RAINING William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity FairWilliam Makepeace Thackera: Vanity Fair Retold by James Butler Activities by Kenneth BrodeyEditors: Emma Berridge, Rebecea Raynes Design and art direction: Nadia Maestei Computer graphics: Maura Santini Ilustrations: Andrzej Gosik Picture research: Laura Lagomarsino Picture credits: p. 5, National Portrait Gallery, London / . 82, The Royal Collection © 2004 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Il / p. 139, Mary Evans Picture Library. ©2004 Black Cat Publishing, an imprint of Cideb Eaitrice, Genoa, Canterbury First edition: May 2004 Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders of ‘material in this book. Any rights not acknowledged here will be acknowledged in subsequent printings if notice is given to the publisher. All rights reserved. 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We would be happy to receive your comments and suggestions, and give you any other information concerning our material www:blackcat-cideb.com ee oe. ‘Wiens ISBN 978-88-7754.933-4 Book + CD Printed in Italy by Litoprint, Genoa Contents ‘William Makepeace Thackeray Characters Chepter ONE A Departure and a Romantic Adventure Chapter TWO The Crawley Family Chapter THREE Young Lovers Chapter FOUR A Family Bankruptcy Chapter FIVE ‘A Wedding and a Disinheritance Chapter SIX Preparations for War Chapter'SEVEN ‘The Battle of Waterloo ‘Thackeray and Waterloo Chapter EIGHT Miss Crawley Chapter NINE Life on Nothing a YearChapter TEN Misleading Letters 101 Chapter ELEVEN Amelia Makes a Sacrifice 110 Chapter TWELVE Imprisonment and Violence 19 (Chapter THIRTEEN Final Destinies 128 17, 26, 38, 48, 58, 70, 78, 91, 98, 106, 115, 124, 134 INTERNET PROJECT 197 Accritic’s assessment of Vanity Fair 138 aE 142 KEY TO THE EXIT TEST 144 FEE First Certificate in English Examination-style exercises Trenoe® Trinity-style exercises (Grade 8) This story is recorded in full. 1) ge These symbols indicate the beginning and erd ofthe en extracts linked to the listening activities. William Makepeace ‘Thackeray (¢. 1864) hy Semel Lasrence | William Makepeace Thackeray Wililliam Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta, India, in 1811. His father was a collector for the East India Company's service. His father died when he was three, and the young boy was sent to England in 1817 to de educated. His school years were not happy ‘ones. He then attended Cambridge University, but left in 1830 “without obtaining a degree. ‘The young Thackeray then travelled throughout Europe, before ‘returning to London with the idea of becoming a barrister. He was tor : someone who collected taxos from the lecal posulation. barrister: lawyer who precente caeee in court.soon attracted to journalism, however, and purchased a magazine, the National Standard, in 1833. The magazine ceased publication after about a year, and Thackeray was now jn serious financial difficulty, ‘having spent most of his family inheritance. “Thackeray now went to France, living there from 1834 to 1837. He worked as a correspondent for The Constitutional. He married Isabella Shawe in 1836. ‘The couple returned to London in 1837, where their first child was bom. Unfortunately, Isabella suffered from poor mental health. She had a serious and permanent breakdown in 1840 and spent the rest of her life in a private home. 1 It was during the late 1830s that Thackeray established himself in literary circles in England. He contributed to Fraser's Magazine, The ‘Morning Chronicle, The New Monthly Magazine, and The Times. In the early 1840s Thackeray began a long association with the humorous magazine Punch. The Book of Snobs and Mr Punch’s Prize ‘Novelists both made their first appearances in Punch, Thackeray also began writing novels and in 1844 Barry Lyndon was serialised in Froser’s Magazine. Vanity Fair was published in twenty monthly instalments in 1847-8. ‘Thackeray's novels were enormously popular with contemporary, reeders, and he competed for sales with Charles Dickens. ‘Thackeray died on Christmas Eve, 1863. Vanity Fair isa satire on the emptiness of worldly ambition. The title itself was suggested by John Bunyan’s book, The Pilgrim's Progress (1684). In this novel the devil organises a fair in the town of Vanity. 1. private home : establishment for the mentally disturbed. Pilgrims who are on their way to the Eternal City have to travel through the town, and many of titem are led astray ! by the temptations on offer there. Although Thackeray's Vanity Fair is set in pre-Victorian times, the novel satirises the materialism and social snobbishness of his own period. @ answer the questions below. Where was Thackeray born? Where was he educated? What profession did Thackeray choose instead of the law? |. What kind of health problems did Thackeray's wifehave? ‘What kind of magazine is Punch? How was Vanity Fair published? What was the original meaning of ‘vanity fair’? PR AS ae ee does the story of Vanity Fair take place? ted astray : abandon thelr serious purpose,Vanity Fair ‘Amelia Sedl | adhe ‘Rawdon Crawley: (prom : & gg we | a Characters Amelia's friend at Miss Pinkerton's Academy, sheis the daughter of a poor English artist and a French dancer. The clever and unscrupulous protagcnist of this novel without a hero. Rebecca Sharp's kind-hearted friend at the Academy. She will later become George Osborne's wife, ley (Emmy): ‘the younger son of Sir Pitt ‘Crawley by his first wife. His only interest in life is having aa goud lime, the son of Mr Osborne, a vain young officer who likes being with important people. the devoted friend of George Osborne and Amela Sedley. Aconsistently good character. the older brother of Amelia. He is a vain, fat man who has Just returned from India, John Sedley, Es Mrs Sedley: Sir Pitt Crawley: Rose Crawley: Pitt Crawley: Rev. Bute Crawley: Mrs Bute Crawley: Miss Crawley: Miss Briggs: Mr Osborne: Countess Southdown: Lady Jane Sheepshanks: Major O'Dowd: Peggy O'Dowd: George Osborne, Jr. (Georgy): Rawdon Crawley, Jr. (Rawdy): Lord Steyne: she directs an Academy for Young Ladies. Miss Pinkerton's obedient sister. a wealthy businessman and the father of Amelia ‘Amelia's mother. a disreputable old nobleman. Sir Pitt's second wife. the elder son of Sir Pitt by his first wife. Aserious, religious man, the younger brother of Sir Pitt Crawley, a country vicar who is very much interested in money. his wife, half-sister to Sir Pitt Crawley, a rich old woman who is treated well by her family because they want her money when she dies. Miss Crawley’s maid. arich businessman, a determined and strong woman, afterwards Mrs Pitt Crawley, the younger daughter of Countess Southdown. the commander of Osborne's regiment at ‘Waterloo. his kind wife. the son of Amelia and George Osborne. the son of Rawdon Crawley and Becky sharp. a wealthy old man in love with Rebecca.Chapter ONE A Departure and a Romantic Adventure t was the last day of term at Miss Pinkerton’s academy. Miss Pinkerton was giving final instructions to her sister, Miss Jemima. ‘Is everything ready for Miss Sedley?’ she asked grandly. ‘She will take the dictionary with her, of course.’ Miss Pinkerton’s academy was one of the finest schools for young ladies. The academy had been visited by the great Dr Samuel Johnson. ? He had also mentioned it in a poem. Miss Pinkerton could never resist mentioning the great man's name, and she gave her pupils a copy of his dictionary when they left 1. grandly : pompously, self importantly 2, Br Samuel Johnson : famous 18th-century figure, most famous for his dletionary of the English language 10 A Departure and a Romantic Adventure ‘the school. oa ‘What about Becky Sharp?’ Miss Jemima now asked. ‘Shall 1 give her a copy of the dictionary, too?” ‘becky Sharp!’ Miss Pinkerton exclaimed angrily. ‘We won't ‘waste the dictionary on her. Becky Sharp was an orphan. Her mother, a Frenchwoman, had died some years previously. She had taught Becky French. Her father had been the school’s art teacher. He was a talented man, but very fond of wild! company and drinking. He had begged Miss Pinkerton to take on Becky as an ‘articled pupil’? at ‘the school before he died. Becky Sharp was a good-looking, intelligent girl. She was small and slender, and she had sandy hair. Miss Pinkerton had realised how useful she could be because she knew French and could play music. Becky Sharp despised * Miss Pinkerton and the moral atmosphere of the academy. ‘The relationship between Miss Pinkerton and Becky Sharp grew worse and worse. Both of them were glad when the gitl obtained a post as governess to Sir Pitt Crawley. Amelia Sedley was the daughter of a rich London stockbroker. § She was a pretty girl, and she had healthy red cheeks and a warm smile, Everyone loved her because she was patient and kind, Amelia had asked Becky to stay at her family’s, house for a week when they left school. wild : (here) badly-behaved, articled pupil: pupil who works at the school instead of paying fees. slender : attractively thin, despised : had a very low opinion of. Jker s person who buye and salle atocks and chars For people, 4 eevanity Fair Soon the two girls had said goodbye to the headmistress, and they went out to the carriage. Just as the carriage began to move, Miss Jemima ran up to the window. ‘stop!’ she cried out excitedly. She pushed two parcels through the window. ‘some sandwiches, my dears,’ she told the two girls. ‘And a book for you, Becky,’ she went on. ‘Johnson's Dictionary, you know. You can't leave without that.’ ‘The good woman went back into the garden. She had defied * her sister for once, but she was sure she had done the right thing. ‘The carriage drove off. Miss Jemima was horrified to see Becky Sharp lean out of the window and throw the precious dictionary back into the garden. Mr and Mrs Sedley were delighted to have their daughter back home, and they gave a kind welcome to her friend Becky as well. ‘Amelia's older brother, Jos, was also at home. He had recently returned on leave? from India, where he had an important and lucrative post in the East India Company's Civil Service, Jos Sedley had lived a very isolated life in India, and he was terribly shy of women. He was also extremely vain, and dressed in the latest fashion. This made him look rather ridiculous, as he was very overweight. It did not take long for Becky Sharp to understand Jos, and a certain idea began to take shape in her mind. She hated the prospect of working as a governess. A. defied : disobeyed. 2. on eave :on holiday. A Departure and a Romantic Adventure ‘That night at dinner Becky Sharp paid particular attention to Jos. He was flattered by the looks she gave him, and blushed frequently. Mrs Sedley had had a curry prepared for her son, and Becky was offered some. “| must try some,’ she said. ‘'m sure it's very good if it comes from India.” Old Mr Sedley smiled quietly. He understood her sudden enthusiasm for India and curry. ‘Is it good?’ he asked her softly. ‘Excellent!’ Becky gasped.? “try a chilli with it,’ Jos suggested. ‘a chilli?” Becky said faintly. The word ‘chil ? sounded so cool that she took a whole one. It was hotter than the curry. In a ‘moment she was red in the face — she could hardly breathe. ¢ ‘Water!’ she cried. ‘Water, for heaven’s sake!” Mr Sedley laughed aloud. Even Jos laughed. Becky was furious, but she took the joke in good spirits, Mr Sedley took his son aside after dinner, and gave him a little advice. “That girl’s determined to marry you,’ he said. ‘Nonsense!’ Jos replied, but he was very flattered, Josibegan to think about Becky more and more. Soon he was convinced that he was in love with her. His behaviour towards her became stranger and stranger as he struggled against § his flattered : pleased. ‘asped:: said with a short quick breath (because the curry is very hot) chilli: small red or green seed pod which has a very het spiey taste. hardly breathe : only breathe with difficulty. struggled against : fought. 13vanity Fair shyness. Becky thought he was in love. Perhaps he might ask her to marry him. The future looked bright for her. There were two other frequent visitors to the Sediey household! during Becky Sharp's stay there. They were two young army officers, William Dobbin and George Osborne. One evening all the young people decided to go to Vauxhall Gardens? together. Amelia was very excited because she was in love with George Osborne. He was a good-looking young man, and he was Mr Sedley’s godson. * William Dobbin and George had been to the same school, and they were close friends. Dobbin was not as good-looking as his friend — he was tall and very shy. George and Amelia had known each other since they were children. Their families expected them to marry. Becky was sure that Jos wanted to ask her to marry him. She walked by his side, giving him every encouragement she could. Jos himself was sure that he wanted to ask her to marry him, but he did not know how to approach the issue. * ‘At last the party decided to eat something at the restaurant in the Vauxhall Gardens. Jos ordered a magnificent meal and the best champagne. He ate and drank more than anyone else. Then he ordered a bowl of punch. § It was the custom at Vauxhall to drink punch. It was the punch that was responsible for the whole of this 41. household : (hers) family. 2. Vauxhall Gardens : resort in London, notorious for the bad behaviour lof some of the people who went there. 3. gon person whom somebody takes responsibility for ata Baptism, 4, approach the issue : begin talking about it. 5. punch :fruit-flayoured aleoholie drink. 44Vanity Fair story. If Jos Sedley had not ordered it, and then drunk most of it, he would have proposed to Becky Sharp, and that would have been the end of the story. As it was, the more he drank, the more cheerful he became. He began to sing, and this made people laugh. George Osborne was embarrassed. ‘think we should leave,’ he told the girls. They stood up to go. ‘stop, my dearest diddle-diddle-darling!’! Jos cried out to Becky. He seized hold of? her waist. Becky cculd not free herself, and Jos held on to her tightly and resumed tis song, Dobbin succeeded in freeing the unfortunate Becky. He took Jos back to his lodgings, and George Osborne took the girls back home. Becky and Amelia were sure that the mement had come for: Jos to propose to Becky, after his behaviour the night before! Jos, meanwhile, woke with a terrible headache. He did not remember everything that had happened the night before, but he was terribly ashamed of himself, He did not have the courage to see Becky again. He wrote a note to Amelia saying that he was leaving London, and asking her to apologise to Recky for his, behaviour. It was the end of Becky's hopes of marriage. She knew now ‘that she had to take up the post of governess with Sir Pitt ‘Crawley and his family. 1 diddle-didate darting: J0s's words have no literal meaning. they show ‘that he is extremely happy because he has drunk ts0 much alcohol. 2. seized hold of : took hold of with force 3B. resumed : began again. Go back to the text @ say whether the following statements are‘ (true) oF # (false), then ‘Correct th fale ves ‘a. Dr Johnson had taught at Miss Pinkerton's academy. Becky was going to be a governess in Amelia Sedley's house. ° ooO- 1 Everyone loved Becky. |. Amelia's brother wes fat, timid and stylish. j00 0000 Oo Becky wanted to marry Jos for his money. Jos drank excessively at Vauxhall Gardens because he needed courage to ask Becky to marry him, ae ae oOo o g. Jos did not ask Becky to marry him because he had to return to India, “If Jos Sedley had not ordered it, and then drunk most of it, he would have proposed to Becky Sharp’ ‘The third conditional ‘The third conditional tells about things that did not happen in the past. For example: Jos did drink most of the punch, and so he did not propose to Becky Sharp. But: If he had not drunk most of the punch, he would have proposed to Becky Sharp. ‘The form of the third conditional is: f+ Past Perfect, would have + past participle. 7© Form third conditional sentences that make sense within the context of the story with the elements in columns A and B. You must decide which elements form the if-clause and whether the verbs should be negative or affirmative. Example: If Joe had been thin he wouldi't have looked ¢0 ridiculous. A 1 beertemetinnceoe 2. Becky/marry Jos 3. Jos/leave London 4, Becky/try to marry Jos 5. Becky/eat a whole chilli pepper 6. Becky/speak perfect French 7, Jos/be relaxed with women 8. Jemima/obey her sister 9. Becky/become/governess, 10. Amelia/invite Becky to stay et her farnily's house: B a. she/give Becky a copy of Johnson's dictionary b. Vanity Fair/end after just one chapter €. Jos/drink most of the punch 4. sherbe rich fe. Amelia/be kind and patient £. he/be embarrassed by his bad behaviour at Vauxhall Gardens ge lre/propose Lo Becky Sharp h. Miss Pinkerton/refused her as an articled student josbethie js she/think the word sounded hot 18 | CE @ For questions 1-16, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of the lines to form a word that fits in the space in the Same line. There isan example atthe beginning (0). | ‘The great work of a famous drudge! ee authors, like Addison, Swift and Shakespeare. I: also helped fix the spelling and meaning of words in English. It should be remembered that from the 1500s to the 1700s the English language changed | quite (14) and there was no standard RAPID spelling or grammar. Words were written in many different ways, often on the same page. Starting with Jonson, English finally had an (15) sw AUTHORITY | and widely (16) dictionary. All Erglish | RESPECT | dictionaries since then owe a great debt to the work | | of ‘Dictionary Johnson’. See Samuel Johnson was perhaps the (0) . oREAT literary man in England in the second half of the @) century, EIGHTEEN He was famous for his clever and entertaining @. his fine prose style, his poetry ard his | CONVERSE literary seven CRITICISE And, as if all this was not enough, Johnson’s most | 4). work was his Dictionary of the English | INFLUENCE Language. | This work, which he began in 1747 and finished in | 1755, contained more than 40,000 (5) | ENTER Johnson was particularly (6) Ingiving as | CARE many (2 as possible for each word. MEAN Aso, this dictionary is quite (8). because | AMUSE | the definitions bear the (9) .. mark of MISTAKE Johnson's (10). PERSON | | Perhaps the most (11) .. definition in the | CELEBRATE | dictionary is that of the lexicographer: ‘a writer of | | dictionaries; a (12) . drudge.” HARM ] This work was also important because it gave examples of correct (13) from the best | USE | | 1, drudge : person who does long, hard, boring work. 19Chapter TWO ees The Crawley Family | ecky's new employer was Sir Pitt Crawley. sir | Pitt Crawley had been married twice, and he had | two grown-up sons from his first marriage — Pitt and Rawdon Crawley. After the death of his first wife sir pitt had married again, this time choosing an ironmonger’s ! daughter. They had two daughters. Sir Pitt had advertised for a governess to help in the education of these two children, Becky Sharp was young enough to have a romantic idea of what a baronet’s establishment might be like. She was very shocked, therefore, to discover that Sir Pitt Crawley seemed 1. lronmonger: shopkeeper wha cells tools and agricultural equipment, ‘The Crawley Family hhardly a gentleman at all. He was.an elderly man who dressed bbadly and drank too much. He was also mean! about money, and preferred to spend his time eating and drinking with the outler, ® rather than entertaining ladies and gentlemen. sir Pitt Crawley's country residence, Queen’s Crawley, was a large house, but it was in poor condition. Becky soon realised that the most important person in the house, after Sir Pitt Crawley himself, was the baronet’s older son, Pitt. Unlike his father, he was rather a severe man with very strong religious opinions. It was clear that the father and son did not get along well. it was also clear that Sir Pitt's wife, the ironmonger's daughter, wielded > no power in the house at all. Lady Crawley had been a lovely young girl before she married Sir Pitt Crawley. She had given up a decent young man who loved her for the happiness of becoming Lady Crawley. Vanity Fair, * indeed! Her beauty faded, ° and Sir Pitt became bored with her. Te poor woman was despised by all. The only person who showed the slightest respect for her was the baronet’s older son, Pitt. He behaved with acold, formal correctness to her at all times. Sir Pitt Crawley’s brother, Bute, was the local parson. € He and his family lived in the village rectory. ’ The relationship between the ‘two brothers was not particularly good. They had quarrelled® about 1. mean: ungenerous. 2, butler:male servant who runs a gentleman's house. 3. wielded: exercised, had. 4. Vanity Fair: reference to John Bunyar's hook (soe the Introduction). faded : slowly disappeared. parson : minister of religion. rectory : house where the priest of the local church lives, ‘quarrelled : argued, fought. sag ® atVanity Fair money in the past, and they continued to plot ! against each other. Their plots centred around Sir Pitt's unmarried half-sister, Miss Crawley. Miss Crawley was a very rich, selfish old woman. She did not like Pitt Crawley because of his piety. She wanted to leave half of her money to Bute Crawley, and the other half to Sir Pitt's second son, Rawdon. Becky rapidly decided on the most useful strategy to follow at Queen’s Crawley. She wanted to keep everyone happy with least effort to herself, She won over? the two daughters by letting them educate themselves rather than giving them difficult lessons to follow. Sir Pitt Crawley was involved in a large number of lawstits * with different people, and Becky soon learned all the detais of these. She ordered his papers for him, and helped prepare his accounts. She also helped him with the management of the estate, 4 and was very useful in every way. with his older son, Pitt, Becky took a different approach. She listened to his religious opinions very seriously, and encouraged his political ambitions as well. ‘The wealthy Miss Crawley soon arrived at Queen's Crawley, where everyone made a great fuss of § her. Becky wrote to Amelia, describing how Sir Pitt provided the finest food and wines for her, and how the family at the rectory also did their best to entertain the selfish old lady. Sir Pitt's younger son, 1. plot :make secret plans, 3. Inwautes: legal cones. conspire. 