“Alankygawkyfellow。”saidCrawley，“tumblesovereverybody。Iknowhim；andOsborne’sagoodish-lookingfellow，withlargeblackwhiskers？”
“Enormous。”MissRebeccaSharpsaid，“andenormouslyproudofthem，Iassureyou。”
CaptainRawdonCrawleyburstintoahorse-laughbywayofreply；andbeingpressedbytheladiestoexplain，didsowhentheexplosionofhilaritywasover。”Hefancieshecanplayatbilliards。”saidhe。”IwontwohundredofhimattheCocoa-Tree。HEplay，theyoungflat！He’dhaveplayedforanythingthatday，buthisfriendCaptainDobbincarriedhimoff，hanghim！”
“Rawdon，Rawdon，don’tbesowicked。”MissCrawleyremarked，highlypleased。
“Why，ma’am，ofalltheyoungfellowsI’veseenoutoftheline，Ithinkthisfellow’sthegreenest。TarquinandDeuceacegetwhatmoneytheylikeoutofhim。He’dgotothedeucetobeseenwithalord。HepaystheirdinnersatGreenwich，andtheyinvitethecompany。”
“Andveryprettycompanytoo，Idaresay。”
“Quiteright，MissSharp。Right，asusual，MissSharp。
Uncommonprettycompany——haw，haw！”andtheCaptainlaughedmoreandmore，thinkinghehadmadeagoodjoke。
“Rawdon，don’tbenaughty！”hisauntexclaimed。
“Well，hisfather’saCityman——immenselyrich，theysay。HangthoseCityfellows，theymustbleed；andI’venotdonewithhimyet，Icantellyou。Haw，haw！”
“Fie，CaptainCrawley；IshallwarnAmelia。A
gamblinghusband！”
“Horrid，ain’the，hey？”theCaptainsaidwithgreatsolemnity；andthenadded，asuddenthoughthavingstruckhim：“Gad，Isay，ma’am，we’llhavehimhere。”
“Isheapresentablesortofaperson？”theauntinquired。
“Presentable？——oh，verywell。Youwouldn’tseeanydifference。”CaptainCrawleyanswered。”Dolet’shavehim，whenyoubegintoseeafewpeople；andhiswhatdyecallem——hisinamorato——eh，MissSharp；that’swhatyoucallit——comes。Gad，I’llwritehimanote，andhavehim；andI’lltryifhecanplaypiquetaswellasbilliards。
Wheredoeshelive，MissSharp？”
MissSharptoldCrawleytheLieutenant’stownaddress；
andafewdaysafterthisconversation，LieutenantOsbornereceivedaletter，inCaptainRawdon’sschoolboyhand，andenclosinganoteofinvitationfromMissCrawley。
RebeccadespatchedalsoaninvitationtoherdarlingAmelia，who，youmaybesure，wasreadyenoughtoacceptitwhensheheardthatGeorgewastobeoftheparty。ItwasarrangedthatAmeliawastospendthemorningwiththeladiesofParkLane，whereallwereverykindtoher。Rebeccapatronisedherwithcalmsuperiority：shewassomuchtheclevererofthetwo，andherfriendsogentleandunassuming，thatshealwaysyieldedwhenanybodychosetocommand，andsotookRebecca’sorderswithperfectmeeknessandgoodhumour。
MissCrawley’sgraciousnesswasalsoremarkable。ShecontinuedherrapturesaboutlittleAmelia，talkedaboutherbeforeherfaceasifshewereadoll，oraservant，orapicture，andadmiredherwiththemostbenevolentwonderpossible。Iadmirethatadmirationwhichthegenteelworldsometimesextendstothecommonalty。
ThereisnomoreagreeableobjectinlifethantoseeMayfairfolkscondescending。MissCrawley’sprodigiousbenevolenceratherfatiguedpoorlittleAmelia，andIamnotsurethatofthethreeladiesinParkLaneshedidnotfindhonestMissBriggsthemostagreeable。ShesympathisedwithBriggsaswithallneglectedorgentlepeople：shewasn’twhatyoucallawomanofspirit。
Georgecametodinner——arepastengarconwithCaptainCrawley。
ThegreatfamilycoachoftheOsbornestransportedhimtoParkLanefromRussellSquare；wheretheyoungladies，whowerenotthemselvesinvited，andprofessedthegreatestindifferenceatthatslight，neverthelesslookedatSirPittCrawley’snameinthebaronetage；andlearnedeverythingwhichthatworkhadtoteachabouttheCrawleyfamilyandtheirpedigree，andtheBinkies，theirrelatives，&c。，&c。RawdonCrawleyreceivedGeorgeOsbornewithgreatfranknessandgraciousness：praisedhisplayatbilliards：askedhimwhenhewouldhavehisrevenge：
