A black servant 7
, who reposed on the box beside the fat coachman 8
, uncurled his 7
bandy legs as soon as the equipage drew up opposite Miss Pinkerton 1
's shining brass plate , and as he 7
pulled the bell at least a score of young heads were seen peering out of the narrow windows of the stately old brick house 9
.
Nay , the acute observer 10
might have recognized the little red nose of good-natured Miss Jemima Pinkerton 13
herself 13
, rising over some geranium pots in the window of that lady 1
's own drawing-room
11 .
" It is Mrs. Sedley 12
's coach
5 , sister 1
, " said Miss Jemima 13
.
" Sambo 7
, the black servant 82
, has just rung the bell ; and the coachman 6
has a new red waistcoat . "
" Have you 13
completed all the necessary preparations incident to Miss Sedley 14
's departure , Miss Jemima 13
? "
asked Miss Pinkerton 1
herself 1
, that majestic lady 86
; the Semiramis of
Hammersmith 15
87 , the friend of
Doctor Johnson 16
88 , the correspondent of
Mrs. Chapone 17
herself 17
83 .
" The girls 18
were up at four this morning , packing her 14
trunks , sister 1
, " replied Miss Jemima 13
; " we 19
have made her 14
a bow-pot . "
" Say a bouquet , sister Jemima 13
, 't is more genteel . "
" Well , a booky as big almost as a haystack ; I 13
have put up two bottles of the gillyflower water for Mrs. Sedley 12
, and the receipt for making it , in Amelia 14
's box . "
" And I 1
trust , Miss Jemima 13
, you 13
have made a copy of Miss Sedley 14
's account .
This is it , is it ?
Very good -- ninety-three pounds , four shillings .
Be kind enough to address it to John Sedley , Esquire 20
, and to seal this billet which I 1
have written to . "
In Miss Jemima 13
's eyes an autograph letter of , Miss Pinkerton 1
, was an object of as deep veneration as would have been a letter from a sovereign .
Only when quitted the establishment , or when they 21
were about to be married , and once , when poor Miss Birch 22
died of the scarlet fever , was Miss Pinkerton 1
known to write personally to ; and it was Jemima 13
's opinion that if anything could console Mrs. Birch 24
for 's loss , it would be that pious and eloquent composition in which Miss Pinkerton 1
announced the event .
In the present instance Miss Pinkerton 1
's " billet " was to the following effect : -- The Mall 0
, Chiswick 80
, June 15 , 18 MADAM 12
, -- After her 14
six years ' residence at the Mall 0
, I 1
have the honour and happiness of presenting Miss Amelia Sedley 14
to , as a young lady not unworthy to occupy a fitting position in
their 25
polished and refined circle
89 .
Those virtues which characterize the young English gentlewoman 26
, those accomplishments which become her 26
birth and station , will not be found wanting in the amiable Miss Sedley 14
, whose INDUSTRY and OBEDIENCE have endeared her 14
to , and whose delightful sweetness of temper has charmed her 14
AGED and
her 14
YOUTHFUL companions
28 .
In music , in dancing , in orthography , in every variety of embroidery and needlework , she 14
will be found to have realized ' fondest wishes .
In geography there is still much to be desired ; and a careful and undeviating use of the backboard , for four hours daily during the next three years , is recommended as necessary to the acquirement of that dignified DEPORTMENT AND CARRIAGE , so requisite for every young lady of FASHION 30
.
In the principles of religion and morality , Miss Sedley 14
will be found worthy of an establishment which has been honoured by the presence of THE GREAT LEXICOGRAPHER 16
, and the patronage of the admirable Mrs. Chapone 17
.
In leaving the Mall 0
, Miss Amelia 14
carries with her 14
the hearts of , and the affectionate regards of , who has the honour to subscribe herself 1
, Madam 12
, Your 12
most obliged humble servant
1 , BARBARA PINKERTON 1
P.S. -- Miss Sharp 31
accompanies Miss Sedley 14
.
It is particularly requested that Miss Sharp 31
's stay in Russell Square 32
may not exceed ten days .
The family of distinction with whom
she 31
is engaged
33 , desire to avail themselves 33
of her 31
services as soon as possible .
This letter completed , Miss Pinkerton 1
proceeded to write her 1
own name , and Miss Sedley 14
's , in the fly-leaf of a Johnson 's Dictionary -- the interesting work which she 1
invariably presented to , on their 21
departure from the Mall 0
.
On the cover was inserted a copy of " Lines addressed to a young lady 34
on quitting Miss Pinkerton 1
's school
2 , at the Mall 0
; by the late revered Doctor Samuel Johnson 16
. "
In fact , the Lexicographer 16
's name was always on the lips of this majestic woman 1
, and a visit he 16
had paid to her 1
was the cause of her 1
reputation and her 1
fortune .
Being commanded by to get " the Dictionary " from the cupboard , Miss Jemima 13
had extracted two copies of the book from the receptacle in question .
When Miss Pinkerton 1
had finished the inscription in the first , Jemima 13
, with rather a dubious and timid air , handed her 1
the second .
" For whom is this , Miss Jemima 13
? "
said Miss Pinkerton 1
, with awful coldness .