4. estate : property 2. won ever : charmed, 5, made a great fussof : paid a persuaded them to like her Totof actention to 22 The Crawley Family Rawdon Crawley, also came to stay at Queen's Crawley to be near his aunt. Becky told Amelia that the young army officer was very good-looking and had even asked her to dance with him at a country ball. Miss Crawley knew perfectly well that her relatives were waiting for her to die so that they could inherit her fortune. She ‘was a shallow, ! pleasure-loving woman, and she only had for the dashing? young army officer, Rawdon Crawley. She regarded Pitt Crawley as a bore, and was frightened of his religion and morality. She thought Bute and his wife were dull as well. It was not long before Becky Sharp had become a favourite with the old lady, Becky amused her by imitating the guests who were invited to dine at Queen's Crawley. Miss Crawley insisted that the governess sit beside her and Rawdon at dinner. "| don’t care about birth and social position,’ she said to Becky. ‘Look at my brother Pitt, look at Bute at the parsonage. None of them have got your intelligence, my dear. They're not even the equals of my poor old companion Briggs. No, what | care for is wit and breeding —# and you've got botht” She even confided in Becky about her hopes for Rawdon. ‘admired Nelson ® because he didn’t care what people thought. He ran away with a beautiful woman. | hope some great 1. shallow : superficial, not 2. dashing : good-looking and 5. breeding : style, good 6. Nelson : Admiral Nelson, famous for his naval victories 3. dull: not interesting against the French and for 4, wit intelligence, good his love affair with a married humour. woman, 23Vanity Fair man runs away with you, my dear’ she went on. ‘I hope Rawdon runs away with a girl’ she added dreamily.* “‘Arich one or a poor one?’ Becky asked. ‘Arich one, of course,’ Miss Crawley replied with a smile. ‘Poor Rawdon hasn't got any money except what | give him.’ ‘is he terribly clever?" Becky asked, ‘Clever!’ the old lady laughed. ‘Rawdon hasn't got an idea in his head. But I want him to succeed — he’s so delightfully wicked!’ 2 Although Becky told Amelia in her letter that Rawdon had danced with her, she did not tell her friend everything about the young army officer's behaviour towards her. One evening, when Becky was playing the piano, Rawdon stood close to her, bending * over the music. He had even written her a note while she was singing after dinner once, and hidden it in her music book. Becky picked up the note and dropped it into the fire. ‘What's that, my dear?’ Miss Crawley asked sleepily. alittle smile. ‘a false note,’ + Becky replied Rawdon blushed furiously. reamily :reflectively. wicked : bac. immoral bending : leaning. false note : play on words, referring both to a musical note and the ‘that Rawdon has given her. huesGo back to the :ext GEO For questions 16 choose the answer (B,C oF D) which you think fits best according the text. 1 Becky was shocked by Sir Pitt because A [head married an ironmonger's daughter. B [_ hehad married twice. c [_) heneeded someone to educate his daughters. D_ [_ hewas an old man with many bad habits. How was Pit different from his father? A [1D Hedrank more, B [_ Hewas in love with Becky. cc [ Hewas a serious young man. D [_ Heargued with his neighbours. ‘Thackeray sees Lady Crawley as atypical character of Vanity Fair because A. [she was an ironmonger's daughter B_ [_ shewasno longer beautiful. cc [_. shewas hated by everybody. DL she had married a ridiculous nobleman instead of a respectable person. Miss Crawley wanted to be with people who A [_] came from noble families. 8 _| had fine manners and who were amusing. cc _] had politcal ambitions. |_| had lots of money. Rawdon was Miss Crawley's favourite because he was (J intelligent 8 [| ambitious and capable, handsome and wicked. D_ |] the only one not interested in her fortune. > 6 Miss Crawley's entire family A Llenjnyerd her clever wit B [] was waiting for her toe [| was afraid of her opinions. D_ [| despised her. of which of the people A-s are the following true? There i ‘example at the beginning. A Becky Sharp E Bute Crawley B SirPittCrawley -F_ Rawdon Crawley c Pitt Crawley G Miss Crawley D Lady Crawley 0. He/She had been very attractive in his/her youth, oOB8 1, His/Her main occupation seemed to be lawsuits. 2. He/She was surprised that Sir Pitt Crawley did net have ‘the fine manners of the noblemen he/she had read about in novels. o 3. His/Her half-sister was planning to leave him/her half her money. ‘4, He/She wanted to be with people who had fine manners and who were amusing, 5. He/She worked hard at getting along with everytody. 6. He/She had given up a happy marriage for the happiness of being one of the English nobility. oao oO 7. He/She married someone from a lower social class. 8. He/She was very attractive, superficial and wicked. 9, Everyone was kind to him/her because he/she was rich. oo0o00 10. He/She was extremely pious. 27FEE © Read the tex below and think of the word which best fis each space. Use only one word in each space. There isan example atthe beginning ©. ‘The sad world of the governess Innineteenth-century England a middle-class woman's place was, (©) -velf.ine the home, and her only chance for security was to @ married, Once married she was governed by her husband, and it was not (2) .mnmns the Married Women’s Property Acts from 1870 onwards that she even had a right to her own money and property. So, marriage was not a question of romance (3) question of survival. If, though, a middle-class woman did not succeed (4). finding a husband, or if her husband died (5) her own family lost its wealth in one of the frequent economic crises, she had very © ‘work opportunities. Even if she was poor, as a middle- class woman she could only work in the home, and the principal kind of job available was that of the governess. The governess was @ .. a babysitter and a teacher (8) lived with the family she worked for. Unfortunately for her, she was in a strange position: she was middle~ 1a (9) smn birth and education but she (10) not considered on the same level as the family. At the same time, she was, not considered on the same level as the other servants, (it) ‘though she received the same low pay (many young women even worked (12) nme Bovernesses without receiving any pay at all just to have a roof over their heads). in short, she was quite alone. What is worse, (13) .nu:mue Was no Security at all, and often, when a ‘governess became too old to work, she had (14) money and ‘was destined to spend the last days of her life in extreme poverty. The social reformer and writer Harriet Martineau (1802-76) discovered that many governesses ended (15) in lunatic asylums. ‘The first important effort to improve the governesses’ situation came with the founding of the Governesses’ Benevolent Institution, and Queen's College in London. @ Hfiwere in Becky's position 1 would... Describe briefly Becky Sharp's actions at Queen's Crawley, then say ‘what you would do if you were in hg position. Use the information in ‘the article about governesses to justify your answer. sronapes @ toric — THE WoRLD OF WORK ‘As you now know, the world of work for women in England in the early 1800s was very limited. Prepare a talk for your class about the ‘world of work today, Bring to the class some photos or illustrations relevant to this topic and use the questions below to help you. a. Are there still jobs that women cannot do today? What are they? b. Are there jobs that men cannot do? What are they? Do you think men and women should be equal at work? ‘Why do you think there were such huge differences in the type of ‘work that men and women did at the time of Vanity Fair? fe. What type of work would you have liked to do if you had lived at the time of Vanity Fair? f. What work would you do if you could choose any type of work at all? Now think of two questions to ask your class on how they think the ‘world of work has changed since the time of Thackeray. Before you read @ answer the questions below. a. Do,you think Becky is interested in Rawdon? b. Why wouldn't Miss Crawley be happy if Becky married Rawdon? c. How do you think Becky could make Miss Crawley accept her as, Rawdon’s bride?Chapter THREE Young Lovers ‘e must now leave the good people enjoying. themselves at Queen's Crawley, and return to- London to find out what is happening to Amelia. ‘The ladies in Amelia’s social circle agreed that she was very good-natured but dull. The Misses Osbornes and Dobbins patronised ! the poor girl terribly, and Amelia was very shy in ‘their company. ‘What does George see in her?’ they asked each ‘other in wonder. George Osborne himself became used to the idea that he was making an enormous sacrifice in marrying Amelia. He continued 1. patronised : treated her with condescension, as if they were more Important than she was 30 ears Young Lovers === to visit the Sedley household, of course, but days went by when he ignored Amelia. She suffered, but she told no one about her suffering. Only George's friend Dobbin realised that the gir! was unhappy. T]_ Meanwhile great events were taking place in Europe. Napoleon's army was defeated by the allies, and the emperor was forced to abdicate and take up residence on the island of Elba. The financial markets of the world were disturbed. Mr sedley suffered heavy losses in his investments on the stock exchange.* [2] one day George Osborne visited Amelia, and invited her to dine with his family at Russell Square that evening. Amelia was, delighted, and accepted happily. Amelia arrived early at the house, and was talking with George's sisters when Mr Osborne came home. Mr Osborne seemed surprised to see her there. ‘George is home today, Papa,’ one of the sisters explained. ‘He'll be coming in to dinner soon.’ ‘Will he indeed?" Mr Osborne said crossly. ? ‘He'd better come in on time. 1 won't hold? dinner for him.’ Mr Osborne sat down gloomily.* When the clock struck the usual time for dinner, he rang for the butler. ‘Dinner!’ he ordered angrily. ‘Mr George isn’t in yet,’ the man replied. ‘Damn Mr George, sir. I'm the master here!’ Mr Osborne commented angrily. ‘Dinner, | say!” 2. erossly : angry. 3. hold: delay. 4, gloomily : seriously, sadly. 