Whatever Becky's private plan might be by which Dobbin's true love was

to be crowned with success, the little woman thought that the secret

might keep, and indeed, being by no means so much interested about

anybody's welfare as about her own, she had a great number of things

pertaining to herself to consider, and which concerned her a great deal

more than Major Dobbin's happiness in this life.

She found herself suddenly and unexpectedly in snug comfortable

quarters, surrounded by friends, kindness, and good-natured simple

people such as she had not met with for many a long day; and, wanderer

as she was by force and inclination, there were moments when rest was

pleasant to her. As the most hardened Arab that ever careered across

the desert over the hump of a dromedary likes to repose sometimes under

the date-trees by the water, or to come into the cities, walk into the

bazaars, refresh himself in the baths, and say his prayers in the

mosques, before he goes out again marauding, so Jos's tents and pilau

were pleasant to this little Ishmaelite. She picketed her steed, hung

up her weapons, and warmed herself comfortably by his fire. The halt

in that roving, restless life was inexpressibly soothing and pleasant

to her.

So, pleased herself, she tried with all her might to please everybody;

and we know that she was eminent and successful as a practitioner in

the art of giving pleasure. As for Jos, even in that little interview

in the garret at the Elephant Inn, she had found means to win back a

great deal of his good-will. In the course of a week, the civilian was

her sworn slave and frantic admirer. He didn't go to sleep after

dinner, as his custom was in the much less lively society of Amelia.

He drove out with Becky in his open carriage. He asked little parties

and invented festivities to do her honour.

Tapeworm, the Charge d'Affaires, who had abused her so cruelly, came to

dine with Jos, and then came every day to pay his respects to Becky.

Poor Emmy, who was never very talkative, and more glum and silent than

ever after Dobbin's departure, was quite forgotten when this superior

genius made her appearance. The French Minister was as much charmed

with her as his English rival. The German ladies, never particularly

squeamish as regards morals, especially in English people, were

delighted with the cleverness and wit of Mrs. Osborne's charming

friend, and though she did not ask to go to Court, yet the most august

and Transparent Personages there heard of her fascinations and were

quite curious to know her. When it became known that she was noble, of

an ancient English family, that her husband was a Colonel of the Guard,

Excellenz and Governor of an island, only separated from his lady by

one of those trifling differences which are of little account in a

country where Werther is still read and the Wahlverwandtschaften of

Goethe is considered an edifying moral book, nobody thought of refusing

to receive her in the very highest society of the little Duchy; and the

ladies were even more ready to call her du and to swear eternal

friendship for her than they had been to bestow the same inestimable

benefits upon Amelia. Love and Liberty are interpreted by those simple

Germans in a way which honest folks in Yorkshire and Somersetshire

little understand, and a lady might, in some philosophic and civilized

towns, be divorced ever so many times from her respective husbands and

keep her character in society. Jos's house never was so pleasant since

he had a house of his own as Rebecca caused it to be. She sang, she

played, she laughed, she talked in two or three languages, she brought

everybody to the house, and she made Jos believe that it was his own

great social talents and wit which gathered the society of the place

round about him.



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