wasinterestedaboutOsborne’sregiment：andwouldhaveproposedpiquettohimthatveryevening，butMissCrawleyabsolutelyforbadeanygamblinginherhouse；
sothattheyoungLieutenant’spursewasnotlightenedbyhisgallantpatron，forthatdayatleast。However，theymadeanengagementforthenext，somewhere：tolookatahorsethatCrawleyhadtosell，andtotryhiminthePark；andtodinetogether，andtopasstheeveningwithsomejollyfellows。”Thatis，ifyou’renotondutytothatprettyMissSedley。”Crawleysaid，withaknowingwink。
“Monstrousnicegirl，’ponmyhonour，though，Osborne。”
hewasgoodenoughtoadd。”Lotsoftin，Isuppose，eh？”
Osbornewasn’tonduty；hewouldjoinCrawleywithpleasure：andthelatter，whentheymetthenextday，praisedhisnewfriend’shorsemanship——ashemightwithperfecthonesty——andintroducedhimtothreeorfouryoungmenofthefirstfashion，whoseacquaintanceimmenselyelatedthesimpleyoungofficer。
“How’slittleMissSharp，by-the-bye？”Osborneinquiredofhisfriendovertheirwine，withadandifiedair。
“Good-naturedlittlegirlthat。DoesshesuityouwellatQueen’sCrawley？MissSedleylikedheragooddeallastyear。”
CaptainCrawleylookedsavagelyattheLieutenantoutofhislittleblueeyes，andwatchedhimwhenhewentuptoresumehisacquaintancewiththefairgoverness。HerconductmusthaverelievedCrawleyiftherewasanyjealousyinthebosomofthatlife-guardsman。
Whentheyoungmenwentupstairs，andafterOsborne’sintroductiontoMissCrawley，hewalkeduptoRebeccawithapatronising，easyswagger。Hewasgoingtobekindtoherandprotecther。Hewouldevenshakehandswithher，asafriendofAmelia’s；andsaying，“Ah，MissSharp！how-dy-doo？”heldouthislefthandtowardsher，expectingthatshewouldbequiteconfoundedatthehonour。
MissSharpputoutherrightforefinger，andgavehimalittlenod，socoolandkilling，thatRawdonCrawley，watchingtheoperationsfromtheotherroom，couldhardlyrestrainhislaughterashesawtheLieutenant’sentirediscomfiture；thestarthegave，thepause，andtheperfectclumsinesswithwhichheatlengthcondescendedtotakethefingerwhichwasofferedforhisembrace。
“She’dbeatthedevil，byJove！”theCaptainsaid，inarapture；andtheLieutenant，bywayofbeginningtheconversation，agreeablyaskedRebeccahowshelikedhernewplace。
“Myplace？”saidMissSharp，coolly，“howkindofyoutoremindmeofit！It’satolerablygoodplace：thewagesareprettygood——notsogoodasMissWirt’s，Ibelieve，withyoursistersinRussellSquare。Howarethoseyoungladies？——notthatIoughttoask。”
“Whynot？”Mr。Osbornesaid，amazed。
“Why，theynevercondescendedtospeaktome，ortoaskmeintotheirhouse，whilstIwasstayingwithAmelia；
butwepoorgovernesses，youknow，areusedtoslightsofthissort。”
“MydearMissSharp！”Osborneejaculated。
“Atleastinsomefamilies。”Rebeccacontinued。”Youcan’tthinkwhatadifferencethereisthough。WearenotsowealthyinHampshireasyouluckyfolksoftheCity。
ButthenIaminagentleman’sfamily——goodoldEnglishstock。IsupposeyouknowSirPitt’sfatherrefusedapeerage。AndyouseehowIamtreated。Iamprettycomfortable。Indeeditisratheragoodplace。Buthowverygoodofyoutoinquire！”
Osbornewasquitesavage。ThelittlegovernesspatronisedhimandpersiffledhimuntilthisyoungBritishLionfeltquiteuneasy；norcouldhemustersufficientpresenceofmindtofindapretextforbackingoutofthismostdelectableconversation。
“IthoughtyoulikedtheCityfamiliesprettywell。”hesaid，haughtily。
“Lastyearyoumean，whenIwasfreshfromthathorridvulgarschool？OfcourseIdid。Doesn’teverygirlliketocomehomefortheholidays？AndhowwasItoknowanybetter？Butoh，Mr。Osborne，whatadifferenceeighteenmonths’experiencemakes！eighteenmonthsspent，pardonmeforsayingso，withgentlemen。AsfordearAmelia，she，Igrantyou，isapearl，andwouldbecharminganywhere。Therenow，Iseeyouarebeginningtobeinagoodhumour；butohthesequeeroddCitypeople！