1. stock exchange : place where people buy and sell stocks ‘nd shares, aVanity Fair The ladies looked at each other in fright. Dinner was a silent affair. Mr Osborne said nothing, and no one else knew how to make conversation. George arrived halfway through the meal, and did not seem to notice his father's bad humour. He talked amusingly to Amelia and his sisters. At last the ladies retired to the drawing room, leaving Mr ‘Osborne and George to their wine. The older man was still bad- tempered. | George did his best to cheer him up.? The real reason for his visit was that he had run out of money. He was hoping for some money from his father. At last his father spoke. [Z] ‘How are you and Amelia getting on?’ he asked. ‘anyone can see that she loves me, sir,’ George replied proudly. ‘and you?’ his father asked sharply, ‘What about you, my boy?" George laughed easily. ‘Didn’t you tell me to marry Amelia, sir?’ he joked. ‘You and Mr Sedley arranged it all years ago!’ ‘Hmm, your wild amusements with Captain Crawley and that set?* You ommented his father. ‘Haven't | heard about you and should be careful, sir. Mr Osborne was secretly delighted that his son was mixing in such aristocratic company. He was very ambitious for George. ‘Well, well’ he went on. ‘I suppose young men will be young men. I'm glad you live in the best society of England.’ 1, bad-tempered : angry. 2. cheer him up : make him happier. 3, set: social cirle Young Lovers ‘One can't live in that kind of sosiety for nothing, you know,’ George said quietly, ‘Don't worry about money, my boy,’ Mr Osborne interrupted him. ‘My money's as good as theirs. Call on! Mr Chopper in the ‘City tomorrow — he'll have something for you.” “thank you, sir.” ‘You could marry higher than Amelia, you know, Mr Osborre told him. ‘I don’t like the look of Sedley’s affairs. There are rumours ? about his losses. If | don’t see Amelia's ten thousand pounds you won't marry her. I won’t have any lame ducks in my family.” George was very attentive to Amelia when he went to join the ladies after his talk with his father. She remembered long afterwards the pleasure of that evening with him. George hurried off to the City the next morning, and obtained a document from Mr Chopper. Then he hurried to the bank. He noticed that Mr Sedley was also in the bank, but he was too ‘excited to notice the grim * look on the older man's face. Meanwhile Miss Crawley had returned to London from her visit to Queen's Crawley, bringing Becky Sharp with her. The old lady had eaten and drunk far too much, and was feeling unwell ‘She ret red immediately to bed, and summoned her doctor. Captain Crawley was one of the first people to arrive at her house to ask after her. He received gloomy reports from the maid.and from Miss Briggs her companion. Captain Crawley wes call on: pay a visit to, ‘rumours : information that may or may not be true. lame ducks : (here) people who are in difficulty and need help. agri: very serious, puneVanity Fair unable to see the patient, but he did manage to have a few minutes of private conversation with Becky. He left the house looking very cheerful. Miss Briggs tried to gain admission to the sick lady's bedroom, but was refused. The poor lady had been a loyal and faithful ‘companion for many years and was wounded ' by Miss Crawley’s behaviour. “But why won’t she see me?’ she asked Becky. ‘I always look after her when she’ “Don’t be so upset,’ Becky advised her. ‘She won't see you because she prefers my nursing to yours, that’s all. Sick people are like that sometimes. She'll be well again in a few weeks, and then I'll go back to Queen's Crawley.’ ‘Never, never,’ Miss Briggs said sadly. ‘she'll never be well, or I'll never go? Becky asked with a little smile, Captain Crawley called every day to receive the latest news from Becky. Every day the news was better, and soon Miss Crawley allowed the faithful Briggs to spend time with her once more, Becky used to mimic? the good woman to her face for the amusement of the old lady, ‘Once Miss Crawley was well again, she agreed to accompany Becky to Russell Square so that the girl could be reunited with her old school friend, Amelia. ‘The visit was a short one, but Amelia made a good impression on the rich old lady. She talked enthusiastically about Becky’s friend, and mentioned her to Captain Crawley. Becky was quick 1. wounded : hurt, offended, 2, mimic imitate, 34 Young Lovers to explain that Amelia had a fiancé — a certain Lieutenant George Osborne, ‘What regiment is he in?’ Rawdon asked. ‘I don't recall,’ Becky replied, ‘but his Captain’s name is Dobbin.’ “1 know Dobbin,’ Rawdon told her. ‘And I know Osborne too, now that I think of it. Osborne's a fool,’ he commented happlly. ‘tie wants to be seen in the company of a lord. He pays for their dinners, and they invite the guests." ‘Pretty guests,’ Becky suggested with a smile. ‘Quite right, Miss Sharp,’ Rawdon laughed. 'Very pretty guests indeed.” “Don't be so naughty, Rawdon!’ the old lady laughed excitedly. Her nephew's cynicism delighted her enormously. ‘hy don’t we have him here?" Rawdon suggested. Lieutenant Osborne and Amelia were invited for dinner at Miss Crawley's house. ] The meeting between Becky and George Osborne was not an easy one. Becky suspected that it was George who had discouraged Jos Sedley from proposing to her after the dinner at Vauxhall Gardens. She greeted him very coolly. For his part, Osborne thought her vain and ambitious. ‘Amelia saw immediately that there was a friendship between Becky and Rawdon. Before leaving the house she went up to her friend. "I see it al,’ she said quietly. Becky kissed her. One day Sir Pitt Crawley came to London. His wife had just died, and the baronet was desperate to have Becky back at the house.Vanity Fair “You must come,’ he told her. “vl come as soon as I can,’ Becky replied. “Everything's in a mess without you,’ Sir Pitt complained, ‘Dear Becky, do come!” Becky looked at him closely. ‘come as what?’! she asked quietly. ‘come as Lady Crawley, if you like, the old man cried impatiently. ‘Come back and be my wife. There! Does that satisfy you?" ‘Oh Sir Pitt!’ Becky cried. ‘say yes,’ Sir Pit begged her. ‘I'm an old man, Becky, but I'll make you happy, you see if | don't.’ The old man got down on his knees before her. Becky jumped back. For once she did not know what to say. ‘Oh, Sir Pitt!’ she cried again. ‘Oh — sir — I'm married already!” 1. as what : in what capacity, e.g. as governess or as his wife 36Go back to the text @ chapter Three has been divided into ten parts, Choose from the ist A- K the heading which best summarises each part (1-9) ofthe chapter. “There is one extra heading which yos do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0). ‘A [_] The new nurse B [_] Nolonger available cc [_] Having fun with the best costs plenty D [_] Onsecond thoughts, I know that man = [_] When thegteat fall, so do the small F (_] Anything for love (_] cynical old age meets sweet youth H [0] Nice and boring 1 [| She loves him; he loves her money 1 C] Home again for the cash K [_] Onehates her, one loves her @ Answer the questions below. a. Why did George think that he was making an enormous sacrifice in ‘marrying Amelia? b. Why did Mr Sedley lose large amounts of money on the stock exchange? c. Why had George come to visit his father? dd. Who was Miss Crawley's new nurse? ‘e. Why was Becky ‘quick to explain that Amelia had a fiancé’? f. What did George do in order to be seen with important men? g Why did George and Becky not like each other? h, Why couldn't Becky accept Sir Pitt's marriage proposal? 38 ‘George became used to the idea that he was making an | ‘enormous sacrifice in marrying Amelia’ Look at these sentences: am used to the sound of traffic at night. = The sound of traffic is familiar to me because ! have always lived in a big city. am not used to driving on the right side of the road. = Driving on the right side of the road seems strange to me because lam not from England. After living in England for a couple of months, | got used to driving on the left.= I became used to driving on the left. Notice that we use the -ing form of the verb after be used to/ get used to. a rc a © Using the elements given, write affirmative or negative sentences ith either to be used to or to get used to in the tense suggested. Example: I have never had a car. /ride a bicycle to work, PRESENT SIMPLE id. ta.ridinaa, bicycle, be. Example: This new word processing programme is not that difficult. After a week or so/you/work with it, FUTURE WITH WILL After, lag .a. Sara is from Florida but she has been living in Moscow for six years. She/lots of snow in the winter. PRESENT SIMPLE 'b. Sabrina is a farnous singer but she is quite shy. In fact/she/not/sing/in front of an audience. PRESENT PERFECT ‘¢. Samuel is ten and he is on a school trip to Spain for two weeks. He/not/be away from his family for so long. PRESENT SIMPLE d. Stella worked in a very busy restaurant as a waitress before she came to work in our office. She/not/sit still in a chair/all day tong. PRESENT SIMPLE 'e. Mina was quite poor until she won a large amount of money in the national lottery. She/have/a lot of money/quite quickly. PAST SIMPLEBefore you read GEO Listen othe ist part of chapter Four. For question -6, choose the @ best answer, A, Bor C. 1. Miss Biggs did not know why Becky had refused Sir Pitt's offer of marriage because A. [_] she couldn't hear their conversation very well. B_ [| she had gone away before Becky told Sir Pitt that she was already married. cc [7] Becky had not told anyone why she had refused Sir Pitt's offer of marriage. 2. When Miss Crawley first heard that Becky had refused Sir Pitt she A [Jangry. B |_| confused. cL impressed. 3. Miss Elizabeth Styles was really A [Miss crawiey. B [_| Rawdon Crawley. c Camelia. 4 Who told Miss Crawley who Becky had married? A [_] Becky B [-] Mrs Bute Crawley c [| Miss Briggs 5 How did Miss Crawley react when she heard who Becky had married? ‘A [_] Shewas shocked and became ill again. B [_| She laughed. cc [_] she smiled and wrote a letter to Becky. 6 Sir Pitt was angry that Becky A [__ was married. B_ (_| was married to his son. © did not want to work for him. Chapter FOUR iss Briggs happened to be passing! the room where the interview between Becky and Sir Pitt was taking place. She heard both his offer of marriage, and Becky’s refusal of it. She did not stay long enough, however, to hear the reason for the refusal — that Becky was already married. Miss Briggs carried the exciting news to Miss Crawley. Miss Crawley was impressed that Becky had refused the baronet, and secretly relieved.? She talked the matter over with Briggs, and the two women agreed that Becky must be in love with someone else, 1. happened to be passing : was passing by chance. 