Well，then。Theflowers，andthepresents，andthetrunks，andbonnet-boxesofMissSedleyhavingbeenarrangedbyMr。Sambointhecarriage，togetherwithaverysmallandweather-beatenoldcow’s-skintrunkwithMissSharp’scardneatlynaileduponit，whichwasdeliveredbySambowithagrin，andpackedbythecoachmanwithacorrespondingsneer——thehourforpartingcame；andthegriefofthatmomentwasconsiderablylessenedbytheadmirablediscoursewhichMissPinkertonaddressedtoherpupil。NotthatthepartingspeechcausedAmeliatophilosophise，orthatitarmedherinanywaywithacalmness，theresultofargument；butitwasintolerablydull，pompous，andtedious；andhavingthefearofherschoolmistressgreatlybeforehereyes，MissSedleydidnotventure，inherpresence，togivewaytoanyebullitionsofprivategrief。Aseed-cakeandabottleofwinewereproducedinthedrawing-room，asonthesolemnoccasionsofthevisitsofparents，andtheserefreshmentsbeingpartakenof，MissSedleywasatlibertytodepart。
“You’llgoinandsaygood-bytoMissPinkerton，Becky！”saidMissJemimatoayoungladyofwhomnobodytookanynotice，andwhowascomingdownstairswithherownbandbox。
“IsupposeImust。”saidMissSharpcalmly，andmuchtothewonderofMissJemima；andthelatterhavingknockedatthedoor，andreceivingpermissiontocomein，MissSharpadvancedinaveryunconcernedmanner，andsaidinFrench，andwithaperfectaccent，“Mademoiselle，jeviensvousfairemesadieux。”
MissPinkertondidnotunderstandFrench；sheonlydirectedthosewhodid：butbitingherlipsandthrowinguphervenerableandRoman-nosedheadonthetopofwhichfiguredalargeandsolemnturban，shesaid，“MissSharp，Iwishyouagoodmorning。”AstheHammersmithSemiramisspoke，shewavedonehand，bothbywayofadieu，andtogiveMissSharpanopportunityofshakingoneofthefingersofthehandwhichwasleftoutforthatpurpose。
MissSharponlyfoldedherownhandswithaveryfrigidsmileandbow，andquitedeclinedtoaccepttheprofferedhonour；onwhichSemiramistossedupherturbanmoreindignantlythanever。Infact，itwasalittlebattlebetweentheyoungladyandtheoldone，andthelatterwasworsted。”Heavenblessyou，mychild。”saidshe，embracingAmelia，andscowlingthewhileoverthegirl’sshoulderatMissSharp。”Comeaway，Becky。”saidMissJemima，pullingtheyoungwomanawayingreatalarm，andthedrawing-roomdoorcloseduponthemforever。
Thencamethestruggleandpartingbelow。Wordsrefusetotellit。Alltheservantswerethereinthehall——
allthedearfriend——alltheyoungladies——thedancing-
masterwhohadjustarrived；andtherewassuchascuffling，andhugging，andkissing，andcrying，withthehystericalYOOPSofMissSwartz，theparlour-boarder，fromherroom，asnopencandepict，andasthetenderheartwouldfainpassover。Theembracingwasover；theyparted——thatis，MissSedleypartedfromherfriends。MissSharphaddemurelyenteredthecarriagesomeminutesbefore。NobodycriedforleavingHER。
Samboofthebandylegsslammedthecarriagedooronhisyoungweepingmistress。Hesprangupbehindthecarriage。”Stop！”criedMissJemima，rushingtothegatewithaparcel。
“It’ssomesandwiches，mydear。”saidshetoAmelia。
“Youmaybehungry，youknow；andBecky，BeckySharp，here’sabookforyouthatmysister——thatis，I——
Johnson’sDixonary，youknow；youmustn’tleaveuswithoutthat。Good-by。Driveon，coachman。Godblessyou！”
Andthekindcreatureretreatedintothegarden，overcomewithemotion。
But，lo！andjustasthecoachdroveoff，MissSharpputherpalefaceoutofthewindowandactuallyflungthebookbackintothegarden。
ThisalmostcausedJemimatofaintwithterror。”Well，Inever“——saidshe——“whatanaudacious“——Emotionpreventedherfromcompletingeithersentence。Thecarriagerolledaway；thegreatgateswereclosed；thebellrangforthedancinglesson。Theworldisbeforethetwoyoungladies；andso，farewelltoChiswickMall。
