has　ten　thousand　pounds　and　an　establishment　secure；
  poor　Rebecca　（and　my　figure　is　far　better　than　hers）
  has　only　herself　and　her　own　wits　to　trust　to。　　Well；　let
  us　see　if　my　wits　cannot　provide　me　with　an　honourable
  maintenance；　and　if　some　day　or　the　other　I　cannot　show
  Miss　Amelia　my　real　superiority　over　her。　　Not　that　I
  dislike　poor　Amelia：　who　can　dislike　such　a　harmless；
  good…natured　creature？only　it　will　be　a　fine　day　when
  I　can　take　my　place　above　her　in　the　world；　as　why；
  indeed；　should　I　not？〃　　Thus　it　was　that　our　little
  romantic　friend　formed　visions　of　the　future　for　herself
  nor　must　we　be　scandalised　that；　in　all　her　castles　in
  the　air；　a　husband　was　the　principal　inhabitant。　　Of
  what　else　have　young　ladies　to　think；　but　husbands？　Of
  what　else　do　their　dear　mammas　think？　　〃I　must　be　my
  own　mamma；〃　said　Rebecca；　not　without　a　tingling
  consciousness　of　defeat；　as　she　thought　over　her　little
  misadventure　with　Jos　Sedley。
  So　she　wisely　determined　to　render　her　position　with
  the　Queen's　Crawley　family　comfortable　and　secure；　and
  to　this　end　resolved　to　make　friends　of　every　one　around
  her　who　could　at　all　interfere　with　her　comfort。
  As　my　Lady　Crawley　was　not　one　of　these　personages；
  and　a　woman；　moreover；　so　indolent　and　void　of
  character　as　not　to　be　of　the　least　consequence　in　her　own
  house；　Rebecca　soon　found　that　it　was　not　at　all　necessary
  to　cultivate　her　good　willindeed；　impossible　to　gain　it。　　She
  used　to　talk　to　her　pupils　about　their　〃poor　mamma〃；　and；
  though　she　treated　that　lady　with　every　demonstration
  of　cool　respect；　it　was　to　the　rest　of　the　family　that　she
  wisely　directed　the　chief　part　of　her　attentions。
  With　the　young　people；　whose　applause　she　thoroughly
  gained；　her　method　was　pretty　simple。　　She　did　not
  pester　their　young　brains　with　too　much　learning；　but；
  on　the　contrary；　let　them　have　their　own　way　in
  regard　to　educating　themselves；　for　what　instruction　is　more
  effectual　than　self…instruction？　The　eldest　was　rather　fond
  of　books；　and　as　there　was　in　the　old　library　at　Queen's
  Crawley　a　considerable　provision　of　works　of　light
  literature　of　the　last　century；　both　in　the　French　and　English
  languages　（they　had　been　purchased　by　the　Secretary
  of　the　Tape　and　Sealing　Wax　Office　at　the　period　of　his
  disgrace）；　and　as　nobody　ever　troubled　the　book…shelves
  but　herself；　Rebecca　was　enabled　agreeably；　and；　as
  it　were；　in　playing；　to　impart　a　great　deal　of　instruction
  to　Miss　Rose　Crawley。
  She　and　Miss　Rose　thus　read　together　many　delightful
  French　and　English　works；　among　which　may　be
  mentioned　those　of　the　learned　Dr。　Smollett；　of　the　ingenious
  Mr。　Henry　Fielding；　of　the　graceful　and　fantastic
  Monsieur　Crebillon　the　younger；　whom　our　immortal　poet
  Gray　so　much　admired；　and　of　the　universal　Monsieur　de
  Voltaire。　　Once；　when　Mr。　Crawley　asked　what　the　young
  people　were　reading；　the　governess　replied　〃Smollett。〃
  〃Oh；　Smollett；〃　said　Mr。　Crawley；　quite　satisfied。　　〃His
  history　is　more　dull；　but　by　no　means　so　dangerous　as
  that　of　Mr。　Hume。　　It　is　history　you　are　reading？〃　〃Yes；〃
