Was not a bowl of wine the cause of the de- | Then, seizing Captain Dobbin's hand, and mise of Alexander the Great, or at least, weeping in the most pitiful way, he confided to does not Dr. Lempriere say so?—so did this that gentleman the secret of his loves. He bowl of rack punch influence the fates of all adored that girl who had just gone out; he the principal characters in this “ Novel with- had broken her heart, he knew he had, by out a Hero," which we are now relating. his conduct; he would marry her next mornIt influenced their life, although most of ing, at St. George's, Hanover-square; he'd them did not taste a drop of it. knock up the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth: he would, by Jove! and have him in readiness; and, acting on this hint, Captain Dobbin shrewdly induced him to leave the gardens and hasten to Lambeth palace, and, when once out of the gates, easily conveyed this fat bacchanalian into a hackney-coach, which deposited him safely at his lodgings. The young ladies did not drink it; Osborne did not like it; and the consequence was that Jos, that fat gourmand drank up the whole contents of the bowl; and the consequence of his drinking up the whole contents of the bowl was, a liveliness which was at first astonishing, and then became almost painful; for he talked and laughed so loud as to bring scores of listeners round the box, much to the confusion of the innocent party within it; and, volunteering to sing a song (which he did in that maudlin high-key peculiar to gentlemen in an inebriated state), he almost drew away the audience who were gathered round the musicians in the gilt scollop-shell, and received from his hearers a great deal of applause. Brayvo, fat 'un!" said one; " Angcore, Daniel Lambert!" said another; "What a figure for the tight-rope!" exclaimed another wag, to the inexpressible alarm of the ladies, and the great anger of Mr. Osborne. "For Heaven's sake, Jos, let us get up and go," cried that gentleman, and the young women rose. George Osborne conducted the girls home in safety: and when the door was closed upon them, and as he walked across Russellsquare, laughed so as to astonish the watchman. Amelia looked very ruefully at her friend, as they went up-stairs, and kissed her, and went to bed without any more talking. "He must propose to-morrow," thought Rebecca. "He called me his soul's darling, four times; he squeezed my hand in Amelia's presence. He must propose, to-morrow." And so thought Amelia, too. And I dare say she thought of the dress she was to wear as bride's-maid, and of the presents "Stop, my dearest diddle-diddle-darling," which she should make to her nice little shouted Jos, now as bold as a lion, and clasp-sister-in-law, and of a subsequent ceremony ing Miss Rebecca round the wast. Rebecca in which she herself might play a principal started, but she could not get away her hand. part. &c., and &c., and &c., and &c. The laughter outside redoubled. Jos continued to drink, to make love, and to sing; and winking and waving his glass gracefully to his audience, challenged all or any to come in and take a share of his punch. Mr. Osborne was just on the point of knocking down a gentleman in top-boots, who proposed to take advantage of this invitation, and a commotion seemed to be inexitable, when, by the greatest good luck, a gentleman by the name of Dobbin, who had been walking about the gardens, stepped up to the box. "Be off, you foolth!" said this gentleman-shouldering off a great number of the crowd, who vanished presently before his cocked hat and fierce appearance-and he entered the box in a most agitated state. "Good Heavens! Dobbin, where have you been?" Osborne said, seizing the white cashmere shawl from his friend's arm, and huddling up Amelia in it. "Make yourself useful and take charge of Jos here, while I take the ladies to the carriage." Oh, ignorant young creatures! How little do you know of the effect of rack-punch! What is the rack in the punch, at night, to the rack in the head of a morning? To this truth I can vouch as a man: there is no headache in the world like that caused by Vauxhall punch. Through the lapse of twenty years, I can remember the consequence of two glasses!-two wine-glasses!-but two, upon the honor of a gentleman; and Joseph Sedley, who had a liver complaint, had swallowed at least a quart of the abominable mixture. That next morning, which Rebecca thought was to dawn upon her fortune, found Sedley groaning in agonies which the pen refuses to describe. Soda-water was not invented yet. Small beer-will it be believed?