InWhichMissSharpandMissSedleyPreparetoOpentheCampaignWhenMissSharphadperformedtheheroicalactmentionedinthelastchapter，andhadseentheDixonary，flyingoverthepavementofthelittlegarden，fallatlengthatthefeetoftheastonishedMissJemima，theyounglady’scountenance，whichhadbeforewornanalmostlividlookofhatred，assumedasmilethatperhapswasscarcelymoreagreeable，andshesankbackinthecarriageinaneasyframeofmind，saying——“SomuchfortheDixonary；and，thankGod，I’moutofChiswick。”
MissSedleywasalmostasflurriedattheactofdefianceasMissJemimahadbeen；for，consider，itwasbutoneminutethatshehadleftschool，andtheimpressionsofsixyearsarenotgotoverinthatspaceoftime。Nay，withsomepersonsthoseawesandterrorsofyouthlastforeverandever。Iknow，forinstance，anoldgentlemanofsixty-eight，whosaidtomeonemorningatbreakfast，withaveryagitatedcountenance，“IdreamedlastnightthatIwasfloggedbyDr。Raine。”Fancyhadcarriedhimbackfive-and-fiftyyearsinthecourseofthatevening。Dr。Raineandhisrodwerejustasawfultohiminhisheart，then，atsixty-eight，astheyhadbeenatthirteen。IftheDoctor，withalargebirch，hadappearedbodilytohim，evenattheageofthreescoreandeight，andhadsaidinawfulvoice，“Boy，takedownyourpant——“？Well，well，MissSedleywasexceedinglyalarmedatthisactofinsubordination。
“Howcouldyoudoso，Rebecca？”atlastshesaid，afterapause。
“Why，doyouthinkMissPinkertonwillcomeoutandordermebacktotheblack-hole？”saidRebecca，laughing。
“No：but——“
“Ihatethewholehouse。”continuedMissSharpinafury。”IhopeImayneverseteyesonitagain。IwishitwereinthebottomoftheThames，Ido；andifMissPinkertonwerethere，Iwouldn’tpickherout，thatI
wouldn’t。OhowIshouldliketoseeherfloatinginthewateryonder，turbanandall，withhertrainstreamingafterher，andhernoselikethebeakofawherry。”
“Hush！”criedMissSedley。
“Why，willtheblackfootmantelltales？”criedMissRebecca，laughing。”HemaygobackandtellMissPinkertonthatIhateherwithallmysoul；andIwishhewould；andIwishIhadameansofprovingit，too。FortwoyearsIhaveonlyhadinsultsandoutragefromher。
Ihavebeentreatedworsethananyservantinthekitchen。
Ihaveneverhadafriendorakindword，exceptfromyou。Ihavebeenmadetotendthelittlegirlsinthelowerschoolroom，andtotalkFrenchtotheMisses，untilI
grewsickofmymothertongue。ButthattalkingFrenchtoMissPinkertonwascapitalfun，wasn’tit？Shedoesn’tknowawordofFrench，andwastooproudtoconfessit。Ibelieveitwasthatwhichmadeherpartwithme；
andsothankHeavenforFrench。VivelaFrance！Vivel’Empereur！ViveBonaparte！”
“ORebecca，Rebecca，forshame！”criedMissSedley；
forthiswasthegreatestblasphemyRebeccahadasyetuttered；andinthosedays，inEngland，tosay，“LongliveBonaparte！”wasasmuchastosay，“LongliveLucifer！”
“Howcanyou——howdareyouhavesuchwicked，revengefulthoughts？”
“Revengemaybewicked，butit’snatural。”answeredMissRebecca。”I’mnoangel。”And，tosaythetruth，shecertainlywasnot。
ForitmayberemarkedinthecourseofthislittleconversationwhichtookplaceasthecoachrolledalonglazilybytheriversidethatthoughMissRebeccaSharphastwicehadoccasiontothankHeaven，ithasbeen，inthefirstplace，forriddingherofsomepersonwhomshehated，andsecondly，forenablinghertobringherenemiestosomesortofperplexityorconfusion；neitherofwhichareveryamiablemotivesforreligiousgratitude，orsuchaswouldbeputforwardbypersonsofakindandplacabledisposition。MissRebeccawasnot，then，intheleastkindorplacable。Alltheworldusedherill，saidthisyoungmisanthropist，andwemaybeprettycertainthatpersonswhomalltheworldtreatsill，deserveentirelythetreatmenttheyget。Theworldisalooking-
glass，andgivesbacktoeverymanthereflectionofhisownface。Frownatit，anditwillinturnlooksourlyuponyou；laughatitandwithit，anditisajollykindcompanion；andsoletallyoungpersonstaketheirchoice。
