation
,
which
now
took
place
between
Mr.
Sedley
and
the
young
lady
;
for
the
conversation
,
as
may
be
judged
from
the
foregoing
specimen
,
was
not
especially
witty
or
eloquent
;
it
seldom
is
in
private
societies
,
or
any
where
except
in
very
high-flown
and
ingenious
novels
.
As
there
was
music
in
the
next
room
,
the
talk
was
carried
on
,
of
course
,
in
a
low
and
becoming
tone
,
though
,
for
the
matter
of
that
,
the
couple
in
the
next
apartment
would
not
have
been
disturbed
had
the
talking
been
so
loud
,
so
occupied
were
they
with
their
own
pursuits
.
Almost
for
the
first
time
in
his
life
,
Mr.
Sedley
found
himself
talking
,
without
the
least
timidity
or
hesitation
,
to
a
person
of
the
other
sex
.
Miss
Rebecca
asked
him
a
great
number
of
questions
about
India
,
which
gave
him
an
opportunity
of
narrating
many
interesting
anecdotes
about
that
country
and
himself
.
He
described
the
balls
at
Government
House
,
and
the
manner
in
which
they
kept
themselves
cool
in
the
hot
weather
,
with
punkahs
,
tatties
,
and
other
contrivances
;
and
he
was
very
witty
regarding
the
number
of
Scotchmen
whom
Lord
Minto
,
the
Governor-General
,
patronised
;
and
then
he
described
a
tiger-hunt
;
and
the
manner
in
which
the
mahout
of
his
elephant
had
been
pulled
off
his
seat
by
one
of
the
infuriated
animals
.
How
delighted
Miss
Rebecca
was
at
the
Government
balls
,
and
how
she
laughed
at
the
stories
of
the
Scotch
aides-de-camp
,
and
called
Mr.
Sedley
a
sad
wicked
satirical
creature
;
and
how
frightened
she
was
at
the
story
of
the
elephant
!
“
For
your
mother’s
sake
,
dear
Mr.
Sedley
,
”
she
said
,
“
for
the
sake
of
all
your
friends
,
promise
never
to
go
on
one
of
those
horrid
expeditions
.
”
“
Pooh
,
pooh
,
Miss
Sharp
,
”
said
he
pulling
up
his
shirtcollars
;
“
the
danger
makes
the
sport
only
the
pleasanter
.
”
He
had
never
been
but
once
at
a
tiger-hunt
,
when
the
accident
in
question
occurred
,
and
when
he
was
half
killed
—
not
by
the
tiger
,
but
by
the
fright
.
And
as
he
talked
on
,
he
grew
quite
bold
,
and
actually
had
the
audacity
to
ask
Miss
Rebecca
for
whom
she
was
knitting
the
green
silk
purse
?
He
was
quite
surprised
and
delighted
at
his
own
graceful
familiar
manner
.
“
For
any
one
who
wants
a
purse
,
”
replied
Miss
Rebecca
,
looking
at
him
in
the
most
gentle
winning
way
.
Sedley
was
going
to
make
one
of
the
most
eloquent
speeches
possible
,
and
had
begun
—
“
O
Miss
Sharp
,
how
—
—
”
when
some
song
which
was
performed
in
the
other
room
came
to
an
end
,
and
caused
him
to
hear
his
own
voice
so
distinctly
that
he
stopped
,
blushed
,
and
blew
his
nose
in
great
agitation
.
“
Did
you
ever
hear
anything
like
your
brother’s
eloquence
?
”
whispered
Mr.
Osborne
to
Amelia
.
“
Why
,
your
friend
has
worked
miracles
.
”
“
The
more
the
better
,
”
said
Miss
Amelia
;
who
,
like
almost
all
women
who
are
worth
a
pin
,
was
a
match-maker
in
her
heart
,
and
would
have
been
delighted
that
Joseph
should
carry
back
a
wife
to
India
.
She
had
,
too
,
in
the
course
of
this
few
days’
constant
intercourse
,
warmed
into
a
most
tender
friendship
for
Rebecca
,
and
discovered
a
million
of
virtues
and
amiable
qualities
in
her
which
she
had
not
perceived
when
they
were
at
Chiswick
together
.
