Vanity Fair - Page 14/573

"Ah, but to have parents, as you have--kind, rich, affectionate

parents, who give you everything you ask for; and their love, which is

more precious than all! My poor papa could give me nothing, and I had

but two frocks in all the world! And then, to have a brother, a dear

brother! Oh, how you must love him!"

Amelia laughed.

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

"Yes, of course, I do--only--"

"Only what?"

"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 nieces. 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.

"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 downstairs 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.