Thisiscertain，thatiftheworldneglectedMissSharp，sheneverwasknowntohavedoneagoodactioninbehalfofanybody；norcanitbeexpectedthattwenty-
fouryoungladiesshouldallbeasamiableastheheroineofthiswork，MissSedleywhomwehaveselectedfortheveryreasonthatshewasthebest-naturedofall，otherwisewhatonearthwastohavepreventedusfromputtingupMissSwartz，orMissCrump，orMissHopkins，asheroineinherplace！ itcouldnotbeexpectedthateveryoneshouldbeofthehumbleandgentletemperofMissAmeliaSedley；shouldtakeeveryopportunitytovanquishRebecca’shard-heartednessandill-humour；and，byathousandkindwordsandoffices，overcome，foronceatleast，herhostilitytoherkind。
MissSharp’sfatherwasanartist，andinthatqualityhadgivenlessonsofdrawingatMissPinkerton’sschool。
Hewasacleverman；apleasantcompanion；acarelessstudent；withagreatpropensityforrunningintodebt，andapartialityforthetavern。Whenhewasdrunk，heusedtobeathiswifeanddaughter；andthenextmorning，withaheadache，hewouldrailattheworldforitsneglectofhisgenius，andabuse，withagooddealofcleverness，andsometimeswithperfectreason，thefools，hisbrotherpainters。Asitwaswiththeutmostdifficultythathecouldkeephimself，andasheowedmoneyforamileroundSoho，wherehelived，hethoughttobetterhiscircumstancesbymarryingayoungwomanoftheFrenchnation，whowasbyprofessionanopera-girl。ThehumblecallingofherfemaleparentMissSharpneveralludedto，butusedtostatesubsequentlythattheEntrechatswereanoblefamilyofGascony，andtookgreatprideinherdescentfromthem。Andcuriousitisthatassheadvancedinlifethisyounglady’sancestorsincreasedinrankandsplendour。
Rebecca’smotherhadhadsomeeducationsomewhere，andherdaughterspokeFrenchwithpurityandaParisianaccent。Itwasinthosedaysratherarareaccomplishment，andledtoherengagementwiththeorthodoxMissPinkerton。Forhermotherbeingdead，herfather，findinghimselfnotlikelytorecover，afterhisthirdattackofdeliriumtremens，wroteamanlyandpatheticlettertoMissPinkerton，recommendingtheorphanchildtoherprotection，andsodescendedtothegrave，aftertwobailiffshadquarrelledoverhiscorpse。RebeccawasseventeenwhenshecametoChiswick，andwasboundoverasanarticledpupil；herdutiesbeingtotalkFrench，aswehaveseen；andherprivilegestolivecostfree，and，withafewguineasayear，togatherscrapsofknowledgefromtheprofessorswhoattendedtheschool。
Shewassmallandslightinperson；pale，sandy-haired，andwitheyeshabituallycastdown：whentheylookeduptheywereverylarge，odd，andattractive；soattractivethattheReverendMr。Crisp，freshfromOxford，andcuratetotheVicarofChiswick，theReverendMr。
Flowerdew，fellinlovewithMissSharp；beingshotdeadbyaglanceofhereyeswhichwasfiredallthewayacrossChiswickChurchfromtheschool-pewtothereading-
desk。ThisinfatuatedyoungmanusedsometimestotaketeawithMissPinkerton，towhomhehadbeenpresentedbyhismamma，andactuallyproposedsomethinglikemarriageinaninterceptednote，whichtheone-eyedapple-womanwaschargedtodeliver。Mrs。CrispwassummonedfromBuxton，andabruptlycarriedoffherdarlingboy；buttheidea，even，ofsuchaneagleintheChiswickdovecotcausedagreatflutterinthebreastofMissPinkerton，whowouldhavesentawayMissSharpbutthatshewasboundtoherunderaforfeit，andwhonevercouldthoroughlybelievetheyounglady’sprotestationsthatshehadneverexchangedasinglewordwithMr。
Crisp，exceptunderherowneyesonthetwooccasionswhenshehadmethimattea。
Bythesideofmanytallandbouncingyoungladiesintheestablishment，RebeccaSharplookedlikeachild。Butshehadthedismalprecocityofpoverty。Manyadunhadshetalkedto，andturnedawayfromherfather’sdoor；
manyatradesmanhadshecoaxedandwheedledintogood-humour，andintothegrantingofonemealmore。