For
the
affection
of
young
ladies
is
of
as
rapid
growth
as
Jack’s
beanstalk
,
and
reaches
up
to
the
sky
in
a
night
.
It
is
no
blame
to
them
that
after
marriage
this
Sehnsucht
nach
der
Liebe
subsides
.
It
is
what
sentimentalists
,
who
deal
in
very
big
words
,
call
a
yearning
after
the
Ideal
,
and
simply
means
that
women
are
commonly
not
satisfied
until
they
have
husbands
and
children
on
whom
they
may
centre
affections
,
which
are
spent
elsewhere
,
as
it
were
,
in
small
change
.
Having
expended
her
little
store
of
songs
,
or
having
stayed
long
enough
in
the
back
drawing-room
,
it
now
appeared
proper
to
Miss
Amelia
to
ask
her
friend
to
sing
.
“
You
would
not
have
listened
to
me
,
”
she
said
to
Mr.
Osborne
(
though
she
knew
she
was
telling
a
fib
)
,
“
had
you
heard
Rebecca
first
.
”
“
I
give
Miss
Sharp
warning
,
though
,
”
said
Osborne
,
“
that
,
right
or
wrong
,
I
consider
Miss
Amelia
Sedley
the
first
singer
in
the
world
.
”
“
You
shall
hear
,
”
said
Amelia
;
and
Joseph
Sedley
was
actually
polite
enough
to
carry
the
candles
to
the
piano
.
Osborne
hinted
that
he
should
like
quite
as
well
to
sit
in
the
dark
;
but
Miss
Sedley
,
laughing
,
declined
to
bear
him
company
any
farther
,
and
the
two
accordingly
followed
Mr.
Joseph
.
Rebecca
sang
far
better
than
her
friend
(
though
of
course
Osborne
was
free
to
keep
his
opinion
)
and
exerted
herself
to
the
utmost
,
and
,
indeed
,
to
the
wonder
of
Amelia
,
who
had
never
known
her
perform
so
well
.
She
sang
a
French
song
,
which
Joseph
did
not
understand
in
the
least
,
and
which
George
confessed
he
did
not
understand
,
and
then
a
number
of
those
simple
ballads
which
were
the
fashion
forty
years
ago
,
and
in
which
British
tars
,
our
King
,
poor
Susan
,
blue-eyed
Mary
,
and
the
like
,
were
the
principal
themes
.
They
are
not
,
it
is
said
,
very
brilliant
,
in
a
musical
point
of
view
,
but
contain
numberless
good-natured
,
simple
appeals
to
the
affections
,
which
people
understood
better
than
the
milk-and-water
lagrime
,
sospiri
,
and
felicità
of
the
eternal
Donizettian
music
with
which
we
are
favoured
now-a-days
.
Conversation
of
a
sentimental
sort
,
befitting
the
subject
,
was
carried
on
between
the
songs
,
to
which
Sambo
,
after
he
had
brought
the
tea
,
the
delighted
cook
,
and
even
Mrs.
Blenkinsop
,
the
housekeeper
,
condescended
to
listen
on
the
landingplace
.
Among
these
ditties
was
one
,
the
last
of
the
concert
,
and
to
the
following
effect
:
—
Ah
!
bleak
and
barren
was
the
moor
,
Ah
!
loud
and
piercing
was
the
storm
,
The
cottage
roof
was
shelter’d
sure
,
The
cottage
hearth
was
bright
and
warm
.
An
orphan
boy
the
lattice
pass’d
,
And
,
as
he
mark’d
its
cheerful
glow
,
Felt
doubly
keen
the
midnight
blast
,
And
doubly
cold
the
fallen
snow
.
They
mark’d
him
as
he
onward
prest
,
With
fainting
heart
and
weary
limb
;
Kind
voices
bade
him
turn
and
rest
,
And
gentle
faces
welcomed
him
.