-was the only drink with which unhappy gentlemen soothed the fever of their previous night's potation. With this mild beverage before him, George Osborne found the ex-collector of Boggley Wollah groaning on the sofa at his Jos was for rising to interfere-but a single lodgings. Dobbin was already in the room, push from Osborne's finger sent him puffing good-naturedly tending his patient of the back into his seat again, and the lieutenant night before. The two officers looking at was enabled to remove the ladies in safety. the prostrate bacchanalian, and askance at Jos kissed his hand to them as they retreated, each other, exchanged the most frightful and hiccupped out, Bless you! Bless you! sympathetic grins. Even Sedley's valet, C the most solemn and correct of gentlemen, said to his friend's remonstrances, when with the muteness and gravity of an under- they quitted the invalid, leaving him under taker, could hardly keep his countenance in the hands of Doctor Glauber. 66 What the order, as he looked at his unfortunate mas- deuce right has he to give himself his patronizing airs, and make fools of us at Vauxhall? Who's this little school-girl that is ogling and making love to him? Hang it. ter. "Mr. Sedley was uncommon wild last night, sir," he whispered in confidence to Osborne, as the latter mounted the stair. the family's low enough already, without "He wanted to fight the 'ackney-coachman, sir. The capting was obliged to bring him up stairs in his harms like a baby." A momentary smile flickered over Mr. Brush's features as he spoke; instantly, however, they relapsed into their usual unfathomable calm, as he flung open the drawing-room door, and announced "Mr. Hosbin." "How are you, Sedley?" that young wag began, after surveying his victim. "No bones broke? There's a hackney-coachman down stairs with a black eye, and a tied up head, vowing he'll have the law of you." "What do you mean-law?” Sedley faintly asked. "For thrashing him last night-didn't he, Dobbin ? You hit out, sir, like Molyneux. The watchman says he never saw a fellow go down so straight. Ask Dobbin." "You did have a round with the coachman," Captain Dobbin said, "and showed plenty of fight too." "And that fellow with a white coat at Vauxhall! How Jos drove at him! How the women screamed! By Jove, sir, it did my heart good to see you. I thought you civilians had no pluck; but I'll never get in your way when you are in your cups, Jos." "I believe I'm very terrible, whem I'm roused," ejaculated Jos from the sofa, and made a grimace so dreary and ludicrous, that the captain's politeness could restrain him no longer, and he and Osborne fired off a ringing volley of laughter. Osborne pursued his advantage pitilessly. He thought Jos a milksop. He had been revolving in his mind the marriage question pending between Jos and Rebecca, and was not over-well pleased that a member of a family into which he, George Osborne, of theth, was going to marry, should make a mésalliance with a little nobody-a little upstart governess. You hit, you poor old fellow!" said Osborne. "You terrible! Why, man, you couldn't stand-you made every body laugh in the gardens, though you were crying yourself. You were maudlin, Jos. Don't you remember singing a song?" "A what?" Jos asked. 66 her. A governess is all very well, but I'd rather have a lady for my sister-in-law. I'm a liberal man: but I've proper pride. and know my own station: let her know hers. And I'll take down that great hectoring nabob, and prevent him from being made a greater fool than he is. That's why I told him to look out, lest she brought an action against him." "I suppose you know best," Dobbin said, though rather dubiously. "You always were a Tory, and your family's one of the oldest in England. But" "Come and see the girls, and make love to Miss Sharp yourself," the lieutenant here interrupted his friend; but Captain Dobbin declined to join Osborne in his daily visit to the young ladies in Russell-square. As he walked down Southampton-row, from Holborn, he laughed as he saw, at the Sedley mansion, in two different stories, two heads on the look-out. The fact is, Miss Amelia, in the drawingroom balcony, was looking very eagerly toward the opposite side of the square, where Mr. Osborne dwelt, on the watch for the lieutenant himself; and Miss Sharp, from her little bed-room on the second floor, was in observation until Mr. Joseph's great form should heave in sight. "Sister Anne is on the watch-tower," said he to Amelia, "but there's nobody coming;" and laughing and enjoying the joke hugely, he described in the most ludicrous terms to Miss Sedley, the dismal condition of her brother. "I think it's very cruel of you to laugh, George," she said, looking particularly unhappy; but George only laughed the more at her piteous and discomforted mien, persisted in thinking the joke a most diverting one, and when Miss Sharp came down stairs, bantered her with a great deal of liveliness upon the effect of her charms on the fat civilian. "O Miss Sharp! if you could but see him this morning," he said, "moaning in his flowered dressing-gown-writhing on his sofa; if you could but see him lolling out his tongue to Glauber the apothecary." "See whom?" said Miss Sharp. "Whom? O whom? Captain Dobbin, of course, to whom we were all so attentive, by the way, last night." "We were very unkind to him," Emmy said, blushing very