Vanity Fair

Chiswick Mall While the present century was in its teens, and on one sunshiny morning in June, there drove up to the great iron gate of Miss Pinkerton's academy for young ladies, ...

In Which Miss Sharp and Miss Sedley Prepare to Open the Campaign When Miss Sharp had performed the heroical act mentioned in the last chapter, and had seen the Dixonary, flying ov...

Rebecca Is in Presence of the Enemy A VERY stout, puffy man, in buckskins and Hessian boots, with several immense neckcloths that rose almost to his nose, with a red striped waist...

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 wa...

Dobbin of Ours Cuff's fight with Dobbin, and the unexpected issue of that contest, will long be remembered by every man who was educated at Dr. Swishtail's famous school. The lat...

Vauxhall I know that the tune I am piping is a very mild one (although there are some terrific chapters coming presently), and must beg the good-natured reader to remember that we...

Crawley of Queen's Crawley Among the most respected of the names beginning in C which the Court-Guide contained, in the year 18--, was that of Crawley, Sir Pitt, Baronet, Great Ga...

Private and Confidential Miss Rebecca Sharp to Miss Amelia Sedley, Russell Square, London. (Free.--Pitt Crawley.) MY DEAREST, SWEETEST AMELIA, With what mingled joy and sorrow d...

Family Portraits Sir Pitt Crawley was a philosopher with a taste for what is called low life. His first marriage with the daughter of the noble Binkie had been made under the aus...

Miss Sharp Begins to Make Friends And now, being received as a member of the amiable family whose portraits we have sketched in the foregoing pages, it became naturally Rebecca's ...

Arcadian Simplicity Besides these honest folks at the Hall (whose simplicity and sweet rural purity surely show the advantage of a country life over a town one), we must introduce...

Quite a Sentimental Chapter We must now take leave of Arcadia, and those amiable people practising the rural virtues there, and travel back to London, to inquire what has become o...

Sentimental and Otherwise I fear the gentleman to whom Miss Amelia's letters were addressed was rather an obdurate critic. Such a number of notes followed Lieutenant Osborne abou...

Miss Crawley at Home About this time there drove up to an exceedingly snug and well-appointed house in Park Lane, a travelling chariot with a lozenge on the panels, a discontented...

In Which Rebecca's Husband Appears for a Short Time Every reader of a sentimental turn (and we desire no other) must have been pleased with the tableau with which the last act of ...

The Letter on the Pincushion How they were married is not of the slightest consequence to anybody. What is to hinder a Captain who is a major, and a young lady who is of age, from...

How Captain Dobbin Bought a Piano If there is any exhibition in all Vanity Fair which Satire and Sentiment can visit arm in arm together; where you light on the strangest contrast...

Who Played on the Piano Captain Dobbin Bought Our surprised story now finds itself for a moment among very famous events and personages, and hanging on to the skirts of history. W...

Miss Crawley at Nurse We have seen how Mrs. Firkin, the lady's maid, as soon as any event of importance to the Crawley family came to her knowledge, felt bound to communicate it t...

In Which Captain Dobbin Acts as the Messenger of Hymen Without knowing how, Captain William Dobbin found himself the great promoter, arranger, and manager of the match between Geo...

A Quarrel About an Heiress Love may be felt for any young lady endowed with such qualities as Miss Swartz possessed; and a great dream of ambition entered into old Mr. Osborne's s...

A Marriage and Part of a Honeymoon Enemies the most obstinate and courageous can't hold out against starvation; so the elder Osborne felt himself pretty easy about his adversary i...

Captain Dobbin Proceeds on His Canvass What is the secret mesmerism which friendship possesses, and under the operation of which a person ordinarily sluggish, or cold, or timid, b...

In Which Mr. Osborne Takes Down the Family Bible So having prepared the sisters, Dobbin hastened away to the City to perform the rest and more difficult part of the task which he ...

In Which All the Principal Personages Think Fit to Leave Brighton Conducted to the ladies, at the Ship Inn, Dobbin assumed a jovial and rattling manner, which proved that this you...

Between London and Chatham On quitting Brighton, our friend George, as became a person of rank and fashion travelling in a barouche with four horses, drove in state to a fine hote...

In Which Amelia Joins Her Regiment When Jos's fine carriage drove up to the inn door at Chatham, the first face which Amelia recognized was the friendly countenance of Captain Dob...

In Which Amelia Invades the Low Countries The regiment with its officers was to be transported in ships provided by His Majesty's government for the occasion: and in two days aft...

Brussels Mr. Jos had hired a pair of horses for his open carriage, with which cattle, and the smart London vehicle, he made a very tolerable figure in the drives about Brussels. G...

"The Girl I Left Behind Me" We do not claim to rank among the military novelists. Our place is with the non-combatants. When the decks are cleared for action we go below and wait...

In Which Jos Sedley Takes Care of His Sister Thus all the superior officers being summoned on duty elsewhere, Jos Sedley was left in command of the little colony at Brussels, with...

for the stout civilian. But Emmy had always been good and attentive to him. It was she who ministered to his comforts, who superintended the dishes that he liked, who walked or r...

In Which Jos Takes Flight, and the War Is Brought to a Close We of peaceful London City have never beheld--and please God never shall witness--such a scene of hurry and alarm, as ...

In Which Miss Crawley's Relations Are Very Anxious About Her The kind reader must please to remember--while the army is marching from Flanders, and, after its heroic actions there...

