Vanity Fair - Page 6/573

So that when the day of departure came, between her two customs of

laughing and crying, Miss Sedley was greatly puzzled how to act. She

was glad to go home, and yet most woefully sad at leaving school. For

three days before, little Laura Martin, the orphan, followed her about

like a little dog. She had to make and receive at least fourteen

presents--to make fourteen solemn promises of writing every week:

"Send my letters under cover to my grandpapa, the Earl of Dexter," said

Miss Saltire (who, by the way, was rather shabby). "Never mind the

postage, but write every day, you dear darling," said the impetuous and

woolly-headed, but generous and affectionate Miss Swartz; and the

orphan little Laura Martin (who was just in round-hand), took her

friend's hand and said, looking up in her face wistfully, "Amelia, when

I write to you I shall call you Mamma." All which details, I have no

doubt, JONES, who reads this book at his Club, will pronounce to be

excessively foolish, trivial, twaddling, and ultra-sentimental. Yes; I

can see Jones at this minute (rather flushed with his joint of mutton

and half pint of wine), taking out his pencil and scoring under the

words "foolish, twaddling," &c., and adding to them his own remark of

"QUITE TRUE." Well, he is a lofty man of genius, and admires the great

and heroic in life and novels; and so had better take warning and go

elsewhere.

Well, then. The flowers, and the presents, and the trunks, and

bonnet-boxes of Miss Sedley having been arranged by Mr. Sambo in the

carriage, together with a very small and weather-beaten old cow's-skin

trunk with Miss Sharp's card neatly nailed upon it, which was delivered

by Sambo with a grin, and packed by the coachman with a corresponding

sneer--the hour for parting came; and the grief of that moment was

considerably lessened by the admirable discourse which Miss Pinkerton

addressed to her pupil. Not that the parting speech caused Amelia to

philosophise, or that it armed her in any way with a calmness, the

result of argument; but it was intolerably dull, pompous, and tedious;

and having the fear of her schoolmistress greatly before her eyes, Miss

Sedley did not venture, in her presence, to give way to any ebullitions

of private grief. A seed-cake and a bottle of wine were produced in

the drawing-room, as on the solemn occasions of the visits of parents,

and these refreshments being partaken of, Miss Sedley was at liberty to

depart.

"You'll go in and say good-by to Miss Pinkerton, Becky!" said Miss

Jemima to a young lady of whom nobody took any notice, and who was

coming downstairs with her own bandbox.

"I suppose I must," said Miss Sharp calmly, and much to the wonder of

Miss Jemima; and the latter having knocked at the door, and receiving

permission to come in, Miss Sharp advanced in a very unconcerned

manner, and said in French, and with a perfect accent, "Mademoiselle,

je viens vous faire mes adieux."