“There goes Joseph,” said Amelia, who
was looking from the open windows of the drawing-room,
while Rebecca was singing at the piano.
“Miss Sharp has frightened him away,”
said Mrs. Sedley. “Poor Joe, why will
he be so shy?”
The Green Silk Purse
Poor Joe’s panic lasted for two or three days;
during which he did not visit the house, nor during
that period did Miss Rebecca ever mention his name.
She was all respectful gratitude to Mrs. Sedley;
delighted beyond measure at the Bazaars; and in a whirl
of wonder at the theatre, whither the good-natured
lady took her. One day, Amelia had a headache,
and could not go upon some party of pleasure to which
the two young people were invited: nothing could
induce her friend to go without her. “What!
you who have shown the poor orphan what happiness
and love are for the first time in her life—quit
you? Never!” and the green eyes looked
up to Heaven and filled with tears; and Mrs. Sedley
could not but own that her daughter’s friend
had a charming kind heart of her own.
As for Mr. Sedley’s jokes, Rebecca laughed at
them with a cordiality and perseverance which not
a little pleased and softened that good-natured gentleman.
Nor was it with the chiefs of the family alone that
Miss Sharp found favour. She interested Mrs.
Blenkinsop by evincing the deepest sympathy in the
raspberry-jam preserving, which operation was then
going on in the Housekeeper’s room; she persisted
in calling Sambo “Sir,” and “Mr.
Sambo,” to the delight of that attendant; and
she apologised to the lady’s maid for giving
her trouble in venturing to ring the bell, with such
sweetness and humility, that the Servants’ Hall
was almost as charmed with her as the Drawing Room.
Once, in looking over some drawings which Amelia had
sent from school, Rebecca suddenly came upon one which
caused her to burst into tears and leave the room.
It was on the day when Joe Sedley made his second
appearance.
Amelia hastened after her friend to know the cause
of this display of feeling, and the good-natured girl
came back without her companion, rather affected too.
“You know, her father was our drawing-master,
Mamma, at Chiswick, and used to do all the best parts
of our drawings.”
“My love! I’m sure I always heard
Miss Pinkerton say that he did not touch them—he
only mounted them.” “It was called
mounting, Mamma. Rebecca remembers the drawing,
and her father working at it, and the thought of it
came upon her rather suddenly—and so, you
know, she—”
“The poor child is all heart,” said Mrs.
Sedley.
“I wish she could stay with us another week,”
said Amelia.
“She’s devilish like Miss Cutler that
I used to meet at Dumdum, only fairer. She’s
married now to Lance, the Artillery Surgeon.
Do you know, Ma’am, that once Quintin, of the
14th, bet me—”
