Ярмарка тщеславия / Vanity Fair - Теккерей Уильям Мейкпи - Страница 6

The party was landed at the Royal Gardens in due time. As the majestic Jos stepped out of the creaking vehicle the crowd gave a cheer for the fat gentleman, who blushed and looked very big and mighty, as he walked away with Rebecca under his arm. George, of course, took charge of Amelia. She looked as happy as a rose-tree in sunshine.

Honest Dobbin contented himself by giving an arm to the shawls, and by paying at the door for the whole party. He walked very modestly behind them. About Rebecca and Jos he did not care a fig. But he thought Amelia worthy even of the brilliant George Osborne.

It is to be understood, as a matter of course, that our young people, being in parties of two and two, made the most solemn promises to keep together during the evening, and separated in ten minutes afterwards.[11]

What were the adventures of Mr. Osborne and Miss Amelia? That is a secret. But be sure of this – they were perfectly happy, and correct in their behaviour.

But when Miss Rebecca Sharp and her stout companion lost themselves in a solitary walk, they both felt that the situation was extremely tender and critical, and now or never was the moment Miss Sharp thought, to provoke that declaration which was trembling on the timid lips of Mr. Sedley.

“How I should like to see India!” said Rebecca.

“SHOULD you?” said Joseph, with a most killing tenderness; and was no doubt about to follow up by a question still more tender, when, oh, provoking! the bell rang for the fireworks.

The two couples were perfectly happy then in their box: where the most delightful and intimate conversation took place. Jos was in his glory, ordering about the waiters with great majesty. Finally, he insisted upon having a bowl of rack punch; everybody had rack punch at Vauxhall.

The young ladies did not drink it; Osborne did not like it; and the consequence was that Jos drank up the whole contents of the bowl; and there was a liveliness which at first was astonishing, and then became almost painful. George Osborne conducted the girls home in safety.

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 tomorrow.” And so thought Amelia, too.

The next day, however, as the two young ladies sat 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!

So it ran:

Dear Amelia, I leave town today.

Pray excuse me, if you can, to the amiable Miss Sharp. As soon as I have recovered, for my health is very much shaken, I shall go to Scotland for some months, and am

Truly yours, Jos Sedley

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 upstairs to her room, and cried her little heart out.

It now became clear to every soul in the house, except poor Amelia, that Rebecca should take her departure, as speedily as possible. Rebecca was thinking in her heart, “It was George Osborne who prevented my marriage.” She made her preparations for departure and accepted all the kind little Amelia’s presents, after the proper degree of hesitation and reluctance.

Finally came the parting with Miss Amelia, over which picture I intend to throw a veil.

7

And now it became naturally Rebecca’s duty to make herself agreeable to her new family of Crawleys.

“I am alone in the world,” said the friendless girl. “I have nothing to look for but what my own labour can bring me; and while that little pink-faced chit Amelia has ten thousand pounds and an establishment secure, poor Rebecca (and my figure is far better than hers) has only herself and her own wits to trust to. Well, let us see if some day or the other I cannot show Miss Amelia my real superiority over her. Not that I dislike poor Amelia: who can dislike such a harmless, good-natured creature? – only it will be a fine day when I can take my place above her in the world, as why, indeed, should I not?”

With the young people her method was pretty simple. She did not pester their young brains with too much learning, but, on the contrary, let them have their own way in regard to educating themselves.

With Mr. Crawley Miss Sharp was respectful and obedient. She used to consult him on passages of French which she could not understand, though her mother was a Frenchwoman, he was kind enough to select for her books of a more serious tendency, and address to her much of his conversation.

He took Rebecca to task once or twice about the propriety of playing at backgammon with Sir Pitt.[12] But it was not only by playing at backgammon with the Baronet, that the little governess rendered herself agreeable to her employer. She found many different ways of being useful to him. She volunteered to copy many of his letters, and altered the spelling of them so as to suit the usages of the present day. She became interested in everything about the estate, to the farm, the park, the garden, and the stables; and so delightful a companion was she, that the Baronet would seldom take his after-breakfast walk without her (and the children of course). She was almost mistress of the house when Mr. Crawley was absent, but her behaviour was always exceedingly modest and affable. She was quite a different person from the haughty, shy, dissatisfied little girl whom we have known previously.

Old Miss Crawley had a snug little house in Park Lane, and, as she ate and drank a great deal too much during the season in London, she went to Harrowgate or Cheltenham for the summer. Silly, romantic Miss Crawley, always used to pay Rawdon Crawley’s, her favourite nephew, debts after his duels; and would not listen to a word that was whispered against his morality.

Now let us turn our sight to Amelia. There was scarcely any point upon which the Misses Osborne, George’s sisters, and the Mesdemoiselles Dobbin agreed so well as in their estimate of her very trifling merits: and their wonder that their brothers could find any charms in her. And they treated her with such extreme kindness and patronised her, that the poor little thing was in fact perfectly dumb in their presence and as stupid as they thought her. She made efforts to like them, as in duty bound, and as sisters of her future husband.

Amelia was asking Captain Dobbin about Osborne all the time. He never hurried to visit her preferring to spend some time on games and drinking. Once, after three days of absence, Miss Amelia put on her bonnet, and actually invaded the Osborne house. “What! leave our brother to come to us?” said the young ladies. “Have you had a quarrel, Amelia? Do tell us!” No, indeed, there had been no quarrel. “Who could quarrel with him?” says she, with her eyes filled with tears. She only came over to – to see her dear friends; they had not met for so long. And this day she was so perfectly stupid and awkward, that the Misses Osborne and their governess, who stared after her as she went sadly away, wondered more than ever what George could see in poor little Amelia.

Osborne’s reputation was prodigious amongst the young men of the regiment. He was adored by the men. There were other people besides Amelia who worshipped him. Captain Dobbin on his part adored Amelia. He reproached John bitterly for paying little attention to the charming creature she was.