The
dawn
is
up
—
the
guest
is
gone
,
The
cottage
hearth
is
blazing
still
;
Heaven
pity
all
poor
wanderers
lone
!
Hark
to
the
wind
upon
the
hill
!
It
was
the
sentiment
of
the
before-mentioned
words
,
“
When
I’m
gone
,
”
over
again
.
As
she
came
to
the
last
words
,
Miss
Sharp’s
“
deep-toned
voice
faltered
.
”
Everybody
felt
the
allusion
to
her
departure
,
and
to
her
hapless
orphan
state
.
Joseph
Sedley
,
who
was
fond
of
music
,
and
softhearted
,
was
in
a
state
of
ravishment
during
the
performance
of
the
song
,
and
profoundly
touched
at
its
conclusion
.
If
he
had
had
the
courage
;
if
George
and
Miss
Sedley
had
remained
,
according
to
the
former’s
proposal
,
in
the
farther
room
,
Joseph
Sedley’s
bachelorhood
would
have
been
at
an
end
,
and
this
work
would
never
have
been
written
.
But
at
the
close
of
the
ditty
,
Rebecca
quitted
the
piano
,
and
giving
her
hand
to
Amelia
,
walked
away
into
the
front
drawingroom
twilight
;
and
,
at
this
moment
,
Mr.
Sambo
made
his
appearance
with
a
tray
,
containing
sandwiches
,
jellies
,
and
some
glittering
glasses
and
decanters
,
on
which
Joseph
Sedley’s
attention
was
immediately
fixed
.
When
the
parents
of
the
house
of
Sedley
returned
from
their
dinner-party
,
they
found
the
young
people
so
busy
in
talking
,
that
they
had
not
heard
the
arrival
of
the
carriage
,
and
Mr.
Joseph
was
in
the
act
of
saying
,
“
My
dear
Miss
Sharp
,
one
little
teaspoonful
of
jelly
to
recruit
you
after
your
immense
—
your
—
your
delightful
exertions
.
”
“
Bravo
,
Jos
!
”
said
Mr.
Sedley
;
on
hearing
the
bantering
of
which
well-known
voice
,
Jos
instantly
relapsed
into
an
alarmed
silence
,
and
quickly
took
his
departure
.
He
did
not
lie
awake
all
night
thinking
whether
or
not
he
was
in
love
with
Miss
Sharp
;
the
passion
of
love
never
interfered
with
the
appetite
or
the
slumber
of
Mr.
Joseph
Sedley
;
but
he
thought
to
himself
how
delightful
it
would
be
to
hear
such
songs
as
those
after
Cutcherry
—
what
a
distinguée
girl
she
was
—
how
she
could
speak
French
better
than
the
Governor
General’s
lady
herself
—
and
what
a
sensation
she
would
make
at
the
Calcutta
balls
.
“
It’s
evident
the
poor
devil’s
in
love
with
me
,
”
thought
he
.
“
She
is
just
as
rich
as
most
of
the
girls
who
come
out
to
India
.
I
might
go
farther
,
and
fare
worse
,
egad
!
”
And
in
these
meditations
he
fell
asleep
.
How
Miss
Sharp
lay
awake
,
thinking
,
will
he
come
or
not
to-morrow
?
need
not
be
told
here
.
To-morrow
came
,
and
,
as
sure
as
fate
,
Mr.
Joseph
Sedley
made
his
appearance
before
luncheon
.
He
had
never
been
known
to
confer
such
an
honour
on
Russell
Square
.
George
Osborne
was
somehow
there
already
(
sadly
“
putting
out
”
Amelia
,
who
was
writing
to
her
twelve
dearest
friends
at
Chiswick
Mall
)
,
and
Rebecca
was
employed
upon
her
yesterday’s
work
.
As
Joe’s
buggy
drove
up
,
and
while
,
after
his
usual
thundering
knock
and
pompous
bustle
at
the
door
,
the
ex-Collector
of
Boggley
Wollah
laboured
upstairs
to
the
drawing-room
,
knowing
glances
were
telegraphed
between
Osborne
and
Miss
Sedley
,
and
the
pair
,
smiling
archly
,
looked
at
Rebecca
,
who
actually
blushed
as
she
bent
her
fair
ringlets
over
her
knitting
.
