it was that which made her part with
me; and so thank Heaven for French Vive la France! Vive l'Empereur! Vive
Bonaparte!«
    »O Rebecca, Rebecca, for shame!« cried Miss Sedley; for this was the
greatest blasphemy Rebecca had as yet uttered; and in those days, in England, to
say, »Long live Bonaparte!« was as much as to say, »Long live Lucifer!« »How can
you - how dare you have such wicked, revengeful thoughts?«
    »Revenge may be wicked, but it's natural,« answered Miss Rebecca. »I'm no
angel.« And, to say the truth, she certainly was not.
    For it may be remarked in the course of this little conversation (which took
place as the coach rolled along lazily by the riverside) that though Miss
Rebecca Sharp has twice had occasion to thank Heaven, it has been, in the first
place, for ridding her of some person whom she hated, and secondly, for enabling
her to bring her enemies to some sort of perplexity or confusion, neither of
which are very amiable motives for religious gratitude, or such as would be put
forward by persons of a kind and placable disposition. Miss Rebecca was not,
then, in the least kind or placable. All the world used her ill, said this young
misanthropist, and we may be pretty certain that persons whom all the world
treats ill deserve entirely the treatment they get. The world is a
looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown
at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it
is a jolly, kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice. This
is certain, that if the world neglected Miss Sharp, she never was known to have
done a good action in behalf of anybody; nor can it be expected that twenty-four
young ladies should all be as amiable as the heroine of this work, Miss Sedley
(whom we have selected for the very reason that she was the best-natured of all;
otherwise what on earth was to have prevented us from putting up Miss Swartz, or
Miss Crump, or Miss Hopkins, as heroine in her place?) - it could not be
expected that every one should be of the humble and gentle temper of Miss Amelia
Sedley; should take every opportunity to vanquish Rebecca's hard-heartedness and
ill--humour; and, by a thousand kind words and offices,