  said　Miss　Rose；　without；　however；　adding　that　it　was　the
  history　of　Mr。　Humphrey　Clinker。　　On　another　occasion
  he　was　rather　scandalised　at　finding　his　sister　with　a
  book　of　French　plays；　but　as　the　governess　remarked
  that　it　was　for　the　purpose　of　acquiring　the　French　idiom
  in　conversation；　he　was　fain　to　be　content。　　Mr。　Crawley；
  as　a　diplomatist；　was　exceedingly　proud　of　his　own　skill
  in　speaking　the　French　language　（for　he　was　of　the　world
  still）；　and　not　a　little　pleased　with　the　compliments　which
  the　governess　continually　paid　him　upon　his　proficiency。
  Miss　Violet's　tastes　were；　on　the　contrary；　more　rude
  and　boisterous　than　those　of　her　sister。　　She　knew　the
  sequestered　spots　where　the　hens　laid　their　eggs。　　She
  could　climb　a　tree　to　rob　the　nests　of　the　feathered
  songsters　of　their　speckled　spoils。　　And　her　pleasure　was　to
  ride　the　young　colts；　and　to　scour　the　plains　like　Camilla。
  She　was　the　favourite　of　her　father　and　of　the　stablemen。
  She　was　the　darling；　and　withal　the　terror　of　the
  cook；　for　she　discovered　the　haunts　of　the　jam…pots；　and
  would　attack　them　when　they　were　within　her　reach。
  She　and　her　sister　were　engaged　in　constant　battles。　　Any
  of　which　peccadilloes；　if　Miss　Sharp　discovered；　she　did
  not　tell　them　to　Lady　Crawley；　who　would　have　told
  them　to　the　father；　or　worse；　to　Mr。　Crawley；　but
  promised　not　to　tell　if　Miss　Violet　would　be　a　good　girl
  and　love　her　governess。
  With　Mr。　Crawley　Miss　Sharp　was　respectful　and
  obedient。　　She　used　to　consult　him　on　passages　of　French
  which　she　could　not　understand；　though　her　mother　was
  a　Frenchwoman；　and　which　he　would　construe　to　her
  satisfaction：　and；　besides　giving　her　his　aid　in　profane
  literature；　he　was　kind　enough　to　select　for　her　books
  of　a　more　serious　tendency；　and　address　to　her　much　of
  his　conversation。　　She　admired；　beyond　measure；　his
  speech　at　the　Quashimaboo…Aid　Society；　took　an
  interest　in　his　pamphlet　on　malt：　was　often　affected；　even
  to　tears；　by　his　discourses　of　an　evening；　and　would
  say〃Oh；　thank　you；　sir；〃　with　a　sigh；　and　a　look　up
  to　heaven；　that　made　him　occasionally　condescend　to
  shake　hands　with　her。　　〃Blood　is　everything；　after　all；〃
  would　that　aristocratic　religionist　say。　　〃How　Miss　Sharp
  is　awakened　by　my　words；　when　not　one　of　the　people
  here　is　touched。　　I　am　too　fine　for　themtoo　delicate。
  I　must　familiarise　my　stylebut　she　understands　it。　　Her
  mother　was　a　Montmorency。〃
  Indeed　it　was　from　this　famous　family；　as　it　appears；
  that　Miss　Sharp；　by　the　mother's　side；　was　descended。
  Of　course　she　did　not　say　that　her　mother　had　been　on
  the　stage；　it　would　have　shocked　Mr。　Crawley's　religious
  scruples。　　How　many　noble　emigres　had　this　horrid
  revolution　plunged　in　poverty！　　She　had　several　stories
  about　her　ancestors　ere　she　had　been　many　months　in
  the　house；　some　of　which　Mr。　Crawley　happened　to　find
  in　D'Hozier's　dictionary；　which　was　in　the　library；　and
  which　strengthened　his　belief　in　their　truth；　and　in　the
  high…breeding　of　Rebecca。　　Are　we　to　suppose　from　this
  curiosity　and　prying　into　dictionaries；　could　our　heroine