How
her
heart
beat
as
Joseph
appeared
,
—
Joseph
,
puffing
from
the
staircase
in
shining
creaking
boots
,
—
Joseph
,
in
a
new
waistcoat
red
with
heat
and
nervousness
,
and
blushing
behind
his
wadded
neck-cloth
.
It
was
a
nervous
moment
for
all
;
and
as
for
Amelia
,
I
think
she
was
more
frightened
than
even
the
people
most
concerned
.
Sambo
,
who
flung
open
the
door
and
announced
Mr.
Joseph
,
followed
grinning
,
in
the
Collector’s
rear
,
and
bearing
two
handsome
nosegays
of
flowers
,
which
the
monster
had
actually
had
the
gallantry
to
purchase
in
Covent
Garden
Market
that
morning
—
they
were
not
as
big
as
the
haystacks
which
ladies
carry
about
with
them
now-a-days
,
in
cones
of
filigree
paper
;
but
the
young
women
were
delighted
with
the
gift
,
as
Joseph
presented
one
to
each
,
with
an
exceedingly
solemn
bow
.
“
Bravo
,
Jos
!
”
cried
Osborne
.
“
Thank
you
,
dear
Joseph
,
”
said
Amelia
,
quite
ready
to
kiss
her
brother
,
if
he
were
so
minded
.
(
And
I
think
for
a
kiss
from
such
a
dear
creature
as
Amelia
,
I
would
purchase
all
Mr.
Lee’s
conservatories
out
of
hand
.
)
“
O
heavenly
,
heavenly
flowers
!
”
exclaimed
Miss
Sharp
and
smelt
them
delicately
,
and
held
them
to
her
bosom
,
and
cast
up
her
eyes
to
the
ceiling
,
in
an
ecstasy
of
admiration
.
Perhaps
she
just
looked
first
into
the
bouquet
,
to
see
whether
there
was
a
billet-doux
hidden
among
the
flowers
;
but
there
was
no
letter
.
“
Do
they
talk
the
language
of
flowers
at
Boggley
Wollah
,
Sedley
?
”
asked
Osborne
,
laughing
.
“
Pooh
,
nonsense
!
”
replied
the
sentimental
youth
.
“
Bought
em
at
Nathan’s
;
very
glad
you
like
’em
;
and
eh
,
Amelia
,
my
dear
,
I
bought
a
pine-apple
at
the
same
time
,
which
I
gave
to
Sambo
.
Let’s
have
it
for
tiffin
;
very
cool
and
nice
this
hot
weather
.
”
Rebecca
said
she
had
never
tasted
a
pine
,
and
longed
beyond
everything
to
taste
one
.
So
the
conversation
went
on
.
I
don’t
know
on
what
pretext
Osborne
left
the
room
,
or
why
,
presently
,
Amelia
went
away
,
perhaps
to
superintend
the
slicing
of
the
pine-apple
;
but
Jos
was
left
alone
with
Rebecca
,
who
had
resumed
her
work
,
and
the
green
silk
and
the
shining
needles
were
quivering
rapidly
under
her
white
slender
fingers
.
“
What
a
beautiful
,
byoo-ootiful
song
that
was
you
sang
last
night
,
dear
Miss
Sharp
,
”
said
the
Collector
.
“
It
made
me
cry
almost
;
’pon
my
honour
it
did
.
”
“
Because
you
have
a
kind
heart
,
Mr.
Joseph
;
all
the
Sedleys
have
,
I
think
.
”
“
It
kept
me
awake
last
night
,
and
I
was
trying
to
hum
it
this
morning
,
in
bed
;
I
was
,
upon
my
honour
.
Gollop
,
my
doctor
,
came
in
at
eleven
(
for
I’m
a
sad
invalid
,
you
know
,
and
see
Gollop
every
day
)
,
and
,
’gad
!
there
I
was
singing
away
like
—
a
robbin
.
