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mother being dead, and her father finding himself not likely to recover, after his third attack of delirium tremens, wrote a manly and pathetic letter to Miss Pinkerton, recommending the orphan child to her protection, and so descended to the grave, after two bailiffs had quareled over his corpse. Rebecca was seventeen when she came to Chiswick, and was bound over as an articled pupil, her duties being to talk French, as we have seen, and her privileges to live cost free; and, with a few guineas a year, to gather scraps of knowledge from the professors who attended the school.

sort of perplexity or confusion; neither of It was in those days rather a rare accomwhich are very amiable motives for religious plishment, and led to her engagement with gratitude, or such as would be put forward the orthodox Miss Pinkerton. by persons of a kind and placable disposition. Miss Rebecca was not, then, in the least, kind or placable. All the world used her ill, said this young misanthropist (or misogynist, for of the world of men she can be pronounced as yet to have had but little experience), and we may be pretty certain, that the persons of either sex whom all the world treats ill, deserve entirely the treatment they get. The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you: laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice. This is certain, that if the world neglected Miss Sharp, she never was known to have done a good action in behalf of any body; nor can it be expected that twenty-four young ladies should all be as amiable as the heroine of this work, Miss Sedley (whom we have selected for the very reason that she was the best-natured of all, otherwise, what on earth was to have prevented us from putting up Miss Swartz, or Miss Crump, or Miss Hopkins, as heroine in her place?); it could not be expected that every one should be of the humble and gentle temper of Miss Amelia Sedley; should take every opportunity to vanquish Rebecca's hard-heartedness and ill-humor; and, by a thousand kind words and offices, overcome, for once at least, her hostility to her kind.

She was small and slight in person; pale, sandy-haired, and with eyes habitually cast down: when they looked up they were very large, odd, and attractive; so attractive, that the Reverend Mr. Crisp, fresh from Oxford, and curate to the Vicar of Chiswick, the Reverend Mr. Flowerdew, fell in love with Miss Sharp; being shot dead by a glance of her eyes, which was fired all the way across Chiswick Church from the school-pew to the reading-desk. This infatuated young man used sometimes to take tea with Miss Pinkerton, to whom he had been presented by his mamma, and actually proposed something like marriage in an intercepted note, which the one-eyed applewoman was charged to deliver. Mrs. Crisp was summoned from Buxton, and abruptly carried off her darling boy; but the idea, even, of such an eagle in the Chiswick dovecot caused a great flutter in the breast of Miss Pinkerton, who would have sent away Miss Sharp, but that she was bound to her under a forfeit, and who never could thoroughly believe the young lady's protestations that she had never exchanged a single word with Mr. Crisp, except under her own eyes on the two occasions when she had met him at tea.

Miss Sharp's father was an artist, and in that quality had given lessons of drawing at Miss Pinkerton's school. He was a clever man; a pleasant companion; a careless student; had a great propensity for running into debt, and a partiality for the tavern. When he was drunk, he used to beat his wife and daughter; and the next morning, with a headache, he used to rail at the By the side of many tall and bouncing world for its neglect of his genius, and abuse, young ladies in the establishment, Rebecca with a good deal of cleverness, and some- Sharp looked like a child. But she had the times with perfect reason, the fools, his dismal precocity of poverty. Many a dun brother painters. As it was with the ut- had she talked to, and turned away from her most difficulty that he could keep himself, father's door; many a tradesman had she and as he owed money for a mile round coaxed and wheedled into good humor, and Soho, where he lived, he thought to better into the granting of one meal more. She his circumstances by marrying a young sate commonly with her father, who was woman of the French nation, who was by very proud of her wit, and heard the talk profession an opera-girl. The humble calling of many of his wild companions-often but of her female parent, Miss Sharp never al- ill suited for a girl to hear. But she never luded to, but used to state subsequently that the Entrechats were a noble family of Gascony, and took great pride in her descent from them. And curious it is, that as she advanced in life this young lady's ancestors increased in rank and splendor.

had been a girl, she said; she had been a woman since she was eight years old. Oh, why did Miss Pinkerton let such a dangerous bird into her cage?

