CaptainRawdongotanextensionofleaveonhisaunt’sillness，andremaineddutifullyathome。Hewasalwaysinherantechamber。Shelaysickinthestatebedroom，intowhichyouenteredbythelittlebluesaloon。Hisfatherwasalwaysmeetinghimthere；orifhecamedownthecorridoreversoquietly，hisfather’sdoorwassuretoopen，andthehyenafaceoftheoldgentlemantoglareout。Whatwasitsetonetowatchtheotherso？Agenerousrivalry，nodoubt，astowhichshouldbemostattentivetothedearsuffererinthestatebedroom。Rebeccausedtocomeoutandcomfortbothofthem；oroneortheotherofthemrather。Bothoftheseworthygentlemenweremostanxioustohavenewsoftheinvalidfromherlittleconfidentialmessenger。
Atdinner——towhichmealshedescendedforhalfanhour——shekeptthepeacebetweenthem：afterwhichshedisappearedforthenight；whenRawdonwouldrideovertothedepotofthe150thatMudbury，leavinghispapatothesocietyofMr。Horrocksandhisrumandwater。
ShepassedaswearyafortnightasevermortalspentinMissCrawley’ssick-room；butherlittlenervesseemedtobeofiron，asshewasquiteunshakenbythedutyandthetediumofthesick-chamber。
Shenevertolduntillongafterwardshowpainfulthatdutywas；howpeevishapatientwasthejovialoldlady；
howangry；howsleepless；inwhathorrorsofdeath；
duringwhatlongnightsshelaymoaning，andinalmostdeliriousagoniesrespectingthatfutureworldwhichshequiteignoredwhenshewasingoodhealth——Picturetoyourself，ohfairyoungreader，aworldly，selfish，graceless，thankless，religionlessoldwoman，writhinginpainandfear，andwithoutherwig。Picturehertoyourself，andereyoubeold，learntoloveandpray！
Sharpwatchedthisgracelessbedsidewithindomitablepatience。Nothingescapedher；and，likeaprudentsteward，shefoundauseforeverything。ShetoldmanyagoodstoryaboutMissCrawley’sillnessinafterdays——
storieswhichmadetheladyblushthroughherartificialcarnations。Duringtheillnessshewasneveroutoftemper；alwaysalert；shesleptlight，havingaperfectlyclearconscience；andcouldtakethatrefreshmentatalmostanyminute’swarning。Andsoyousawveryfewtracesoffatigueinherappearance。Herfacemightbeatriflepaler，andthecirclesroundhereyesalittleblackerthanusual；butwhenevershecameoutfromthesick-roomshewasalwayssmiling，fresh，andneat，andlookedastriminherlittledressing-gownandcap，asinhersmartesteveningsuit。
TheCaptainthoughtso，andravedaboutherinuncouthconvulsions。Thebarbedshaftoflovehadpenetratedhisdullhide。Sixweeks——appropinquity——
opportunity——hadvictimisedhimcompletely。HemadeaconfidanteofhisauntattheRectory，ofallpersonsintheworld。Sheralliedhimaboutit；shehadperceivedhisfolly；shewarnedhim；shefinishedbyowningthatlittleSharpwasthemostclever，droll，odd，good-natured，simple，kindlycreatureinEngland。Rawdonmustnottriflewithheraffections，though——dearMissCrawleywouldneverpardonhimforthat；forshe，too，wasquiteovercomebythelittlegoverness，andlovedSharplikeadaughter。Rawdonmustgoaway——gobacktohisregimentandnaughtyLondon，andnotplaywithapoorartlessgirl’sfeelings。
Manyandmanyatimethisgood-naturedlady，compassionatingtheforlornlife-guardsman’scondition，gavehimanopportunityofseeingMissSharpattheRectory，andofwalkinghomewithher，aswehaveseen。Whenmenofacertainsort，ladies，areinlove，thoughtheyseethehookandthestring，andthewholeapparatuswithwhichtheyaretobetaken，theygorgethebaitnevertheless——theymustcometoit——theymustswallowit——andarepresentlystruckandlandedgasping。RawdonsawtherewasamanifestintentiononMrs。Bute’sparttocaptivatehimwithRebecca。Hewasnotverywise；
buthewasamanabouttown，andhadseenseveralseasons。Alightdawneduponhisduskysoul，ashethought，throughaspeechofMrs。Bute’s。
“Markmywords，Rawdon。”shesaid。”YouwillhaveMissSharponedayforyourrelation。”
“Whatrelation——mycousin，hey，Mrs。Bute？Jamessweetonher，hey？”inquiredthewaggishofficer。
“Morethanthat。”Mrs。Butesaid，withaflashfromherblackeyes。
“NotPitt？Hesha’n’thaveher。Thesneaka’n’tworthyofher。He’sbookedtoLadyJaneSheepshanks。”