”
“
O
you
droll
creature
!
Do
let
me
hear
you
sing
it
.
”
“
Me
?
No
,
you
,
Miss
Sharp
;
my
dear
Miss
Sharp
,
do
sing
it
.
”
“
Not
now
,
Mr.
Sedley
,
”
said
Rebecca
,
with
a
sigh
.
“
My
spirits
are
not
equal
to
it
;
besides
,
I
must
finish
the
purse
.
Will
you
help
me
,
Mr.
Sedley
?
”
And
before
he
had
time
to
ask
how
,
Mr.
Joseph
Sedley
,
of
the
East
India
Company’s
service
,
was
actually
seated
tête-à-tête
with
a
young
lady
looking
at
her
with
a
most
killing
expression
;
his
arms
stretched
out
before
her
in
an
imploring
attitude
,
and
his
hands
bound
in
a
web
of
green
silk
,
which
she
was
unwinding
.
In
this
romantic
position
Osborne
and
Amelia
found
the
interesting
pair
,
when
they
entered
to
announce
that
tiffin
was
ready
.
The
skein
of
silk
was
just
wound
round
the
card
;
but
Mr.
Jos
had
never
spoken
.
“
I
am
sure
he
will
to-night
,
dear
,
”
Amelia
said
,
as
she
pressed
Rebecca’s
hand
;
and
Sedley
,
too
,
had
communed
with
his
soul
,
and
said
to
himself
,
“
’Gad
,
I’ll
pop
the
question
at
Vauxhall
.
”
V.
Dobbin
of
Ours
CUFF’S
fight
with
Dobbin
,
and
the
unexpected
issue
of
that
contest
,
will
long
be
remembered
by
every
man
who
was
educated
at
Dr.
Swishtail’s
famous
school
.
The
latter
youth
(
who
used
to
be
called
Heigh-ho
Dobbin
,
Gee-ho
Dobbin
,
and
by
many
other
names
indicative
of
puerile
contempt
)
was
the
quietest
,
the
clumsiest
,
and
,
as
it
seemed
,
the
dullest
of
all
Dr.
Swishtail’s
young
gentlemen
.
His
parent
was
a
grocer
in
the
city
:
and
it
was
bruited
abroad
that
he
was
admitted
into
Dr.
Swishtail’s
academy
upon
what
are
called
‘mutual
principles
”
—
that
is
to
say
,
the
expenses
of
his
board
and
schooling
were
defrayed
by
his
father
in
goods
,
not
money
;
and
he
stood
there
—
almost
at
the
bottom
of
the
school
—
in
his
scraggy
corduroys
and
jacket
,
through
the
seams
of
which
his
great
big
bones
were
bursting
—
as
the
representative
of
so
many
pounds
of
tea
,
candles
,
sugar
,
mottled-soap
,
plums
(
of
which
a
very
mild
proportion
was
supplied
for
the
puddings
of
the
establishment
)
,
and
other
commodities
.
A
dreadful
day
it
was
for
young
Dobbin
when
one
of
the
youngsters
of
the
school
,
having
run
into
the
town
upon
a
poaching
excursion
for
hardbake
and
polonies
,
espied
the
cart
of
Dobbin
+
Rudge
,
Grocers
and
Oilmen
,
Thames
Street
,
London
,
at
the
Doctor’s
door
,
discharging
a
cargo
of
the
wares
in
which
the
firm
dealt
.
Young
Dobbin
had
no
peace
after
that
.
The
jokes
were
frightful
,
and
merciless
against
him
.
“
Hullo
,
Dobbin
,
”
one
wag
would
say
,
“
here’s
good
news
in
the
paper
.
Sugars
is
ris’
,
my
boy
.
”
Another
would
set
a
sum
—
“
If
a
pound
of
mutton-candles
cost
sevenpence-halfpenny
,
how
much
must
Dobbin
cost
?
”
and
a
roar
would
follow
from
all
the
circle
of
young
knaves
,
usher
and
all
,
who
rightly
considered
that
the
selling
of
goods
by
retail
is
a
shameful
and
infamous
practice
,
meriting
the
contempt
and
scorn
of
all
real
gentlemen
.