The fact is, the old lady thought Rebecca to be the meekest creature in the world, so Rebecca's mother had had some educa- admirably, on the occasions when her father tion somewhere, and her daughter spoke brought her to Chiswick, used Rebecca to French with purity and a Parisian accent. perform the part of the ingénue. She thought

and not one was sorry that she went away. The gentle, tender-hearted Amelia Sedley was the only person to whom she could attach herself in the least; and who could help attaching herself to Amelia?

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The happiness-the superior advantages of the young women round about her, gave Rebecca inexpressible pangs of envy. What airs that girl gives herself, because she is an earl's granddaughter," she said of one. "How they cringe and bow to that Creole, because of her hundred thousand pounds! I am a thousand times cleverer and more charming than that creature, for all her wealth. Ĭ am as well bred as the earl's granddaughter, for all her fine pedigree; and yet every one passes me by here. And yet, when I was at my father's did not the men give up their gayest balls and parties in order to pass the evening with me?" She determined at any rate, to get free from the prison in which she found herself, and now began to act for herself, and for the first time to make connected plans for the future.

her a modest and innocent little child; and only a year before the arrangement by which Rebecca had been admitted into her house, and when Rebecca was sixteen years old, Miss Pinkerton majestically, and with a little speech, made her a present of a dollwhich was, by the way, the confiscated property of Miss Swindle, discovered surreptitiously nursing it in school-hours. How the father and daughter laughed as they trudged home together after the evening party (it was on the occasion of the speeches, when all the professors were invited), and how Miss Pinkerton would have raged had she seen the caricature of herself which the little mimic, Rebecca, managed to make out of her doll! She used to go through dialogues with it; it formed the delight of Newman-street, Gerard-street, and the artists' quarter and the young painters, when they came to take their gin-and-water with their lazy, dissolute, clever, jovial senior, used regularly to ask Rebecca if Miss Pinkerton was at home: she was as well known to them, poor soul! as Mr. Lawrence or She took advantage, therefore, of the President West. Once she had the honor means of study the place offered her; and to pass a few days at Chiswick; after which as she was already a musician and a good she brought back Jemima, and erected anoth-linguist, she speedily went through the little er doll as Miss Jemmy; for though that hon- course of study which was considered necesest creature had made and given her jelly sary for ladies in those days. Her music and cake enough for three children, and a she practiced incessantly, and one day, when seven-shilling piece at parting, the girl's the girls were out, and she had remained at sense of ridicule was far stronger than her home, she was overheard to play a piece so gratitude, and she sacrificed Miss Jemmy well, that Minerva thought wisely, she could quite as pitilessly as her sister. spare herself the expense of a master for the juniors, and intimated to Miss Sharp that she was to instruct them in music for the future.

The girl refused; and for the first time, and to the astonishment of the majestic mistress of the school. "I am here to speak French with the children," Rebecca said abruptly, "not to teach them music, and save money for you. Give me money, and I will teach them."

Minerva was obliged to yield, and, of course, disliked her from that day. "For five-and-thirty years," she said, and with great justice, "I never have seen the individual who has dared in my own house to question my authority. I have nourished a viper in my bosom."

The catastrophe came, and she was brought to the Mall as to her home. The rigid formality of the place suffocated her: the prayers and the meals, the lessons and the walks, which were arranged with a conventual regularity, oppressed her almost beyond endurance and she looked back to the freedom and the beggary of the old studio in Soho with so much regret, that every body, herself included, fancied she was consumed with grief for her father. She had a little room in the garret, where the maids heard her walking and sobbing at night; but it was with rage, and not with grief. She had not been much of a dissembler, until now her loneliness taught her to feign. She had never mingled in the society of women: her father, reprobate as he was, was a man of "A viper-a fiddlestick,” said Miss Sharp talent; his conversation was a thousand to the old lady, almost fainting with astontimes more agreeable to her than the talk ishment. "You took me because I was of such of her own sex as she now encount- useful. There is no question of gratitude ered. The pompous vanity of the old school- between us. I hate this place, and want to mistress, the foolish good humor of her sis- leave it. I will do nothing here but what I ter, the silly chat and scandal of the elder am obliged to do." girls, and the frigid correctness of the governesses, equally annoyed her; and she had no soft, maternal heart, this unlucky girl, otherwise the prattle and talk of the younger children, with whose care she was chiefly intrusted, might have soothed and interested her; but she lived among them two years,

It was in vain that the old lady asked her if she was aware she was speaking to Miss Pinkerton? Rebecca laughed in her face, with a horrid sarcastic demoniacal laughter, that almost sent the schoolmistress into fits.