  suppose　that　Mr。　Crawley　was　interested　in　her？no；
  only　in　a　friendly　way。　　Have　we　not　stated　that　he　was
  attached　to　Lady　Jane　Sheepshanks？
  He　took　Rebecca　to　task　once　or　twice　about　the
  propriety　of　playing　at　backgammon　with　Sir　Pitt；　saying
  that　it　was　a　godless　amusement；　and　that　she　would　be
  much　better　engaged　in　reading　〃Thrump's　Legacy；〃　or
  〃The　Blind　Washerwoman　of　Moorfields；〃　or　any　work
  of　a　more　serious　nature；　but　Miss　Sharp　said　her　dear
  mother　used　often　to　play　the　same　game　with　the　old
  Count　de　Trictrac　and　the　venerable　Abbe　du　Cornet；
  and　so　found　an　excuse　for　this　and　other　worldly
  amusements。
  But　it　was　not　only　by　playing　at　backgammon　with
  the　Baronet；　that　the　little　governess　rendered　herself
  agreeable　to　her　employer。　　She　found　many　different
  ways　of　being　useful　to　him。　　She　read　over；　with
  indefatigable　patience；　all　those　law　papers；　with　which；
  before　she　came　to　Queen's　Crawley；　he　had　promised
  to　entertain　her。　　She　volunteered　to　copy　many　of　his
  letters；　and　adroitly　altered　the　spelling　of　them　so　as
  to　suit　the　usages　of　the　present　day。　　She　became
  interested　in　everything　appertaining　to　the　estate；　to　the
  farm；　the　park；　the　garden；　and　the　stables；　and　so　delightful
  a　companion　was　she；　that　the　Baronet　would　seldom
  take　his　after…breakfast　walk　without　her　（and　the
  children　of　course）；　when　she　would　give　her　advice　as　to
  the　trees　which　were　to　be　lopped　in　the　shrubberies；　the
  garden…beds　to　be　dug；　the　crops　which　were　to　be　cut；
  the　horses　which　were　to　go　to　cart　or　plough。　　Before
  she　had　been　a　year　at　Queen's　Crawley　she　had　quite
  won　the　Baronet's　confidence；　and　the　conversation　at　the
  dinner…table；　which　before　used　to　be　held　between　him
  and　Mr。　Horrocks　the　butler；　was　now　almost　exclusively
  between　Sir　Pitt　and　Miss　Sharp。　　She　was　almost
  mistress　of　the　house　when　Mr。　Crawley　was　absent；　but
  conducted　herself　in　her　new　and　exalted　situation　with
  such　circumspection　and　modesty　as　not　to　offend　the
  authorities　of　the　kitchen　and　stable；　among　whom　her
  behaviour　was　always　exceedingly　modest　and　affable。　　She
  was　quite　a　different　person　from　the　haughty；　shy；
  dissatisfied　little　girl　whom　we　have　known　previously；　and
  this　change　of　temper　proved　great　prudence；　a　sincere
  desire　of　amendment；　or　at　any　rate　great　moral　courage
  on　her　part。　　Whether　it　was　the　heart　which　dictated　this
  new　system　of　complaisance　and　humility　adopted　by　our
  Rebecca；　is　to　be　proved　by　her　after…history。　　A　system
  of　hypocrisy；　which　lasts　through　whole　years；　is　one
  seldom　satisfactorily　practised　by　a　person　of　one…and…
  twenty；　however；　our　readers　will　recollect；　that；　though
  young　in　years；　our　heroine　was　old　in　life　and　experience；
  and　we　have　written　to　no　purpose　if　they　have　not
  discovered　that　she　was　a　very　clever　woman。
  The　elder　and　younger　son　of　the　house　of　Crawley
  were；　like　the　gentleman　and　lady　in　the　weather…box；
  never　at　home　togetherthey　hated　each　other　cordially：
  indeed；　Rawdon　Crawley；　the　drag