“
Your
father’s
only
a
merchant
,
Osborne
,
”
Dobbin
said
in
private
to
the
little
boy
who
had
brought
down
the
storm
upon
him
.
At
which
the
latter
replied
haughtily
,
“
My
father’s
a
gentleman
,
and
keeps
his
carriage
;
”
and
Mr.
William
Dobbin
retreated
to
a
remote
outhouse
in
the
playground
,
where
he
passed
a
half-holiday
in
the
bitterest
sadness
and
woe
.
Who
amongst
us
is
there
that
does
not
recollect
similar
hours
of
bitter
,
bitter
childish
grief
?
Who
feels
injustice
;
who
shrinks
before
a
slight
;
who
has
a
sense
of
wrong
so
acute
,
and
so
glowing
a
gratitude
for
kindness
,
as
a
generous
boy
?
and
how
many
of
those
gentle
souls
do
you
degrade
,
estrange
,
torture
,
for
the
sake
of
a
little
loose
arithmetic
,
and
miserable
dog-latin
?
Now
,
William
Dobbin
,
from
an
incapacity
to
acquire
the
rudiments
of
the
above
language
,
as
they
are
propounded
in
that
wonderful
book
the
Eton
Latin
Grammar
,
was
compelled
to
remain
among
the
very
last
of
Doctor
Swishtail’s
scholars
,
and
was
“
taken
down
”
continually
by
little
fellows
with
pink
faces
and
pinafores
when
he
marched
up
with
the
lower
form
,
a
giant
amongst
them
,
with
his
downcast
,
stupefied
look
,
his
dog’s-eared
primer
,
and
his
tight
corduroys
.
High
and
low
,
all
made
fun
of
him
.
They
sewed
up
those
corduroys
,
tight
as
they
were
.
They
cut
his
bed-strings
.
They
upset
buckets
and
benches
,
so
that
he
might
break
his
shins
over
them
,
which
he
never
failed
to
do
.
They
sent
him
parcels
,
which
,
when
opened
,
were
found
to
contain
the
paternal
soap
and
candles
.
There
was
no
little
fellow
but
had
his
jeer
and
joke
at
Dobbin
;
and
he
bore
everything
quite
patiently
,
and
was
entirely
dumb
and
miserable
.
Cuff
,
on
the
contrary
,
was
the
great
chief
and
dandy
of
the
Swishtail
Seminary
.
He
smuggled
wine
in
.
He
fought
the
town-boys
.
Ponies
used
to
come
for
him
to
ride
home
on
Saturdays
.
He
had
his
top-boots
in
his
room
,
in
which
he
used
to
hunt
in
the
holidays
.
He
had
a
gold
repeater
:
and
took
snuff
like
the
doctor
.
He
had
been
to
the
Opera
,
and
knew
the
merits
of
the
principal
actors
,
preferring
Mr.
Kean
to
Mr.
Kemble
.
He
could
knock
you
off
forty
Latin
verses
in
an
hour
.
He
could
make
French
poetry
.
What
else
didn’t
he
know
,
or
couldn’t
he
do
?
They
said
even
the
Doctor
himself
was
afraid
of
him
.
Cuff
,
the
unquestioned
king
of
the
school
,
ruled
over
his
subjects
,
and
bullied
them
,
with
splendid
superiority
.
This
one
blacked
his
shoes
:
that
toasted
his
bread
,
others
would
fag
out
,
and
give
him
balls
at
cricket
during
whole
summer
afternoons
.
“
Figs
”
was
the
fellow
whom
he
despised
most
,
and
with
whom
,
though
always
abusing
him
,
and
sneering
at
him
,
he
scarcely
ever
condescended
to
hold
personal
communication
.
One
day
in
private
,
the
two
young
gentlemen
had
had
a
difference
.
Figs
,
alone
in
the
school-room
,
was
blundering
over
a
home
letter
;
when
Cuff
,
entering
,
bade
him
go
upon
some
message
,
of
which
tarts
were
probably
the
subject
.
