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careless way； when your friend asks if Miss MacWhirter is
any relative。 Your wife is perpetually sending her little
testimonies of affection； your little girls work endless
worsted baskets； cushions； and footstools for her。 What a
good fire there is in her room when she comes to pay
you a visit； although your wife laces her stays without
one！ The house during her stay assumes a festive； neat；
warm； jovial； snug appearance not visible at other
seasons。 You yourself； dear sir； forget to go to sleep after
dinner； and find yourself all of a sudden （though you
invariably lose） very fond of a rubber。 What good
dinners you havegame every day； Malmsey…Madeira； and
no end of fish from London。 Even the servants in the
kitchen share in the general prosperity； and； somehow；
during the stay of Miss MacWhirter's fat coachman； the
beer is grown much stronger； and the consumption of tea
and sugar in the nursery （where her maid takes her
meals） is not regarded in the least。 Is it so； or is it not
so？ I appeal to the middle classes。 Ah； gracious powers！
I wish you would send me an old aunta maiden aunt
an aunt with a lozenge on her carriage； and a front
of light coffee…coloured hairhow my children should
work workbags for her； and my Julia and I would make
her comfortable！ Sweetsweet vision！ Foolishfoolish
dream！
CHAPTER X
Miss Sharp Begins to Make Friends
And now； being received as a member of the amiable
family whose portraits we have sketched in the foregoing
pages； it became naturally Rebecca's duty to make
herself； as she said； agreeable to her benefactors； and to
gain their confidence to the utmost of her power。 Who
can but admire this quality of gratitude in an unprotected
orphan； and； if there entered some degree of selfishness
into her calculations； who can say but that her
prudence was perfectly justifiable？ 〃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； with not half my sense；
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 my wits cannot provide me with an honourable
maintenance； and 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？〃 Thus it was that our little
romantic friend formed visions of the future for herself
nor must we be scandalised that； in all her castles in
the air； a husband was the principal inhabitant。 Of
what else have young ladies to think； but husbands？ Of
what else do their dear mammas think？ 〃I must be my
own mamma；〃 said Rebecca； not without a tingling
consciousness of defeat； as she thought over her little
misadventure with Jos Sedley。
So she wisely determined to render her position with
the Queen's Crawley family comfortable and secure； and
to this end resolved to make friends of every one around
her who could at all interfere with her comfort。
As my Lady Crawley was not one of these personages；
and a woman； moreover； so indolent and void of
character as not to be of the least consequence in her own
house； Rebecca soon found that it was not at all necessary
to cultivate her good willindeed； impossible to gain it。 She
used to talk to her pupils about their 〃poor mamma〃； and；
though she treated that lady with every demonstration
of cool respect； it was to the rest of the family that she
wisely directed the chief part of her attentions。
With the young people； whose applause she thoroughly
gained； 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； for what instruction is more
effectual than self…instruction？ The eldest was rather fond
of books； and as there was in the old library at Queen's
Crawley a considerable provision of works of light
literature of the last century； both in the French and English
languages （they had been purchased by the Secretary
of the Tape and Sealing Wax Office at the period of his
disgrace）； and as nobody ever troubled the book…shelves
but herself； Rebecca was enabled agreeably； and； as
it were； in playing； to impart a great deal of instruction
to Miss Rose Crawley。
She and Miss Rose thus read together many delightful
French and English works； among which may be
mentioned those of the learned Dr。 Smollett； of the ingenious
Mr。 Henry Fielding； of the graceful and fantastic
Monsieur Crebillon the younger； whom our immortal poet
Gray so much admired； and of the universal Monsieur de
Voltaire。 Once； when Mr。 Crawley asked what the young
people were reading； the governess replied 〃Smollett。〃
〃Oh； Smollett；〃 said Mr。 Crawley； quite satisfied。 〃His
history is more dull； but by no means so dangerous as
that of Mr。 Hume。 It is history you are reading？〃 〃Yes；〃
said Miss Rose； without； however； adding that it was the
history of Mr。 Humphrey Clinker。 On another occasion
he was rather scandalised at finding his sister with a
book of French plays； but as the governess remarked
that it was for the purpose of acquiring the French idiom
in conversation； he was fain to be content。 Mr。 Crawley；
as a diplomatist； was exceedingly proud of his own skill
in speaking the French language （for he was of the world
still）； and not a little pleased with the compliments which
the governess continually paid him upon his proficiency。
Miss Violet's tastes were； on the contrary； more rude
and boisterous than those of her sister。 She knew the
sequestered spots where the hens laid their eggs。 She
could climb a tree to rob the nests of the feathered
songsters of their speckled spoils。 And her pleasure was to
ride the young colts； and to scour the plains like Camilla。
She was the favourite of her father and of the stablemen。
She was the darling； and withal the terror of the
cook； for she discovered the haunts of the jam…pots； and
would attack them when they were within her reach。
She and her sister were engaged in constant battles。 Any
of which peccadilloes； if Miss Sharp discovered； she did
not tell them to Lady Crawley； who would have told
them to the father； or worse； to Mr。 Crawley； but
promised not to tell if Miss Violet would be a good girl
and love her governess。
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； and which he would construe to her
satisfaction： and； besides giving her his aid in profane
literature； he was kind enough to select for her books
of a more serious tendency； and address to her much of
his conversation。 She admired； beyond measure； his
speech at the Quashimaboo…Aid Society； took an
interest in his pamphlet on malt： was often affected； even
to tears； by his discourses of an evening； and would
say〃Oh； thank you； sir；〃 with a sigh； and