James Crawley's Pipe Is Put Out The amiable behaviour of Mr. Crawley, and Lady Jane's kind reception of her, highly flattered Miss Briggs, who was enabled to speak a good word for...

Widow and Mother The news of the great fights of Quatre Bras and Waterloo reached England at the same time. The Gazette first published the result of the two battles; at which gl...

How to Live Well on Nothing a Year I suppose there is no man in this Vanity Fair of ours so little observant as not to think sometimes about the worldly affairs of his acquaintanc...

The Subject Continued In the first place, and as a matter of the greatest necessity, we are bound to describe how a house may be got for nothing a year. These mansions are to be h...

A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some fr...

A Cynical Chapter Our duty now takes us back for a brief space to some old Hampshire acquaintances of ours, whose hopes respecting the disposal of their rich kinswoman's property ...

In Which Becky Is Recognized by the Family The heir of Crawley arrived at home, in due time, after this catastrophe, and henceforth may be said to have reigned in Queen's Crawley....

In Which Becky Revisits the Halls of Her Ancestors So the mourning being ready, and Sir Pitt Crawley warned of their arrival, Colonel Crawley and his wife took a couple of places ...

senses--the very easiest to be deadened when wakened, and in some never wakened at all. We grieve at being found out and at the idea of shame or punishment, but the mere sense of ...

Which Treats of the Osborne Family Considerable time has elapsed since we have seen our respectable friend, old Mr. Osborne of Russell Square. He has not been the happiest of mor...

In Which the Reader Has to Double the Cape The astonished reader must be called upon to transport himself ten thousand miles to the military station of Bundlegunge, in the Madras ...

A Round-about Chapter between London and Hampshire Our old friends the Crawleys' family house, in Great Gaunt Street, still bore over its front the hatchment which had been placed...

Between Hampshire and London Sir Pitt Crawley had done more than repair fences and restore dilapidated lodges on the Queen's Crawley estate. Like a wise man he had set to work to ...

Struggles and Trials Our friends at Brompton were meanwhile passing their Christmas after their fashion and in a manner by no means too cheerful. Out of the hundred pounds a year...

Gaunt House All the world knows that Lord Steyne's town palace stands in Gaunt Square, out of which Great Gaunt Street leads, whither we first conducted Rebecca, in the time of th...

In Which the Reader Is Introduced to the Very Best of Company At last Becky's kindness and attention to the chief of her husband's family were destined to meet with an exceeding g...

In Which We Enjoy Three Courses and a Dessert When the ladies of Gaunt House were at breakfast that morning, Lord Steyne (who took his chocolate in private and seldom disturbed th...

Contains a Vulgar Incident The Muse, whoever she be, who presides over this Comic History must now descend from the genteel heights in which she has been soaring and have the good...

In Which a Charade Is Acted Which May or May Not Puzzle the Reader After Becky's appearance at my Lord Steyne's private and select parties, the claims of that estimable woman as r...

In Which Lord Steyne Shows Himself in a Most Amiable Light When Lord Steyne was benevolently disposed, he did nothing by halves, and his kindness towards the Crawley family did th...

A Rescue and a Catastrophe Friend Rawdon drove on then to Mr. Moss's mansion in Cursitor Street, and was duly inducted into that dismal place of hospitality. Morning was breaking ...

Sunday After the Battle The mansion of Sir Pitt Crawley, in Great Gaunt Street, was just beginning to dress itself for the day, as Rawdon, in his evening costume, which he had now...

In Which the Same Subject is Pursued Becky did not rally from the state of stupor and confusion in which the events of the previous night had plunged her intrepid spirit until the...

Georgy is Made a Gentleman Georgy Osborne was now fairly established in his grandfather's mansion in Russell Square, occupant of his father's room in the house and heir apparent o...

Eothen It was one of the many causes for personal pride with which old Osborne chose to recreate himself that Sedley, his ancient rival, enemy, and benefactor, was in his last day...

Our Friend the Major Our Major had rendered himself so popular on board the Ramchunder that when he and Mr. Sedley descended into the welcome shore-boat which was to take them fro...

The Old Piano The Major's visit left old John Sedley in a great state of agitation and excitement. His daughter could not induce him to settle down to his customary occupations o...

Returns to the Genteel World Good fortune now begins to smile upon Amelia. We are glad to get her out of that low sphere in which she has been creeping hitherto and introduce her...

In Which Two Lights are Put Out There came a day when the round of decorous pleasures and solemn gaieties in which Mr. Jos Sedley's family indulged was interrupted by an event whi...

Am Rhein The above everyday events had occurred, and a few weeks had passed, when on one fine morning, Parliament being over, the summer advanced, and all the good company in Lond...

In Which We Meet an Old Acquaintance Such polite behaviour as that of Lord Tapeworm did not fail to have the most favourable effect upon Mr. Sedley's mind, and the very next morni...

A Vagabond Chapter We must pass over a part of Mrs. Rebecca Crawley's biography with that lightness and delicacy which the world demands--the moral world, that has, perhaps, no pa...

Full of Business and Pleasure The day after the meeting at the play-table, Jos had himself arrayed with unusual care and splendour, and without thinking it necessary to say a word...

Amantium Irae Frankness and kindness like Amelia's were likely to touch even such a hardened little reprobate as Becky. She returned Emmy's caresses and kind speeches with someth...

Which Contains Births, Marriages, and Deaths 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 s...