“
I
can’t
,
”
says
Dobbin
;
“
I
want
to
finish
my
letter
.
”
“
You
can’t
?
”
says
Mr.
Cuff
,
laying
hold
of
that
document
(
in
which
many
words
were
scratched
out
,
many
were
mis-spelt
,
on
which
had
been
spent
I
don’t
know
how
much
thought
,
and
labour
,
and
tears
;
for
the
poor
fellow
was
writing
to
his
mother
,
who
was
fond
of
him
,
although
she
was
a
grocer’s
wife
,
and
lived
in
a
back
parlour
in
Thames
Street
)
.
“
You
can’t
?
”
says
Mr.
Cuff
:
“
I
should
like
to
know
why
,
pray
?
Can’t
you
write
to
old
Mother
Figs
to-morrow
?
”
“
Don’t
call
names
,
”
Dobbin
said
,
getting
off
the
bench
very
nervous
.
“
Well
,
sir
,
will
you
go
?
”
crowed
the
cock
of
the
school
.
“
Put
down
the
letter
,
”
Dobbin
replied
;
“
no
gentleman
readth
letterth
.
”
“
Well
,
now
will
you
go
?
”
says
the
other
.
“
No
,
I
won’t
.
Don’t
strike
,
or
I’ll
thmash
you
,
”
roars
out
Dobbin
,
springing
to
a
leaden
inkstand
,
and
looking
so
wicked
,
that
Mr.
Cuff
paused
,
turned
down
his
coat
sleeves
again
,
put
his
hands
into
his
pockets
,
and
walked
away
with
a
sneer
.
But
he
never
meddled
personally
with
the
grocer’s
boy
after
that
;
though
we
must
do
him
the
justice
to
say
he
always
spoke
of
Mr.
Dobbin
with
contempt
behind
his
back
.
Some
time
after
this
interview
,
it
happened
that
Mr.
Cuff
,
on
a
sunshiny
afternoon
,
was
in
the
neighbourhood
of
poor
William
Dobbin
,
who
was
lying
under
a
tree
in
the
play-ground
,
spelling
over
a
favourite
copy
of
the
Arabian
Nights
which
he
had
—
apart
from
the
rest
of
the
school
,
who
were
pursuing
their
various
sports
—
quite
lonely
,
and
almost
happy
.
If
people
would
but
leave
children
to
themselves
;
if
teachers
would
cease
to
bully
them
;
if
parents
would
not
insist
upon
directing
their
thoughts
,
and
dominating
their
feelings
—
those
feelings
and
thoughts
which
are
a
mystery
to
all
(
for
how
much
do
you
and
I
know
of
each
other
,
of
our
children
,
of
our
fathers
,
of
our
neighbour
,
and
how
far
more
beautiful
and
sacred
are
the
thoughts
of
the
poor
lad
or
girl
whom
you
govern
likely
to
be
,
than
those
of
the
dull
and
world-corrupted
person
who
rules
him
?
)
—
if
,
I
say
,
parents
and
masters
would
leave
their
children
alone
a
little
more
,
—
small
harm
would
accrue
,
although
a
less
quantity
of
as
in
prœsenti
might
be
acquired
.
Well
,
William
Dobbin
had
for
once
forgotten
the
world
,
and
was
away
with
Sinbad
the
Sailor
in
the
Valley
of
Diamonds
,
or
with
Prince
Ahmed
and
the
Fairy
Peribanou
in
that
delightful
cavern
where
the
Prince
found
her
,
and
whither
we
should
all
like
to
make
a
tour
;
when
shrill
cries
,
as
of
a
little
fellow
weeping
,
woke
up
his
pleasant
reverie
;
and
looking
up
,
he
saw
Cuff
before
him
,
belabouring
a
little
boy
.
It
was
the
lad
who
had
peached
upon
him
about
the
grocer’s
cart
;
but
he
bore
little
malice
,
not
at
least
towards
the
young
and
small
.
“
How
dare
you
,
sir
,
break
the
bottle
?
”
says
Cuff
to
the