much. "I-I quite forgot him." "Of course you did," cried Osborne, still on the laugh. ing about Dobbin, you know, Amelia. Can one Miss Sharp?" "One can't be always think- | Pray excuse me, if you can, to the amiable Miss Sharp, for my conduct at Vauxhall, and entreat her to pardon and forget every word I may have uttered when excited by that fatal supper. As soon as I have recovered, for my health is very much shaken, I shall go to Scotland for some months, and "Truly yours, "Except when he overset the glass of wine at dinner," Miss Sharp said, with a haughty air, and a toss of the head, "I never gave the existence of Captain Dobbin one single moment's consideration." "Very good, Miss Sharp, I'll tell him," Osborne said; and as he spoke Miss Sharp began to have a feeling of distrust and hatred toward this young officer, which he was quite unconscious of having inspired. "He is to make fun of me, is he?" thought Rebecca. "Has he been laughing about me to Joseph? Has he frightened him? Perhaps he won't come.' A film passed over her eyes, and her heart beat quite thick. "You're always joking," said she, smiling, as innocently as she could. "Joke away, Mr. George; there's nobody to defend me.' And George Osborne, as she walked away -and Amelia looked reprovingly at him— felt some little manly compunction for having inflicted any unnecessary unkindness upon this helpless creature. "My dearest Amelia," said he, "you are too good-too kind. You don't know the world. I do. And your little friend Miss Sharp must learn her station." "Don't you think Jos will-" Upon my word, my dear, I don't know. He may, or may not. I'm not his master. I only know he is a very, foolish vain fellow, and put my dear little girl into a very painful and awkward position last night. My dearest diddle-diddle-darling!" He was off laughing again; and he did it so drolly that Emmy laughed too. All that day Jos never came. But Amelia had no fear about this; for the little schemer had actually sent away the page, Mr. Sambo's aid-de-camp, to Mr. Joseph's lodgings, to ask for some book he had promised, and how he was; and the reply through Jos's man, Mr. Brush, was, that his master was ill in bed, and had just had the doctor with him. He must come to-morrow, she thought, but she never had the courage to speak a word on the subject to Rebecca; nor did that young woman herself allude to it in any way during the whole evening after the night at Vauxhall. The next day, however, as the two young ladies sate on the sofa, pretending to work, or to write letters, or to read novels, Sambo came into the room with his usual engaging grin, with a packet under his arm, and a note on a tray. "Note from Mr. Jos, Miss," says Sambo. How Amelia trembled as she opened it! "DEAR AMELIA-I send you the Orphan of the Forest. I was too ill to come yesterday. I leave town to-day for Cheltenham. am "Jos. SEDLEY." It was the death-warrant. All was over. Amelia did not dare to look at Rebecca's pale face and burning eyes, but she dropped the letter into her friend's lap; and got up, and went up-stairs to her room, and cried her little heart out. Blenkinsop, the housekeeper, there sought her presently with consolation; on whose shoulder Amelia wept confidentially, and relieved herself a good deal. "Don't take on, Miss. I didn't like to tell you. But none of us in the house have liked her except at fust. I sor her with my own eyes reading your Ma's letters. Pinner says she's always about your trinket-box and drawers, and every body's drawers, and she's sure she's put your white ribbing into her box." said. I gave it her, I gave it her," Amelia But this did not alter Mrs. Blenkinsop's opinion of Miss Sharp. "I don't trust them governesses, Pinner, they're neither one thing nor t'other. They give themselves the hairs and hupstarts of ladies, and their wages is no better than you nor me." It now became clear to every soul in the house, except poor Amelia, that Rebecca should take her departure, and high and low (always with the one exception) agreed that that event should take place as speedily as possible. Our good child ransacked all her drawers, cupboards, reticules, and gimcrack boxes-passed in review all her gowns, fichus, tags, bobbins, laces, silk stockings, and fallals-selecting this thing and that and the other, to make a little heap for Rebec ca. And going to her papa, that generous British merchant, who had promised to give her as many guineas as she was years oldshe begged the old gentleman to give the money to dear Rebecca, who must want it, while she lacked for nothing. She even made George Osborne contribute, and nothing loth (for he was as free-handed a young fellow as any in the army), he went to Bond-street, and bought the best hat and spencer that money could buy. "That's George's present to you, Rebecca, dear," said Amelia, quite proud of the bandbox conveying these gifts. "What a taste he has! There's nobody like him." 66 Nobody," Rebecca answered. "How thankful I am to