2. relieved : happy. a1Vanity Fair ‘Find out who it is,’ Miss Crawley ordered her companion. Becky admitted to Miss Briggs that she was in love with someone else, but she refused to tell Briggs who the man was. She did not tell Miss Crawley either when the old lady interrogated her. “You will know soon enough, my deat,’ she said. ‘That evening, when she was alone in her bedroom, she wrote aletter, Dear grienct. Hal of eur secret is known, ancl I'm sure that the time has come to tele evengthing. I's risky, Z know, but Lim | Sure we'll win in He enc. Miss Crawvleg 4s veag sympathetia ' amd generous ZT think evenything witl be abl right! | cores Care Laaae es Ca she addressed the letter to ‘Miss Elizabetl Styles’. The reader -will not perhaps be surprised that Miss Elizabeth Styles, who wore a military uniform, was none other than Captain Rawdon Crawley. ‘The next morning Becky's bedroom was empty. She had left a note for Briggs, explaining the mystery of her marriage and asking her to break the news to Miss Crawley. It was bad luck for Becky that Mrs Bute Crawley arrived at the house that morning. Briggs told her the whule story, and they went to Miss Crawley together. 1. sympathetic : understanding. 42 A Family Bankruptcy The old lady was horrified atthe news, and had another attack of illness. ‘rl never forgive them! she said. ‘And I'll never give Rawdon another penny of my money.” Sir Pitt also came to the house that morning, He wanted to see Becky. ‘she's got to come back to Queen's Crawley with me,’ he told Briggs. ‘I can’t manage without her.’ “But don’t you know she’s married?’ Briggs replied in astonishment. ‘what do I care about that?’ the baronet said angrily. ‘I know she's married.” ‘she left the house this morning, sir,’ Briggs explained. ‘Miss Crawley is very upset by the news of her marriage to Captain Rawdon. When Sir Pitt heard that Becky was married to his own son, he broke into a furious rage. Then he left the house very noisily. “But what if she doesn’t forgive me?’ Rawdon asked his wife that night, as they sat together in their modest little apartment. ‘Don't worry about that,’ Becky said sweetly. ‘I'll make your fortune for you.’ “You can do anything,’ he replied tenderly. There is one event in Vanity Fair that attracts both sentiment and satire, and that is the auction ! of a bankrupt person's household goods. People who attend these auctions remember how things were different in the past, how the person who is 4. auction ; public meeting where things are sold to the person who offers she best pricevanity Fair less ' now, used to offer his guests the finest wines and An auction was taking place at the Sedley household. Old Sedley was now a ruined man. Captain Dobbin was at the auction. He was very interested in a little piano that had belonged to Amelia. His agent began to bid for the instrument, as did Becky's agent on her behalf. The bidding wes fast, and the price rose high. At last Becky's agent ceased to bid, and the piano became the property of Captain Dobbin. ‘The piano arrived that evening at a modest little house off the Fulham Road, where the Sedleys were now living. ‘He was a kind man, Mr Sedley,’ Becky commented dreamily to Rawdon. She was remembering her stay at the house. ‘I'm sorry it's all gone wrong for him.’ ‘Oh, these stockbrokers,’ Rawdon said carelessly, ‘they're used to this sort of thing, you know. I'm sorry for your little friend Amelia, though. | suppose young Osborne will think twice before he marries her now!” Rawdon's guess was not far wrong. Amelia had received a letter from George Osborne's father immediately the news of the bankruptcy became public knowledge. Mr Osborne told her that her father had behaved very badly, and that it was no longer possible for the two families to know each other. She showed the letter to her father, who was very angry. He ordered Le penniless without any money 2. bid: make an offer. 3. on her behalf: for her a4 A Family Bankruptcy her to return every letter and preseat that she had received from George, and to forget about him. Amelia sent back the few presents that George had given her, but she kept his letters. ‘They were her most precious possessions, There was more exciting news from Europe. Napoleon had ‘escaped from Elba and returned to France. Everyone knew that ‘war was coming. ‘One day Dobbin found his friend George Osborne in his room at the barracks. | He looked very upset. ‘she's sent me back all the presents | gave her,’ George told his friend, ‘It's all over. Look, read this.’ He passed Nobhin letter from Amelia. Dobbin had visited Mr Sedley and the family in their new house off the Fulham Road, Ie knew that Amelia was very ill. ‘she's dying, George,’ he said quietly A few hours later George Osborne paid a visit to the Sedley ‘household Mrs Bute Crawley established herself at Miss Crawley's house in London to nurse the old lady. She made sure that letters from Rawdon Crawley were intercepted. She read Miss Crawley religious stories, and encouraged her to consider serious matters. It was her hope that Miss Crawley was planning to write a new will,? leaving some of her money to Bute Crawley. Mrs Bute Crawley was very successful in her arrangements. Perhaps she was too successful. She frightened and depres: 1. barracks: building where soldiers live. 2 will: testament,Miss Crawley instead of amusing her. Even her doctors thought ‘that the effect of Mrs Bute Crawley's influence was dangerous. ‘One of them tried to talk to her. “You have done a lot for our poor patient,’ he told her. ‘But ‘she is not as ill as she was. Indeed, she needs fresh air now. If you keep her in the house, she may really die!” At last an expedition to the park was organised. Miss Crawley's carriage was soon spotted ' by Becky and Rawdon, Vanity Fair ‘who were also out driving. Rawdon drove past his aunt, and acknowledge’ me.’ L. apotted : noticed: 2, gravely : with great dignity and seriousness. 3. acknowledge : recognise, greet. saluted her gravely.? His aunt ignored him. “That's it, then,’ he commented to Becky. ‘She won't iGo back to the text © say whether the following statements are true (1) or false (®, then correct the false ones. TF a. Miss Crawiey was horrified when she earned that =] [] Becky had turned down a baronet. b. tt was not important to Sir Pitt that Becky had married [7] [] his son. Captain Dobbin bought Amelia's pianoat the auction — [| |) so he could return it to Amelia oO 4. Mr Sedley was not upset about all the money he had lost because he was used to that sort of thing e, Mr Osborne did not want his son to marty Amelia after. [| [] he had learned about her father's financial problems, f, Mrs Bute Crawley’s religious talk andstorieshelped ——_[ Miss Crawley to recover from her illness. 1 Mrs Bute Crawley's real reason for talking co about religion with Miss Crawley was to make her write a new will hh. Miss Crawley did not approve of her nephew's marriage. [] [] @ sentiment and satire a. What does Thackeray mean when he writes that the auction of a bankrupt person's household goods attracts both sentiment and satire? . Write a short article about the auction of Mr Sedley's household goods. ‘write your article with either sentiment or satire n 120-180 words. ‘Using your own imagination and the information from the story describe: + what was auctioned (the piané Shd any other household gocds you can think of) what kind of person Mr Sedley was be‘ore he lost his money + what kind of person Amelia is, and her chances of marrying now + what Captain Dobbin did at the auction @ A puzating old woman Discuas the questions below. Why did Mise Crawley ke Rec ca rch? by Why was Rawdon her favourite? Why did she cutoff relations with them? di. Do you think her behaviour is contradictory? Why or why not? FEE @ Below is a summary of the first four chapters of Vanity Fair. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the summary. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0). Two young but very different young ladies were about to leave Miss Pinkerton’s academy. The first, Becky, was an orphan whose mother was French and whose father had been a decadent artist. Before he died, he had managed to obtain Becky a position as an articled student at Miss Pinkerton's academy. The other young lady was Amelia Sediey who was the daughter of a rich London stockbroker. Becky was going to spend a week with Amelia's family in London before she took up her job as governess, flo eee reer Gradually and carefully, Becky worked to make Jos fallin love with her. Her big chance came when Amelia, Amelia's fiancé George Osborne, George's friend Dobbin, Becky and Jos decided to spend an evening at Vauxhall Gardens. Once there Becky encouraged Jos in every way,fl BEERS PEE Pe Eee bee oo tooo Ee E ‘The next day Jos woke up with a terrible headache. Even though he did not remember everything he had done the evening before he felt terribly ashamed. So, he decided to leave London for a while, and poor Becky had no choice but to take up her jb as governess al a She was surprised, however, to discover that the baronet was a mean old man who dressed badly and drank too much. still, Becky did her best to win over Sir Pitt by being useful to him in all his numerous law suits. 3 In this Becky was net alone. Everybody in the family wanted the old lady's money when she died. So when she arrived at Queen's Crawley she was always treated as an honoured guest. Even the baronet’s dashing and cynical younger son, Rawdon, came to see her because it seemed that he and Sir Pitt’s brother Bute were going to inherit her fortune. Meanwhile there was big news from Europe: Napoleon had been forced to retire to the island of Elba. This news caused disturbances on the international markets and many, including Mr Sedley, suffered enormous losses. Inthis same period Miss Crawley returned to London. She was feeling rather ill and Becky came along with her to act as her nurse, replacing Miss Crawley's faithful servant Miss Briggs. a Both Miss Briggs and Miss Crawley asked Becky who her new husband was, but Becky refused to tell them. Then one day Becky went away, leaving a note for Miss Briggs in which she told her who her husband was, She also asked Miss Briggs to break the news to Miss Crawley. PSN ecereee “After the news of Becky's marriage become known, the news of Mr Sedley's bankruptcy became known too. As soon as George Osborne's father learned this, ne wrote a letter to Amelia saying that their two families could no longer see each other. Mr Sedley, on his part, then told his daughter toreturn all the gifts she had received from George. | A. One day after her return to London, Sir Pitt came to see Becky. His ‘wife had just died and he desperately needed her to help him with his complicated business and legal affairs. He even told her that he would be willing to marry her, but Becky told him that she was already married! So it was that she went to Queen's Crawley, the country residence of Sir PILL Crawley, where Becky was to look after his two young daughters. Becky had expected to meet the kind of aristocrat she had read about in romantc novels. Unfortunately for Becky, that day Mrs Bute Crawley, the wife of Sir Pitt's brother Bute, came -0 visit. Miss Briggs and she went to break the news to Miss Crawley. Miss Crawley was furious. Sir Pitt also arrived because he wanted to persuade Becky to come back to Queen's Crawley. He did not care that she was married but when he learned that her husband was his son, he too became furious. D_ The auction of poor Mr Sedley's household goods was certainly a sad affair. The people who came to the auction remembered how Mr Sedley had once offered wonderfully opulent dinners. One object, though, was destired to return to the Sedley family: this ‘was Amelia's piano. George Osborne, who had heard about the auction from his friend Dobbin, had decided to buy the piano and take it to Amelia at her humble new home. Meanwhile the rest of the world was excited about other news: Napoleon had escaped from the island of Elba and was back in France. This, of course, meant war. One young officer, though, George Osborne, was no: thinking of war: he was thinking about the end of his engagement with Amelia, When his friend Dobbin came to see him in the barracks, George told him his sad news. Dobbin then told George that Amelia was very ill. George decided to pay her a visit. ‘Then after a fine meal with plenty of champagne, Jos ordered a bow! of punch. He began to sing, He seized Becky by the waist and would not let her go. The evening ended in disaster. G When they arrived at Amelia's home they discovered that ‘Amelia's older brother Jos was home from India. He was overweight, fashionably dressed and incredibly shy. Becky soon realised that by marrying Jos she could avoid becoming a governess. 