Vows，love，promises，confidences，gratitude，howqueerlytheyreadafterawhile！ThereoughttobealawinVanityFairorderingthedestructionofeverywrittendocumentexceptreceiptedtradesmen’sbillsafteracertainbriefandproperinterval。ThosequacksandmisanthropeswhoadvertiseindelibleJapaninkshouldbemadetoperishalongwiththeirwickeddiscoveries。ThebestinkforVanityFairusewouldbeonethatfadedutterlyinacoupleofdays，andleftthepapercleanandblank，sothatyoumightwriteonittosomebodyelse。

　　FromMissPinkerton’stheindefatigableMrs。ButefollowedthetrackofSharpandhisdaughterbacktothelodgingsinGreekStreet，whichthedefunctpainterhadoccupied；andwhereportraitsofthelandladyinwhitesatin，andofthehusbandinbrassbuttons，donebySharpinlieuofaquarter’srent，stilldecoratedtheparlourwalls。Mrs。Stokeswasacommunicativeperson，andquicklytoldallsheknewaboutMr。Sharp；howdissoluteandpoorhewas；howgood-naturedandamusing；howhewasalwayshuntedbybailiffsandduns；how，tothelandlady’shorror，thoughshenevercouldabidethewoman，hedidnotmarryhiswifetillashorttimebeforeherdeath；andwhataqueerlittlewildvixenhisdaughterwas；howshekeptthemalllaughingwithherfunandmimicry；howsheusedtofetchtheginfromthepublic-house，andwasknowninallthestudiosinthequarter——inbrief，Mrs。Butegotsuchafullaccountofhernewniece’sparentage，education，andbehaviouraswouldscarcelyhavepleasedRebecca，hadthelatterknownthatsuchinquirieswerebeingmadeconcerningher。

　　OfalltheseindustriousresearchesMissCrawleyhadthefullbenefit。Mrs。RawdonCrawleywasthedaughterofanopera-girl。Shehaddancedherself。Shehadbeenamodeltothepainters。Shewasbroughtupasbecamehermother’sdaughter。Shedrankginwithherfather，&c。&c。Itwasalostwomanwhowasmarriedtoalostman；andthemoraltobeinferredfromMrs。Bute’stalewas，thattheknaveryofthepairwasirremediable，andthatnoproperlyconductedpersonshouldevernoticethemagain。

　　ThesewerethematerialswhichprudentMrs。ButegatheredtogetherinParkLane，theprovisionsandammunitionasitwerewithwhichshefortifiedthehouseagainstthesiegewhichsheknewthatRawdonandhiswifewouldlaytoMissCrawley。

　　Butifafaultmaybefoundwithherarrangements，itisthis，thatshewastooeager：shemanagedrathertoowell；undoubtedlyshemadeMissCrawleymoreillthanwasnecessary；andthoughtheoldinvalidsuccumbedtoherauthority，itwassoharassingandsevere，thatthevictimwouldbeinclinedtoescapeattheveryfirstchancewhichfellinherway。Managingwomen，theornamentsoftheirsex——womenwhoordereverythingforeverybody，andknowsomuchbetterthananypersonconcernedwhatisgoodfortheirneighbours，don’tsometimesspeculateuponthepossibilityofadomesticrevolt，oruponotherextremeconsequencesresultingfromtheiroverstrainedauthority。

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