him!" She was thinking in her heart, "It was George Osborne who prevented my marriage. And she loved a place as it had been in Queen Bess's time George Osborne accordingly. She made her preparations for departure with great equanimity; and accepted all the kind little Amelia's presents, after just the proper degree of hesitation and reluctance. She vowed eternal gratitude to Mrs. Sedley, of course; but did not intrude herself upon that good lady too much, who was embarrassed, and evidently wishing to avoid her. She kissed Mr. Sedley's hand, when he presented her with the purse; and asked permission to consider him for the future as her kind, kind friend and protector. Her behavior was so affecting that he was going to write her a check for twenty pounds more; but he restrained his feelings: the carriage was in waiting to take him to dinner: so he tripped away with a "God bless you, my dear. Always come here when you come to town, you know. Drive to the Mansion House, James." -nay, was come down to that condition of borough which used to be denominated rotten-yet, as Sir Pitt Crawley would say with perfect justice in his elegant way, "Rotten! be hanged-it produces me a good fifteen hundred a year." Sir Pitt Crawley (named after the great commoner), was the son of Walpole Crawley, first baronet, of the Tape and SealingWax Office in the reign of George II., when he was impeached for peculation, as were a great number of other honest gentlemen of those days; and Walpole Crawley was, as need scarcely be said, son of John Churchill Crawley, named after the celebrated military commander of the reign of Queen Anne. The family tree (which hangs up at Queen's Crawley), furthermore mentions Charles Stuart, afterward called Barebones Crawley's son, the Crawley of James the First's time, and finally, Queen Elizabeth's Crawley, who is represented as the foreground of the picture in his forked beard and armor. Out of his waistcoat, as usual, grows a tree, on the main branches of which the above illustrious names are inscribed. Close by the name of Sir Pitt Crawley, Baronet (the subject of the present memoir), are written that of his brother, the Reverend Bute Crawley (the great commoner was in dis "Finally came the parting with Miss Amelia, over which picture I intend to throw a vail. But after a scene in which one person was in earnest and the other a perfect performer-after the tenderest caresses, the most pathetic tears, the smellingbottle, and some of the very best feelings of the heart, had been called into requisitionRebecca and Amelia parted, the former vowing to love her friend forever and ever grace when the reverend gentleman was and ever. CHAPTER VII. CRAWLEY OF QUEEN'S CRAWLEY. AMONG the most respected of the names beginning in C, which the Court-Guide contained, in the year 18-, was that of Crawley, Sir Pitt, Baronet, Great Gaunt-street, and Queen's Crawley, Hants. This honorable name had figured constantly also in the parliamentary list for many years, in conjunction with that of a number of other worthy gentlemen who sat in turns for the borough. born), rector of Crawley-cum-Snailby, and of various other male and female members of the Crawley family. Sir Pitt was first married to Grizzel, sixth daughter of Mungo Binkie, Lord Binkie, and cousin, in consequence of Mr. Dundas. She brought him two sons: Pitt, named not so much after his father as after the heavenborn minister; and Rawdon Crawley, from the Prince of Wales's friend, whom his Majesty George IV. forgot so completely. Many years after her ladyship's demise, Sir Pitt led to the altar Rosa, daughter of Mr. G. Grafton of Mudbury, by whom he had two daughters, for whose benefit Miss Rebecca Sharp was now engaged as governess. It will be seen that the young lady was come into a family of very genteel connections, and was about to move in a much more distinguished circle than that humble one which she had just quitted in Russell-square. She had received her orders to join her pupils, in a note which was written upon an old envelope, and which contained the following words It is related, with regard to the borough of Queen's Crawley, that Queen Elizabeth in one of her progresses, stopping at Crawley to breakfast, was so delighted with some remarkably fine Hampshire beer which was then presented to her by the Crawley of the day (a handsome gentleman with a trim beard and a good leg), that she forthwith erected Crawley into a borough to send two members to parliament; and the place, from the day of that illustrious visit, took the name of Queen's Crawley, which it holds up to the present moment. And though by the lapse of time, and those mutations which ages produce in empires, cities, and boroughs, Rebecca had never seen a baronet, as far Queen's Crawley was no longer so populous as she knew, and as soon as she had taken "Sir Pitt Crawley begs Miss Sharp and baggidge may be hear on Tuesday, as I leaf for Queen's Crawley to-morrow morning erly. Great Gaunt Street." |