51H_ She also tried to wir over the other members of the Crawley family. She let the two daughters govern their own education, and she listened attentively to all of the religious opinions and political ambitions of Pitt Crawley, the baronet's older son. Then when Miss Crawley arrived, Becky tried to make a great impression on her too. Before you read © You will ear about George's wedding and honeymoon. For questions 1-5, choose the best answer A, Bor C. 1. Dobbin felt quite embarrassed because he ‘A [J thought Amelia loved him. B [_| knew George was in love with Amelia. c [was falling in love with Amelia. 2. George did not listen to his father because A [_] money was not that important to him. D [| he didn't believe Amelia was poor. c [_] he didn't want to make her suffer. 3. If George married Amelia, his father told him A [_] never to bring her to his home. B [Jnever to come home again. ¢ [| never to mention her at home. 4. Jos began to dress like a soldier because A [_] there was going to be a war. [| hehad been a soldier. ¢ [| his friends were in the army. 5. When Captain Crawley played cards and billiards, he A [_] lost a lot of money. B [_] won money. ¢ [J lostallittle money Chapter FIVE A Wedding and a Disinheritance aptain Dobbin now found himself in a very painful and difficult position. He could see that, George was less and less keen! to marry Amelia, and he realised that he himself was falling in love withher. ‘She will die if George does not marry her,’ he thought. He determined to make sure that the wedding went ahead. George and his father, meanwhile, had quarrelled bitterly. Mr Osborne wanted his son to marty a rich girl. George, however, who had been influenced by Dobbin’s account of Amelia's sufferings, promised to be true to his word. AL. keen : enthusiastic, happy.Vanity Fair ‘Til have no beggars! in my family, sir!" his father roared? ‘Marry Amelia and you leave this house for ever — you leave it a penniless man, | tell you!” ‘t've done it, Dobbin,’ George told his friend afterwards. “Done what?’ Dobbin asked. ‘Vve told my father,’ George informed him. "I'll marry her ‘tomorrow — I love her more and more each day!" One morning a quiet wedding took place in London. Amelia ‘was the bride and George the bridegroom. The best man was the faithful Dobbir. Jos Sedley was also in attendance, as was Mrs Sedley. Mr Sedley did not attend the ceremony. George and Amelia went to Brighton for their honeymoon. ‘They were accompanied by Jos Sedley. Here they met up with ‘Captain Crawley and his wife. Jos was now wearing military-style clothing in honour of the coming war, and George and Captain ‘Crawley teased him about it. The two couples spent most of their time together. The gentlemen had their own amusements after dinner. They usually played billiards or cards, and this allowed Captain Crawley to acquire some much-needed ready money. + One day Dobbin came down to Brighton to see his friends. He greeted them in a friendly way, but his Face was serious. ‘What's the news?’ George asked eagerly. 5 ‘What does my father say?" boggars : people with no money. roared : shouted angrily teased : made fun of. ready money : money in the form of bank-notes, ‘eagerly : enthusiastically 3Vanity Fair ‘Vl tell you everything later,’ Dobbin said quietly. ‘The really important thing is —" . ‘Come on, tell us!’ George cried excitedly. “The campaign's started. We're goir(g to Belgium, old boy. O'Dowd's in command, We leave next week.’ It was true that Dobbin had been to see Mr Osborne, to break! the news of his son's marriage to Amelia. The interview had not been a success. Mr Osborne was furious at his son’s disobedience, and furious with poor Dobbin as well for having encouraged the match. ? When he returned home that evening, Mr Osborne sat for many hours in his study. He adored his son, but he was a very proud man, and George's marriage had disappointed him bitterly. Mr Osborne took down the family Bible, where the names ofall his children were inscribed. ® He eliminated George's name, Then he wrote a letter to the bank, instructing the cashier not to pay further funds to his son. Another visitor who was staying at Brighton was Miss Crawley. Becky made Rawdon write the old lady a note. Then Becky took the note to Briggs and begged her to deliver it. Miss Crawley laughed when she read it. ‘Don’t you see,’ she cried, ‘Rawdon never wrote a word of itt His letters are always about money, and they're full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar. it's that little governess of his who told him what to say!’ In her heart she felt sad and bitter. she knew that everyone wanted her dead; they wanted her money. 1, break: communicate, give 2. match: (here) marriage. 3. inscribed : written 36 A Wedding and a Disinheritance ‘You may tell Captain Crawley,’ she informed Briggs, ‘that he can call on my lawyer in London. There will be something for him there.’ Rawdon and Becky were delighted at the news from Miss Crawley. They hurried as fast as they could to London. Rawdon then made his way ' to the lawyer's office. He looked gloomy when he joined Becky. ‘it’s a rotten trick, ? Becky,’ he told her. ‘The old lady's only given me twenty pounds!" The joke was too good for Becky to resist. She looked at |} Rawdon's serious face, and burst out laughing. > 1. made his way : went: 2, rotten trick : unfair joke. 3. burst out laughing : suddenly laughed. 37Go back to the text @ Answer the questions below. a. Why didn't Mr Osborne want Gedtge to marry Amelia? b. Why did George decide to marry Amelia? .€. What did Mr Osborne do when he learned that George had married Amelia? -d._ What news did Dobbin bring to George? ‘e. Where was Dobbin going the following week? f. How did Miss Craw ey know that Becky was the real author of Rawdon's letters? & Why did Miss Crawey feel sad and bitter? bh. What trick did Miss Crawley play on Rawdon? How did Becky react when she discovered that she and Rawdon had been tricked? © Asurprise for my nephew Pretend you are Miss Crawley and write in 120-80 words the story of ‘the practical joke you played on Rawdon and Becky. Inyour story include: + why you were once planning on leaving your money to Rawdon + what you thought of Becky when you first met her + why you decided not to leave Rawdon your money + why you decided to play a practical joke on him + what you think of Becky’s reaction to your joke You can begin like this: To be rich and old is mostly a sad and bitter thing. You know perfectly well that all your relatives are nize to you because they want your money, and, what is worse, they want you dead! Stil, I have had my fun too. For example, some years ago I was Planving on leaving half of my money to Rawtton because 38. LE @ For questions 1-6, compete the second sentence so that thas & similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You mustuise between two and five words, including the word given. There is an example at the beginning (0). © Becky refused to accept the dictionary from Miss Pinkerton, not Becky nn Pinkerton, 1 Amelia had asked Becky to stay at her house for a week when they left school. like "Becky, nnn when we leave school?" asked Amelia, . the dictionary from Miss ..at my house for a week 2 Dobbin succeeded in freeing the unfortunate Becky. to Dobbin . pi ‘the unfortunate Becky. 3. The young army officer asked her to dance ata country ball. by she ayoung army officer at a country ball. 4 Poor Rawdon hasn't got any money except what I give him. only Poor Rawdon give him, 5. ‘She will dieif George does not marry her,’ he thought. did He thought that she . her. not marry 6 Mr Osborne was furious with poor Dobbin for having encouraged the match. because Mr Osborne was furious with poor Dobbin . vn the match,@ compete tine crossword puzzle, It contains words from the first five chapters. Some of them can be found in the notes, but not all of then. Cle IO00oO Oo H Oo Eo geo [es] A: QOO00000 « ol io op H o a og g o q 5 a Oooo + O00 = Oo 3 Ho o O Oo B oOo s o oO Sota fel_fa i Oo booooo0o O D000 Across greatest amount of money. 5. IFyoucannot payyour debts __(This ishow poor old Sedley's you are (Amelia things were sold.) Sediey’s father went 12, An excessive amount of Bo 1FYOU sna Ot OF concer or interest. something (sugar, coffee or (Everybody always made a money, forexample) you use great deal o F Miss Crawiey) 14, That shows what is right and good to do, (Becky hated the atmosphere of Miss Pinkerton’s academy.) or consume it all. 9. Not married. 11. Asale of goods or property where things are sold to the person who offers the 15, Abook that gives the meaning of words. 18, The secand-person possessive adjective. 19, A child whose parents are dead. 21. Timid. 22, Boring, not interesting. 23. The opposite of false. Down 41. The man who rules an empire isanva (Napoleon WS the one OF France.) 2. Awoman who looks after and teaches children in their own home. (Ajob that Becky did not want!) 3. Answered. 4, The trip a couple takes after they get married. Became red in the face. Bad — often used to describe children. (Again Miss Crawley uses this word to describe Rawdon, and again, itis a compliment) ae 24, Enthusiastic about (doing, something). 25. Large property with house in the country. 26. Handsome and spirited. (This word is used to describe Rawdon, and itis a compliment.) 7. Somebody who buys and sells stocks. 10. Going away, leaving, 412. Give compliments to. 13, A listo everything that a company spends and earns. 