Vanity Fair - Page 7/573

Miss Pinkerton did not understand French; she only directed those who

did: but biting her lips and throwing up her venerable and Roman-nosed

head (on the top of which figured a large and solemn turban), she said,

"Miss Sharp, I wish you a good morning." As the Hammersmith Semiramis

spoke, she waved one hand, both by way of adieu, and to give Miss Sharp

an opportunity of shaking one of the fingers of the hand which was left

out for that purpose.

Miss Sharp only folded her own hands with a very frigid smile and bow,

and quite declined to accept the proffered honour; on which Semiramis

tossed up her turban more indignantly than ever. In fact, it was a

little battle between the young lady and the old one, and the latter

was worsted. "Heaven bless you, my child," said she, embracing Amelia,

and scowling the while over the girl's shoulder at Miss Sharp. "Come

away, Becky," said Miss Jemima, pulling the young woman away in great

alarm, and the drawing-room door closed upon them for ever.

Then came the struggle and parting below. Words refuse to tell it. All

the servants were there in the hall--all the dear friend--all the young

ladies--the dancing-master who had just arrived; and there was such a

scuffling, and hugging, and kissing, and crying, with the hysterical

YOOPS of Miss Swartz, the parlour-boarder, from her room, as no pen can

depict, and as the tender heart would fain pass over. The embracing was

over; they parted--that is, Miss Sedley parted from her friends. Miss

Sharp had demurely entered the carriage some minutes before. Nobody

cried for leaving HER.

Sambo of the bandy legs slammed the carriage door on his young weeping

mistress. He sprang up behind the carriage. "Stop!" cried Miss

Jemima, rushing to the gate with a parcel.

"It's some sandwiches, my dear," said she to Amelia. "You may be

hungry, you know; and Becky, Becky Sharp, here's a book for you that my

sister--that is, I--Johnson's Dixonary, you know; you mustn't leave us

without that. Good-by. Drive on, coachman. God bless you!"

And the kind creature retreated into the garden, overcome with emotion.

But, lo! and just as the coach drove off, Miss Sharp put her pale face

out of the window and actually flung the book back into the garden.

This almost caused Jemima to faint with terror. "Well, I never"--said

she--"what an audacious"--Emotion prevented her from completing either

sentence. The carriage rolled away; the great gates were closed; the

bell rang for the dancing lesson. The world is before the two young

ladies; and so, farewell to Chiswick Mall.