AndMr。Jos——howisthatwonderfulMr。Joseph？”
“Itseemstomeyoudidn’tdislikethatwonderfulMr。
Josephlastyear。”Osbornesaidkindly。
“Howsevereofyou！Well，entrenous，Ididn’tbreakmyheartabouthim；yetifhehadaskedmetodowhatyoumeanbyyourlooksandveryexpressiveandkindtheyare，too，Iwouldn’thavesaidno。”
Mr。Osbornegavealookasmuchastosay，“Indeed，howveryobliging！”
“Whatanhonourtohavehadyouforabrother-in-law，youarethinking？Tobesister-in-lawtoGeorgeOsborne，Esquire，sonofJohnOsborne，Esquire，sonof——
whatwasyourgrandpapa，Mr。Osborne？Well，don’tbeangry。Youcan’thelpyourpedigree，andIquiteagreewithyouthatIwouldhavemarriedMr。JoeSedley；forcouldapoorpennilessgirldobetter？Nowyouknowthewholesecret。I’mfrankandopen；consideringallthings，itwasverykindofyoutoalludetothecircumstance——verykindandpolite。Ameliadear，Mr。
OsborneandIweretalkingaboutyourpoorbrotherJoseph。
Howishe？”
ThuswasGeorgeutterlyrouted。NotthatRebeccawasintheright；butshehadmanagedmostsuccessfullytoputhiminthewrong。Andhenowshamefullyfled，feeling，ifhestayedanotherminute，thathewouldhavebeenmadetolookfoolishinthepresenceofAmelia。
ThoughRebeccahadhadthebetterofhim，Georgewasabovethemeannessoftalebearingorrevengeuponalady——onlyhecouldnothelpcleverlyconfidingtoCaptainCrawley，nextday，somenotionsofhisregardingMissRebecca——thatshewasasharpone，adangerousone，adesperateflirt，&c。；inallofwhichopinionsCrawleyagreedlaughingly，andwitheveryoneofwhichMissRebeccawasmadeacquaintedbeforetwenty-fourhourswereover。TheyaddedtoheroriginalregardforMr。
Osborne。Herwoman’sinstincthadtoldherthatitwasGeorgewhohadinterruptedthesuccessofherfirstlove-passage，andsheesteemedhimaccordingly。
“Ionlyjustwarnyou。”hesaidtoRawdonCrawley，withaknowinglook——hehadboughtthehorse，andlostsomescoreofguineasafterdinner，“Ijustwarnyou——I
knowwomen，andcounselyoutobeonthelook-out。”
“Thankyou，myboy。”saidCrawley，withalookofpeculiargratitude。”You’rewideawake，Isee。”AndGeorgewentoff，thinkingCrawleywasquiteright。
HetoldAmeliaofwhathehaddone，andhowhehadcounselledRawdonCrawley——adevilishgood，straightforwardfellow——tobeonhisguardagainstthatlittlesly，schemingRebecca。
“Againstwhom？”Ameliacried。
“Yourfriendthegoverness——Don’tlooksoastonished。”
“OGeorge，whathaveyoudone？”Ameliasaid。Forherwoman’seyes，whichLovehadmadesharp-sighted，hadinoneinstantdiscoveredasecretwhichwasinvisibletoMissCrawley，topoorvirginBriggs，andaboveall，tothestupidpeepersofthatyoungwhiskeredprig，LieutenantOsborne。
ForasRebeccawasshawlingherinanupperapartment，wherethesetwofriendshadanopportunityforalittleofthatsecrettalkingandconspiringwhichformthedelightoffemalelife，Amelia，cominguptoRebecca，andtakinghertwolittlehandsinhers，said，“Rebecca，Iseeitall。”
Rebeccakissedher。
Andregardingthisdelightfulsecret，notonesyllablemorewassaidbyeitheroftheyoungwomen。Butitwasdestinedtocomeoutbeforelong。
Someshortperiodaftertheaboveevents，andMissRebeccaSharpstillremainingatherpatroness’shouseinParkLane，onemorehatchmentmighthavebeenseeninGreatGauntStreet，figuringamongstthemanywhichusuallyornamentthatdismalquarter。ItwasoverSirPittCrawley’shouse；butitdidnotindicatetheworthybaronet’sdemise。Itwasafemininehatchment，andindeedafewyearsbackhadservedasafuneralcomplimenttoSirPitt’soldmother，thelatedowagerLadyCrawley。
Itsperiodofserviceover，thehatchmenthadcomedownfromthefrontofthehouse，andlivedinretirementsomewhereinthebackpremisesofSirPitt’smansion。