" For Becky Sharp 31
, " answered Jemima 13
, trembling very much , and blushing over her 13
withered face and neck , as she 13
turned her 13
back on .
" For Becky Sharp 31
: she 31
's going too . "
" MISS JEMIMA 13
! "
exclaimed Miss Pinkerton 1
, in the largest capitals .
" Are you 13
in your 13
senses ?
Replace the Dixonary in the closet 35
, and never venture to take such a liberty in future . "
" Well , sister 1
, it 's only two-and-ninepence , and poor Becky 31
will be miserable if she 31
do n't get one . "
" Send Miss Sedley 14
instantly to me 1
, " said Miss Pinkerton 1
.
And so venturing not to say another word , poor Jemima 13
trotted off , exceedingly flurried and nervous .
Miss Sedley 14
's papa
20 was a merchant in London 36
, and a man of some wealth 20
; whereas Miss Sharp 31
was an articled pupil 90
, for whom Miss Pinkerton 1
had done , as she 1
thought , quite enough , without conferring upon her 31
at parting the high honour of the Dixonary .
Although schoolmistresses 37
' letters are to be trusted no more nor less than churchyard 38
epitaphs ; yet , as it sometimes happens that a person 39
departs this life who is really deserving of all the praises the stone cutter 40
carves over his 39
bones ; who IS a good Christian 41
, a good parent 42
, child 43
, wife 44
, or husband 45
; who actually DOES leave a disconsolate family 46
to mourn his 39
loss ; so in academies of the male and female sex 47
it occurs every now and then that the pupil 48
is fully worthy of the praises bestowed by the disinterested instructor 49
.
Now , Miss Amelia Sedley 14
was a young lady of this singular species 91
; and deserved not only all that Miss Pinkerton 1
said in her 14
praise , but had many charming qualities which that pompous old Minerva of
a woman 50
1 could not see , from the differences of rank and age between and herself 1
.
For she 14
could not only sing like a lark , or a Mrs. Billington 51
, and dance like Hillisberg 52
or Parisot 53
; and embroider beautifully ; and spell as well as a Dixonary itself ; but she 14
had such a kindly , smiling , tender , gentle , generous heart of her 14
own , as won the love of everybody who came near
her 14
54 , from Minerva 1
herself 1
down to the poor girl in
the scullery 56
55 , and the one-eyed tart-woman 57
's daughter
58 , who was permitted to vend her 58
wares once a week to the young ladies in
the Mall 0
21 .
She 14
had twelve intimate and bosom friends 59
out of the twenty-four young ladies 60
.
Even envious Miss Briggs 61
never spoke ill of her 14
; high and mighty Miss Saltire 62
( Lord Dexter 63
's granddaughter
92 ) allowed that her 14
figure was genteel ; and as for Miss Swartz 64
, the rich woolly-haired mulatto from
St. Kitt 65
84 's , on the day Amelia 14
went away , she 64
was in such a passion of tears that they 66
were obliged to send for Dr. Floss 67
, and half tipsify her 64
with salvolatile .
Miss Pinkerton 1
's attachment was , as may be supposed from the high position and eminent virtues of that lady 1
, calm and dignified ; but Miss Jemima 13
had already whimpered several times at the idea of Amelia 14
's departure ; and , but for fear of , would have gone off in downright hysterics , like the heiress ( who paid double ) of
St. Kitt 's 65
64 .
Such luxury of grief , however , is only allowed to parlour-boarders 68
.
Honest Jemima 13
had all the bills , and the washing , and the mending , and the puddings , and the plate and crockery , and the servants 69
to superintend .
But why speak about her 13
?
It is probable that we 70
shall not hear of her 13
again from this moment to the end of time , and that when the great filigree iron gates are once closed on her 13
, she 13
and will never issue therefrom into this little world of history .
But as we 71
are to see a great deal of Amelia 14
, there is no harm in saying , at the outset of our 72
acquaintance , that she 14
was a dear little creature 93
; and a great mercy it is , both in life and in novels , which ( and the latter especially ) abound in villains of the most sombre sort 73
, that we 74
are to have for a constant companion so guileless and good-natured a person 14
.
As she 14
is not a heroine 81
, there is no need to describe ; indeed I 75
am afraid that her 14
nose was rather short than otherwise , and her 14
cheeks a great deal too round and red for a heroine 76
; but her 14
face blushed with rosy health , and her 14
lips with the freshest of smiles , and she 14
had a pair of eyes which sparkled with the brightest and honestest good-humour , except indeed when they filled with tears , and that was a great deal too often ; for the silly thing would cry over a dead canary-bird ; or over a mouse , that the cat haply had seized upon ; or over the end of a novel , were it ever so stupid ; and as for saying an unkind word to her 14
, were any persons 77
hard-hearted enough to do so -- why , so much the worse for them 77
.
Even Miss Pinkerton 1
, that austere and godlike woman 85
, ceased scolding her 14
after the first time , and though she 1
no more comprehended sensibility than she 1
did Algebra , gave all masters 78
and teachers 79
particular orders to treat Miss Sedley 14
with the utmost gentleness , as harsh treatment was injurious to her 14
.