“Youmenperceivenothing。Yousilly，blindcreature——ifanythinghappenstoLadyCrawley，MissSharpwillbeyourmother-in-law；andthat’swhatwillhappen。”
RawdonCrawley，Esquire，gaveventtoaprodigiouswhistle，intokenofastonishmentatthisannouncement。
Hecouldn’tdenyit。Hisfather’sevidentlikingforMissSharphadnotescapedhim。Heknewtheoldgentleman’scharacterwell；andamoreunscrupulousold——whyou——
hedidnotconcludethesentence，butwalkedhome，curlinghismustachios，andconvincedhehadfoundacluetoMrs。Bute’smystery。
“ByJove，it’stoobad。”thoughtRawdon，“toobad，byJove！Idobelievethewomanwantsthepoorgirltoberuined，inorderthatsheshouldn’tcomeintothefamilyasLadyCrawley。”
WhenhesawRebeccaalone，heralliedherabouthisfather’sattachmentinhisgracefulway。Sheflungupherheadscornfully，lookedhimfullintheface，andsaid。”Well，supposeheisfondofme。Iknowheis，andotherstoo。Youdon’tthinkIamafraidofhim，CaptainCrawley？Youdon’tsupposeIcan’tdefendmyownhonour。”saidthelittlewoman，lookingasstatelyasaqueen。
“Oh，ah，why——giveyoufairwarning——lookout，youknow——that’sall。”saidthemustachio-twiddler。
“Youhintatsomethingnothonourable，then？”saidshe，flashingout。
“OGad——really——MissRebecca。”theheavydragooninterposed。
“DoyousupposeIhavenofeelingofself-respect，becauseIampoorandfriendless，andbecauserichpeoplehavenone？Doyouthink，becauseIamagoverness，I
havenotasmuchsense，andfeeling，andgoodbreedingasyougentlefolksinHampshire？I’maMontmorency。
DoyousupposeaMontmorencyisnotasgoodasaCrawley？”
WhenMissSharpwasagitated，andalludedtohermaternalrelatives，shespokewitheversoslightaforeignaccent，whichgaveagreatcharmtoherclearringingvoice。”No。”shecontinued，kindlingasshespoketotheCaptain；“Icanendurepoverty，butnotshame——
neglect，butnotinsult；andinsultfrom——fromyou。”
Herfeelingsgaveway，andsheburstintotears。
“Hangit，MissSharp——Rebecca——byJove——uponmysoul，Iwouldn’tforathousandpounds。Stop，Rebecca！”
Shewasgone。ShedroveoutwithMissCrawleythatday。Itwasbeforethelatter’sillness。Atdinnershewasunusuallybrilliantandlively；butshewouldtakenonoticeofthehints，orthenods，ortheclumsyexpostulationsofthehumiliated，infatuatedguardsman。Skirmishesofthissortpassedperpetuallyduringthelittlecampaign——tedioustorelate，andsimilarinresult。TheCrawleyheavycavalrywasmaddenedbydefeat，androutedeveryday。
IftheBaronetofQueen’sCrawleyhadnothadthefearoflosinghissister’slegacybeforehiseyes，heneverwouldhavepermittedhisdeargirlstolosetheeducationalblessingswhichtheirinvaluablegovernesswasconferringuponthem。Theoldhouseathomeseemedadesertwithouther，sousefulandpleasanthadRebeccamadeherselfthere。SirPitt’sletterswerenotcopiedandcorrected；hisbooksnotmadeup；hishouseholdbusinessandmanifoldschemesneglected，nowthathislittlesecretarywasaway。Anditwaseasytoseehownecessarysuchanamanuensiswastohim，bythetenorandspellingofthenumerousletterswhichhesenttoher，entreatingherandcommandinghertoreturn。AlmosteverydaybroughtafrankfromtheBaronet，enclosingthemosturgentprayerstoBeckyforherreturn，orconveyingpatheticstatementstoMissCrawley，regardingtheneglectedstateofhisdaughters’education；ofwhichdocumentsMissCrawleytookverylittleheed。
MissBriggswasnotformallydismissed，butherplaceascompanionwasasinecureandaderision；andhercompanywasthefatspanielinthedrawing-room，oroccasionallythediscontentedFirkininthehousekeeper’scloset。NorthoughtheoldladywouldbynomeanshearofRebecca’sdeparture，wasthelatterregularlyinstalledinofficeinParkLane。Likemanywealthypeople，itwasMissCrawley’shabittoacceptasmuchserviceasshecouldgetfromherinferiors；andgood-naturedlytotakeleaveofthemwhenshenolongerfoundthemuseful。Gratitudeamongcertainrichfolksisscarcelynaturalortobethoughtof。Theytakeneedypeople’sservicesastheirdue。Norhaveyou，Opoorparasiteandhumblehanger-on，muchreasontocomplain！YourfriendshipforDivesisaboutassincereasthereturnwhichitusuallygets。Itismoneyyoulove，andnottheman；andwereCroesusandhisfootmantochangeplacesyouknow，youpoorrogue，whowouldhavethebenefitofyourallegiance。