46. The opposite of old. 17. Thin. 20. A position, a job. 21. Ifyou only think only about yourself and your interests, you are. 23. Made fun of. ei] a aS a as | | ane eT) y I i i | ‘Becky burst out laughing’ Sefore you read Look at these examples of phrasal verbs with burst: : (AGE @ You will hear about the Osbornes.arrval in Brussels. For questions -Mysister burs into the room while my girlfriend and I were having a very 1-6, choose the best answer A, Bor C. personal conversation. @ When he read the sad news, he burst into tears. James was furious. He started screaming at me then. he just burst out of 1 Peggy O'Dowd treated Amelia A [_ | fairly nicely. B [_ | very badly ‘the room. ‘You're damn foolt’ she burst out. | c |_| very nicely. When Becky realised that Miss Crawley had played a joke on Rawelon, she 2. Jos's clothing was increasingly influenced by burst cut laughing. A [|thearmy. Gee eee — a B [| the French aristocracy. ¢ [_] rich trish people. © natch the phrasal verbs (a-d) to their definitions (1-5). 3 Lady Bareacres didn't talk to Amelia because A J she felt superior to George a. Cl burst out of B LL] she fel: superior to Amelia vb. [] burst out ¢ |_) she fel: inferior to Amelia. [burst into (2 definitions) 4 George was happy to be with the Crawelys because they d. [7] burst out + -ing A |_| were invited to all the best dances. B [_] had a lot of money to spend on the theatre, 1. entera place suddenly and nosily ¢ |_| knew the most important army officers. 2. say something suddenly with strong emotion 5 Becky was A Clin avery bad mood. B [| ina very strange mood. ¢ lina very good mood. 3. start doing something suddenly, usually used with emotions 4. start ‘producing’ something (itis followed by a noun) 5. leavea place abruptly and noisily | @ Now complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verb. ©. Nobody paid any attention to Amelia atthe ball except A Ci bobbin. -now thnow that you ae not my finde nn ope b. the policemen. _the building as they were robbing cc C] Mrs Bareacres the bank. ; «He the room so quickly that he almost made me fll over. d. As soon as she saw the horrible sight, she fe, Assoonas I realised that he was leaving me | - crying, tears,Chapter SIX Preparations for War | oS @e Ce F=| he Osbornes and Dobbin now made their way to Chatham, from where the regiment was to embark for Europe. Amelia was presented to Peggy O'Dowd, the commanding officer's wife. Peggy O'Dowd was a friendly Irishwoman, and she made Amelia very welcome. “we're all good friends here,’ she explained cheerfully. ‘There isn’t a happier regiment in the whole army.’ Jos had agreed to accompany Amelia to Europe, and everyone noticed that his appearance became more and more military every day. At last they arrived in Brussels where the regiment was Preparations for War quartered. ! Everyone was delighted with the city, and all the vanity Fair booths were laid out before them with their usual attractions. There was gambling # for those who liked it, there was a theatre, and above all, there was a huge throng ¢ of lords, ladies and gentlemen. George was enthusiastic about the social life of Brussels. One evening he danced with one of Lady Bareacre’s daughters. He ‘even invited the Bareacres to a grand dinner. They accepted the invitation, but they refused to speak to poor Amelia, whom they considered their social inferior. She passed a very miserable ‘evening in their company. One day Captain Crawley and Becky arrived in the city. They were travelling with General Tufto, and they mixed in the very highest military circles. George was quite proud to know the Crawleys, and to be seen around the city with them. Becky was in the very best of humours. She teased poor Jos about their old romance, and she flirted with George. Amelia was uncomfortable in her presence. She felt that Becky’s influence on her husband was not a good one. Dobbin was more forthright 5 still ‘What a humbug ® that woman is!’ he commented to Geo-ge. A grand ball was planned, and everyore was desperate to have a ticket to the social event of the year. Jos and Mrs O'Dowd 1, quartered: staying. 2. booths: little stalls ~ another reference to Bunyan’s novel Thackeray means that trivality and pleasure could still be found despite the seriousness of the war situation, 3. gambling : betting money on card games, horse racing ete 4. throng: crowd, group. S. forthright : direct. ‘6. humbug : false, insincere person,Vanity Fair were unlucky, but the Bareacres obtained tickets for Captain ‘Osborne and his wife. Dobbin was given a ticket by a general he knew. . George bought new clothes for Amelia, and drove her to the ball, She did not know anyone there, and sat by herself while her husband went off to look for his friends. Amelia was unhappy, and the only person who came to talk to her was honest Dobbin. Becky, meanwhile, had made a splendid entrance. She immediately joined the most select group of people at the ball, and was soon the centre of attention with the men there. She spoke French perfectly, and everyone wanted to dance with her, Then she spotted Amelia, and came over to join her on the bench. She criticised her clothes, commented happily on the ball, and then gave her friend a lot of advice that humiliated poor ‘Amelia even more. When George saw that Becky had joined his wife, he too hurried over to the bench. He asked Becky to dance, and she agreed, They danced by Lady Southdown from her neighbouring house. Lady Southdown was so terrifying that Miss Crawley lost all her cheerfulness. She even began to treat Briggs kindly as she moved slowly towards death. The old lady died clinging* in fear to Lady Jane. bulk : greater part. newlyweds : recently married couple, ruled over : governed, controlled clinging : holding. s Go back to the text @ say whether the following statements are true (7) or false (F), then correct the fase ones. Tr a. Miss Crawley did not think Becky was the right wife] J] for Rawdon because she was so dishonest. b. Briggs hoped that Miss Crawley would change her mind [CC] and leave her money to Rawdon, Mice Crawley enjoyed the letters that Rawden sent her. [1] [-] d. Mrs Bute Crawley had frightened Miss Crawley by talking to her about spiritual and religious matters. ©. Countess Southdown visited Miss Crawley because [-) ["] she thought that an old woman needed spiritual and religious instruction. f. Pitt made James drink so much so that he would make] ['] bad impression on Miss Crawley. & Miss Crawley was happy when she heard that Rawdon [7] [1] had become a father. 1h, Miss Crawley told bit to marry Lady Jane og 4. Lady Southdown ‘rightened Miss Crawley oo tremendously. @ Frightening spirituality Both Mrs Bute Crawley and Countess Southdown terrified Miss Cravley with religious literature and tlk. a. What frightening things do you think they talked about? Eternal life? Punishment for your sins? Hell? The importance of helping other people? The importance of forgiving? other? 1b, What kind of things had been important to Miss Crawley before she became seriously il? =ree@ For questions 1-15, read a summary of Chapters Five to Eight and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). ‘The poor newlyweds, George and Amelid; went to Brighton for their honeymoon. Miss Crawley was also at Brighton, and Becky wrote letters for Rawdon to send to Miss Crawley, hoping that she would forgive them, but (0) .witheut... success. ‘Then one day Dobbin came to see his friends, but he had serious news: their regiment was leaving (1)... Belgium to fight Napolecn. George, Amelia and Jos arrived in Brussels, followed by Rawdon and Becky. A great ball was held. Becky was a huge success with her charming ways and perfect French. 2) George saw her, he left Amelia's side, and, as if that humiliation was not (3) Becky ever came up to Amelia to give her advice. The final blow occurred when Amelia saw George give Becky a note, ‘Aiter the ball, Dobbin told George that their regiment was leaving (4). lust three hours. George returned to his wife, and when he thought (8) .. the note he felt ashamed of (6) raawrdon too was sad to leave his wife, and he let her his horses and some money. Soon Brussels was full of rumours of the defeat of the British. os, ©. as not a very brave man, became desperate to get @. from Brussels. (9) advantage of his fear, Becky sol Jus het horses for a huge amount of money. Jos then went to his sister to try and persuade her to go away with him, but she (0) nmmnue Not leave without her husband. Sadly, though, George died in that first day of battle at Waterloo, Meanwhile, Miss Crawley, who was in Brighton, read about Rawdon's bravery and (11) he had been promoted to Colonel. Still, she would not forgive him (12) nse marrying poor woman, Therest oF the family continued planning to inherit the old woman's money. Now, 3), Pitt Crawley was the old woman's favourite; she also particularly iked his fiancée Lady Jane and her mother the Countess Southdown. So, when news came that Becky had (14) birth toa son, (15) . anger, Miss Crawley told Pitt to marry Lady Jare. Now they would inherit the bulk of the cynical old woman's fortune 92 ‘Chapter NINE Life on Nothing a Year| ews was continually arriving in England of the terrible casualties ' of the Battle of Waterloo, The Osborne family learned of George's death. Old Mr Osborne was grief- stricken ? but he carried on his business as usual. He never mentioged George's name to anyone. One day Dobbin’s father, Sir William Dobbin, called at Mr Osborne's house. ‘“My.son has sent me a letter for you,’ he explained. Mr Osborne looked at the letter, and his heart began to beat quickly. The writing was his son's. it was the letter Ceorge had 1 casualties : wounded and killed 2. grief-stricken : verysad.Vanity Fair written before leaving Amelia in Brussels. Mr Osborne suffered greatly in this period. He travelled to Belgium to visit the site of the historic battlefield, and he saw George's burial-place. One evening, as he was coming back into Brussels, Mr Osborne saw a carriage driving towards him. An officer was riding by the side of it. Mr Osborne was surprised to see that one of the occupants of the carriage was his son's widow Amelia, and that the officer on horseback was his son's friend Dobbin. ‘Amelia was pale and withdrawn, ! and did not notice her father- in-law. He, however, gazed at? her in fury and hatred. ‘A few minutes later Dobbin rode up to Mr Osoorne’s carriage. He held out his hand but Mr Osborne refused to take it. ‘| have a message for you,’ Dobbin said quietly. ‘I am the executor of George's will, and am therefore responsible for his widow’s welfare. Are you aware how little money he left her?” Dobbin explained that Amelia was expecting a child. He tried to persuade Mr Osborne that the time for hatred and bitterness was gone, and that Amelia needed his support. ‘have promised to have nothing to do with that woman, sit, Mr Osborne commented angrily. ‘I shall not change my mind.’ Months now passed, and Amelia gave birth to a son. The loyal Major Dobbin was constantly in attendance upon her, and brought her back to her parents’ house in England. He became the baby's godfather. 2 The poor girl was so depressed by the death of George that she did not seem to notice the Major's 1. withdrawn ; introverted sid uncommunicative 2, gazed at : looked at intensely 53, godfather : person who takes responsibility for a child at a Baptism. 