Page 861 - vanity-fair

Chapter LV

In Which the Same

Subject is Pursued

Becky did not rally from the state of stupor and confu-
sion in which the events of the previous night had plunged
her intrepid spirit until the bells of the Curzon Street Cha-
pels were ringing for afternoon service, and rising from her
bed she began to ply her own bell, in order to summon the
French maid who had left her some hours before.
Mrs. Rawdon Crawley rang many times in vain; and
though, on the last occasion, she rang with such vehemence
as to pull down the bellrope, Mademoiselle Fifine did not
make her appearance—no, not though her mistress, in
a great pet, and with the bell-rope in her hand, came out
to the landing-place with her hair over her shoulders and
screamed out repeatedly for her attendant.
The truth is, she had quitted the premises for many
hours, and upon that permission which is called French
leave among us After picking up the trinkets in the drawing-
room, Mademoiselle had ascended to her own apartments,
packed and corded her own boxes there, tripped out and

861