AndIamnotsurethat，inspiteofRebecca’ssimplicityandactivity，andgentlenessanduntiringgoodhumour，theshrewdoldLondonlady，uponwhomthesetreasuresoffriendshipwerelavished，hadnotalurkingsuspicionallthewhileofheraffectionatenurseandfriend。
ItmusthaveoftencrossedMissCrawley’smindthatnobodydoesanythingfornothing。Ifshemeasuredherownfeelingtowardstheworld，shemusthavebeenprettywellabletogaugethoseoftheworldtowardsherself；
andperhapsshereflectedthatitistheordinarylotofpeopletohavenofriendsiftheythemselvescarefornobody。
Well，meanwhileBeckywasthegreatestcomfortandconveniencetoher，andshegaveheracoupleofnewgowns，andanoldnecklaceandshawl，andshowedherfriendshipbyabusingallherintimateacquaintancestohernewconfidantethanwhichtherecan’tbeamoretouchingproofofregard，andmeditatedvaguelysomegreatfuturebenefit——tomarryherperhapstoClump，theapothecary，ortosettleherinsomeadvantageouswayoflife；oratanyrate，tosendherbacktoQueen’sCrawleywhenshehaddonewithher，andthefullLondonseasonhadbegun。
WhenMissCrawleywasconvalescentanddescendedtothedrawing-room，Beckysangtoher，andotherwiseamusedher；whenshewaswellenoughtodriveout，Beckyaccompaniedher。Andamongstthedriveswhichtheytook，whither，ofallplacesintheworld，didMissCrawley’sadmirablegood-natureandfriendshipactuallyinducehertopenetrate，buttoRussellSquare，Bloomsbury，andthehouseofJohnSedley，Esquire。
Erethatevent，manynoteshadpassed，asmaybeimagined，betweenthetwodearfriends。DuringthemonthsofRebecca’sstayinHampshire，theeternalfriendshiphadmustitbeowned？sufferedconsiderablediminution，andgrownsodecrepitandfeeblewitholdageastothreatendemisealtogether。Thefactis，bothgirlshadtheirownrealaffairstothinkof：Rebeccaheradvancewithheremployers——Ameliaherownabsorbingtopic。Whenthetwogirlsmet，andflewintoeachother’sarmswiththatimpetuositywhichdistinguishesthebehaviourofyoungladiestowardseachother，Rebeccaperformedherpartoftheembracewiththemostperfectbrisknessandenergy。PoorlittleAmeliablushedasshekissedherfriend，andthoughtshehadbeenguiltyofsomethingverylikecoldnesstowardsher。
Theirfirstinterviewwasbutaveryshortone。Ameliawasjustreadytogooutforawalk。MissCrawleywaswaitinginhercarriagebelow，herpeoplewonderingatthelocalityinwhichtheyfoundthemselves，andgazinguponhonestSambo，theblackfootmanofBloomsbury，asoneofthequeernativesoftheplace。ButwhenAmeliacamedownwithherkindsmilinglooksRebeccamustintroducehertoherfriend，MissCrawleywaslongingtoseeher，andwastooilltoleavehercarriage——when，Isay，Ameliacamedown，theParkLaneshoulder-knotaristocracywonderedmoreandmorethatsuchathingcouldcomeoutofBloomsbury；andMissCrawleywasfairlycaptivatedbythesweetblushingfaceoftheyoungladywhocameforwardsotimidlyandsogracefullytopayherrespectstotheprotectorofherfriend。
“Whatacomplexion，mydear！Whatasweetvoice！”
MissCrawleysaid，astheydroveawaywestwardafterthelittleinterview。”MydearSharp，youryoungfriendischarming。SendforhertoParkLane，doyouhear？”
MissCrawleyhadagoodtaste。Shelikednaturalmanners——alittletimidityonlysetthemoff。Shelikedprettyfacesnearher；asshelikedprettypicturesandnicechina。ShetalkedofAmeliawithrapturehalfadozentimesthatday。ShementionedhertoRawdonCrawley，whocamedutifullytopartakeofhisaunt’schicken。
Ofcourse，onthisRebeccainstantlystatedthatAmeliawasengagedtobemarried——toaLieutenantOsborne——
averyoldflame。
“Isheamaninaline-regiment？”CaptainCrawleyasked，rememberingafteraneffort，asbecameaguardsman，thenumberoftheregiment，the——th。
Rebeccathoughtthatwastheregiment。”TheCaptain’sname。”shesaid，“wasCaptainDobbin。”