94Vanity Fair kindness to her. Dobbin, however, never dared to mention his love to her. He knew that Amelia was loyal to her husband's memory. : One day the Major came to Amelid’s house looking particularly serious. ‘'m going away ‘You'll write to me, won't you, my dear?" “ll write to you about little Georgy,’ Amelia replied with a smile. ‘How kind you've been to us, dear William!” Three or four years after their triumphant stay in Paris, Rawdon Crawley and Becky were living in a fine little house in Curzon Street, Mayfair. They entertained their friends splendidly. Yet there were few of their friends who did not sometimes wonder how Colonel Crawley managed to live so well. He did not seem to have any income at all. ‘There are rrany people in Vanity Fair who succeed very well on nothing a year. The Colonel, for example, was an excellent card-player, and excelled at billiards and other games of chance. ! He spent many evenings playing against his friends, and his winnings provided him and Becky with the small amounts of cash they required. For the rest, the couple lived on credit, as many others in Vanity Fair are obliged to do. ‘The house in Curzon Street belonged to a Mr Raggles, who had previously been Miss Crawley’s butler. After leaving Miss Crawley’s service, Mr Raggles and his wife had bought a shop selling foodstuffs. They worked hard and saved their money carefully. After many years Mr Raggles was able to buy the little "he told her. ‘I shall be gone a long time. 1. chance: gambling Life on Nothing a Year i. ¥ house in Curzon. Street. He intendedto rent out the property and was delighted to have a member of the Crawley family as hie tenant. 1 The young couple also ordered their food from the Raggles’ shop. One of Becky's first plans when they settled in London was to establish good relations with Rawdon’s brother, Pitt. He had inherited most of Miss Crawley’s fortune. Although Rawdon and Becky had their house in Mayfair and gave select little parties there, society ladies did not want anything to do with Becky. They had heard too many unpleasant stories about her from people like Lady Bareacres. Most of the visitors to Curzon Street were gentlemen. Becky found this Position humiliating, and she determined to do something about it. One of the regular visitors to the Crawley household was Lord Steyne, a great and powerful nobleman who occupied a very strong position in London society. Lord Steyne was one of Becky's greatest admirers. Becky thought that Lord Steyne could introduce her to London society. This was not a happy time for Rawdon himself. He knew that People came to the house to see his brilliant and charming wife, and that tly found him a bore. « He preterred to spend his time with his little son, Rawdon. He went for long walks with the boy, «and he took him to see his old friends at the barracks, 1. tenant : someone who pays rent for a property, 2. hore : uninteresting person, 97Go back to the text @ Answer the questions below. 1a. What did Mr Osborne do when he first heard of his son's deach? b. Why did Mr Osborne travel to Belgium? How did Mr Osborne react when he saw Amelia? |. Why did Dobbin ride up to Mr Osborne? why didn’t Dobbin tell Amelia that he was in love with her? How did Rawdon and Becky manage to live on nothing a year? g. How did Becky want to use her connection with Lord Steyne? fh, why was she particularly anxious to do so? Why wasn’t Rawdon happy with his life in his little house in Curzon Street? @ the strange behaviour ofthe people of Vanity Fair |. How would you explain Mr Osborne's reaction to his son's death and to Amelia? 7 ‘Was he angry just because he son disobeyed him for a woman? Or was he so sbsessed with money that he could not bear the thought that his son chose to marry a poor woman? Other? Explain your b. why do yeu think mr Raggles was delighted to have a member of the Crawley family as his tenant? €. Do the people who live in today’s Vanity Fair still succeed in living con nothing a year (for example, buying with credit cards or in instalmen:s)? OE @ cunt ES Se ESR and the Rich For questions 1-9, read the text below, Use the words given in capitals at the end of the lines to form a'Word that fits in the space in the ‘same line. There is an example at the beginning (0). ‘There are many people in Vanity Fair who succeed very well on nothing a year. Rawdon manages to live on nothing The Colonel was an excellent GAMBLE card-player, and the (1). spent their time gambling. Cards were indeed an 2 of the upper classes during the early opsess 1800s. Many lost their fortunes and (8). wu this REPUTE way. For example, Beau Brummel (1778-1840), who became the authority of the English court in matters of dress and who came to Brussels MEN etiquette, went bankrupt from gambling and in 1816 fled from his (4) to France. cREDIT ‘There is even a legend that attributes the origin of the sandwich to upper-class gambling, John Mentagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, was so (5) togames of chance ADDICT that he made his servants bring him his meals to the ‘gaming tables in a convenient form. Thackeray was not above all this. He entered Cambridge in 1829 but he never received a degree. Instead, he left with a passion for fine (6) the theatre and gambling.One DINE evening he lost £1,500 to (2) . players. HONEST Thackeray's diaries show that he felt (®) 7 AWE, about this. and that he was desperate to free himself roti his (@) DEPEND 29Before you read @® @ tisten to the first part of Chapter Ten. For questions 1-5, choose the best answer, A, Bor C. 4 Where did Jos go after his time in Brussels? A (Brighton B [J tendon c [J india 2. Amelia only thought about ‘A (_|her father’s business. B [_|herson. [her dead husband. 3. Who did young George look like? A [J his father B [J hismother cc [| his grandfather 4 Rawdon could not understand why Becky wanted to go to his father's funeral because ‘A [-) hewas not going to inherit his father’s property. B.D This family did not like her. cE] she did not like his family. 5 Where was Major Dobbin? A [_] at waterloo B [J inLondon c [Jinindia 100 Chapter TEN | Mislcading Letters | =p 7) 0: Secey returned to india after his adventures Go in Brussels. He sent a small amount of money 6D to his parents to maintain their modest little = house in Fulham, The Sedley household lived in a very small way. ! Old Mr Sedley tried various little business schemes in an effort to recover his fortune, but all of them came to nothing. Amelia herself had no thoughts for anything except her son. ‘The,family received few visitors now that Dobbin was abroad again, although the local curate? at the church where they 1. ima very small way : on very litle money. 2. curate :junior member of the clergy. 401Vanity Fair worshipped ' called quite often. People said the reason for his calls was Amelia, but she took little notice of the young man. ‘The years went by, and George grew into a healthy young boy. He was full of energy, and everyone said he looked just like his father. Old Sir Pitt Crawley died, to the relief of all his family. He had become increasingly eccentric in his final years, and his behaviour had been a scandal throughout the county. His son, Pitt, inherited the property and the title, and as he had already inherited Miss Crawley’s fortune, he was now a man of substance? and importance. His thoughts turned to a career in politics. Rawdon and Becky were, of course, invited to attend the old man's funeral at Queen's Crawley. Becky received the invitation with delight. “why are you so happy about it?’ Rawdon asked in astonishment. ‘There's no money coming to me from my father’s death. You don’t really want to go, do you?" ‘Of course we're going!’ Becky cried. ‘Lady Jane shall present me at Court 3 next year, and Pitt will give you a seat in Parliament! ‘hat about little Rawdy — is he coming with us?’ Rawdon asked tenderly. He did not like being parted from his son for more than a few days. 1. worshipped: attended church services. 2. substance : (here) wealth, 3, present me at Court : women who were formally introduced to the fronarch were presumed to have no moral failings, and were thus ucpled in society. ie RGVanity Fair ‘Noy! said Becky, ‘he can stay here with Briggs — she'll look after him.’ The faithful Briggs had come to work for the young couple after Miss Crawley’s death, The visit was a great success for Becky. She behaved herself with modesty and tact in front of the new Sir Pitt Crawley, and flattered his political ambitions. She talked sentimentally about her son in front of the kind-hearted Lady Jane, and won that lady's friendship. With Lady Jane's mother, the Countess of Southdown, she talked religion. ‘Amelia, meanwhile, wrote regularly to Major Dobbin, who was with the army in India. She gave him all the news about Georgy. She also visited his sisters sometimes. One day the sisters told her some important news. “william’s geting married.’ She wrote to congratulate him, and to wish him happiness for the future, Georgy went to see Dobbin's sisters by himself sometimes, and he came back from one such visit wearing a beautiful gold watch. He said that a lady had given it to him. Amelia guessed that the lady was a member of the Osborne family. In fact, it was George Osborne's sister, who had also been visiting the Dobbin sisters. When Miss Osborne arrived home that afternoon, she told old Mr Osborne that she had seen Georgy. ‘He looks just like his father,’ she said tearfully. ‘The old man did not reply, but he went very red in the face and began to shake with emotion. He still hated the Sedleys, but 1, tearfully : crying. 104 eo Misleading Letters he wanted to see his grandson. sl6vily a plan began to form in his mind. Dobbin was astonished to receive Amelia’s letter congratulating him on his coming marriage. it was true that Peggy O'Dowd had been trying to persuade him to marry a relative of hers, but Dobbin was in love with Amelia. He was not interested in any other girls. When he read Amelia’s letter he realised that she did not understand what he felt for her. ‘Don't you realise that it's you I love?" he thought. ‘Don't you remember how I looked after you when George was killed — how "brought you safely back to England?’ A little while later Dobbin received another letter from England. His sisters told him about Amelia. ‘She's going to mary the curate at her local churct to live with his grandfather.’ Both pieces of news disturbed Dobbin very much. ‘Amelia will not marry again,’ he thought, ‘and I'm sure she'll never give up! Georgy to Mr Osborne.’ He suspected that she ” they wrote. ‘And Georgy is going was in trouble, and once again he was determined to help her. He immediately asked for urgent leave? to go to England. 4. give up : hand over, sacrifice. 2. tem permission. 105Go back to the text @ say whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F), then correct the false ones. Te a. Jos Sedley was very generous with his family oo b. Mr Sediey became successful in business again, oo