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Give me a sum of money," said the girl, "and get rid of me-or, if you like better,

get me a good place as governess in a noble- | a great deal of conversation had taken place man's family-you can do so if you please." about the drawing-room, and whether or And in their further disputes she always re- not young ladies wore powder as well as turned to this point, "Get me a situation-hoops when presented, and whether she we hate each other, and I am ready to go." was to have that honor; to the lord mayor's Worthy Miss Pinkerton, although she ball she knew she was to go. And when at had a Roman nose and a turban, and was as length home was reached, Miss Amelia Sedtall as a grenadier, and had been up to this ley skipped out on Sambo's arm, as happy time an irresistible princess, had no will or and as handsome a girl as any in the whole strength like that of her little apprentice, big city of London. Both he and coachman and in vain did battle against her, and tried agreed on this point, and so did her father to overawe her. Attempting once to scold and mother, and so did every one of the her in public, Rebecca hit upon the be- servants in the house, as they stood bobbing, fore-mentioned plan of answering her in and courtesying, and smiling, in the hall, to French, which quite routed the old woman. welcome their young mistress. In order to maintain authority in her school, it became necessary to remove this rebel, this monster, this serpent, this firebrand; and hearing about this time that Sir Pitt Crawley's family was in want of a governess, she actually recommended Miss Sharp for the situation, firebrand and serpent that she was. "I can not, certainly," she said, "find fault with Miss Sharp's conduct except to myself; and must allow that her talents and accomplishments are of a high order. As far as the head goes, at least, she does credit to the educational system pursued at my establishment."

And so the schoolmistress reconciled the recommendation to her conscience, and the indentures were canceled, and the apprentice was free. The battle here described in a few lines. of course, lasted for some months. And as Miss Sedley, being now seventeen years of age, was about to leave school, and had a friendship for Miss Sharp ('tis the only point in Amelia's behavior," said Minerva, "which has not been satisfactory to her mistress"), Miss Sharp was invited by her friend to pass a week with her at home, before she entered upon her duties as governess in a private family.

Thus the world began for these two young ladies. For Amelia it was quite a new, fresh, brilliant world, with all the bloom upon it. It was not quite a new one for Rebecca-(indeed, if the truth must be told with respect to the Crisp affair, the tartwoman hinted to somebody who took an affidavit of the fact to somebody else, that there was a great deal more than was made public regarding Mr. Crisp and Miss Sharp, and that his letter was in answer to another letter). But who can tell you the real truth of the matter? At all events, if Rebecca was not beginning the world, she was beginning it over again.

By the time the young ladies reached Kensington turnpike, Amelia had not forgot ten her companions, but had dried her tears, and had blushed very much and been delighted at a young officer of the Horse Guards, who spied her as he was riding by, and said, "A dem fine gal, egad!" and before the carriage arrived in Russell-square,

You may be sure that she showed Rebecca over every room of the house, and every thing in every one of her drawers, and her books, and her piano, and her dresses, and all her necklaces, brooches, laces, and gimcracks. She insisted upon Rebecca accepting the white cornelian and the turquoise rings, and a sweet sprigged muslin, which was too small for her now, though it would fit her friend to a nicety; and she determined in her heart to ask her mother's permission to present her white Cashmere shawl to her friend. Could she not spare it? and had not her brother Joseph just brought her two from India?

When Rebecca saw the two magnificent Cashmere shawls which Joseph Sedley had brought home to his sister, she said, with perfect truth, "that it must be delightful to have a brother," and easily got the pity of the tender-hearted Amelia, for being alone in the world, an orphan without friends or kindred.

"Not alone," said Amelia, "you know, Rebecca, I shall always be your friend, and love you as a sister-indeed I will."

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What! don't you love him? you, who say you love every body?"

"Yes, of course, I do-only-"
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"Only Joseph doesn't seem to care much whether I love him or not. He gave me two fingers to shake when he arrived after ten years' absence! He is very kind and good, but he scarcely ever speaks to me; I think he loves his pipe a great deal better than his . . . . ." but here Amelia checked herself, for why should she speak ill of her brother? "He was very kind to me as a child," she added; "I was but five years old when he went away."

"Isn't he very rich ?" said Rebecca.

"They say all Indian nabobs are enormously rich."

"I believe he has a very large income." "And is your sister-in-law a nice, pretty woman?"

"La! Joseph is not married," said Amelia, laughing again.

Perhaps she had mentioned the fact already to Rebecca, but that young lady did not appear to have remembered it; indeed, vowed and protested that she expected to see a number of Amelia's nephews and She was quite disappointed that Mr. Sedley was not married; she was sure Amelia had said he was, and she doted so on little children.

nieces.

“I think you must have had enough of them at Chiswick," said Amelia, rather wondering at the sudden tenderness on her friend's part; and, indeed, in later days Miss Sharp would never have committed herself so far as to advance opinions, the untruth of which would have been so easily detected. But we must remember that she is but nineteen as yet, unused to the art of deceiving, poor innocent creature! and making her own experience in her own person. The meaning of the above series of queries, as translated in the heart of this ingenious young woman, was simply this: "If Mr. Joseph Sedley is rich and unmarried, why should I not marry him? I have only a fortnight, to be sure, but there is no harm in trying." And she determined within herself to make this laudable attempt. She redoubled her caresses to Amelia; she kissed the white cornelian necklace as she put it on; and vowed she would never, never part with it. When the dinner-bell rang she went down stairs with her arm round her friend's waist, as is the habit of young ladies. She was so agitated at the drawing-room door, that she could hardly find courage to enter. "Feel my heart, how it beats, dear!" said she to her friend.

"No, it doesn't," said Amelia. "Come in, don't be frightened. Papa won't do you any harm."

CHAPTER III.

REBECCA IS IN PRESENCE OF THE ENEMY.

A very stout, puffy man, in buckskins and Hessian boots, with several immense neckcloths, that rose almost to his nose, with a red striped waistcoat and an apple green coat with steel buttons almost as large as crown pieces (it was the morning costume of a dandy or blood of those days), was reading the paper by the fire when the two girls entered, and bounced off his arin-chair, and blushed excessively, and hid his entire face almost in his neckcloths at this apparition.

"It's only your sister, Joseph," said Amelia, laughing and shaking the two fingers which he held out. "I've come home for good, you know; and this is my friend, Miss Sharp, whom you have heard me mention."

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No, never, upon my word," said the head under the neckcloth, shaking very much-" that is, yes-what abominably cold weather, Miss ;"-and herewith he fell to poking the fire with all his might, although it was in the middle of June.

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He's very handsome," whispered Rebecca to Amelia, rather loud.

"Do you think so?" said the latter, "I'll tell him."

"Darling! not for worlds," said Miss Sharp, starting back as timid as a fawn. She had previously made a respectful virginlike courtesy to the gentleman, and her modest eyes gazed so perseveringly on the carpet that it was a wonder how she should have found an opportunity to see him.

"Thank you for the beautiful shawls, brother," said Amelia to the fire-poker. "Are they not beautiful, Rebecca?"

"O heavenly!" said Miss Sharp, and her eyes went from the carpet straight to the chandelier.

Joseph still continued a huge clattering at the poker and tongs, puffing and blowing the while, and turning as red as his yellow face would allow him. "I can't make you such handsome presents, Joseph," continued his sister, "but while I was at school, I have embroidered for you a very beautiful pair of braces."

"Good Gad! Amelia," cried the brother, in serious alarm, "what do you mean?" and plunging with all his might at the bellrope, that article of furniture came away in his hand, and increased the honest fellow's confusion. "For heaven's sake see if my buggy's at the door. I can't wait. I must go. D- that groom of mine. I must go."

At this minute the father of the family walked in, rattling his seals like a true British merchant. "What's the matter, Emmy?" says he.

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Joseph wants me to see if his-his buggy is at the door. What is a buggy, papa?" "It is a one-horse palanquin," said the old gentleman, who was a wag in his way.

Joseph at this burst out into a wild fit of laughter; in which, encountering the eye of Miss Sharp, he stopped all of a sudden, as if he had been shot.

"This young lady is your friend? Miss Sharp, I am very happy to see you. Have you and Emmy been quarreling already with Joseph, that he wants to be off?"

"I promised Bonamy, of our service, sir," said Joseph, "to dine with him." "O fie! didn't you tell your mother you would dine here?"

"But in this dress it's impossible."

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