vanity fair(名利场)-第102节

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Marker；〃　and　had　such　a　conversation　with　him　that　no
duel　took　place。　　If　Rebecca　had　not　gone　on　her　knees
to　General　Tufto；　Crawley　would　have　been　sent　back
to　England；　and　he　did　not　play；　except　with　civilians；
for　some　weeks　after。
But；　in　spite　of　Rawdon's　undoubted　skill　and　constant
successes；　it　became　evident　to　Rebecca；　considering
these　things；　that　their　position　was　but　a　precarious
one；　and　that；　even　although　they　paid　scarcely　anybody；
their　little　capital　would　end　one　day　by　dwindling　into
zero。　　〃Gambling；〃　she　would　say；　〃dear；　is　good　to　help
your　income；　but　not　as　an　income　itself。　　Some　day
people　may　be　tired　of　play；　and　then　where　are　we？〃
Rawdon　acquiesced　in　the　justice　of　her　opinion；　and　in
truth　he　had　remarked　that　after　a　few　nights　of　his
little　suppers；　&c。；　gentlemen　were　tired　of　play　with　him；
and；　in　spite　of　Rebecca's　charms；　did　not　present
themselves　very　eagerly。
Easy　and　pleasant　as　their　life　at　Paris　was；　it　was
after　all　only　an　idle　dalliance　and　amiable　trifling；　and
Rebecca　saw　that　she　must　push　Rawdon's　fortune　in
their　own　country。　　She　must　get　him　a　place　or　appointment
at　home　or　in　the　colonies；　and　she　determined　to
make　a　move　upon　England　as　soon　as　the　way　could　be
cleared　for　her。　　As　a　first　step　she　had　made　Crawley
sell　out　of　the　Guards　and　go　on　half…pay。　　His　function
as　aide…de…camp　to　General　Tufto　had　ceased　previously。
Rebecca　laughed　in　all　companies　at　that　officer；　at　his
toupee　（which　he　mounted　on　coming　to　Paris）；　at　his
waistband；　at　his　false　teeth；　at　his　pretensions　to　be　a
lady…killer　above　all；　and　his　absurd　vanity　in　fancying
every　woman　whom　he　came　near　was　in　love　with
him。　　It　was　to　Mrs。　Brent；　the　beetle…browed　wife　of
Mr。　Commissary　Brent；　to　whom　the　general　transferred
his　attentions　nowhis　bouquets；　his　dinners　at　the
restaurateurs'；　his　opera…boxes；　and　his　knick…knacks。　　Poor
Mrs。　Tufto　was　no　more　happy　than　before；　and　had　still
to　pass　long　evenings　alone　with　her　daughters；　knowing
that　her　General　was　gone　off　scented　and　curled　to
stand　behind　Mrs。　Brent's　chair　at　the　play。　　Becky　had　a
dozen　admirers　in　his　place；　to　be　sure；　and　could　cut
her　rival　to　pieces　with　her　wit。　　But；　as　we　have　said；　she。
was　growing　tired　of　this　idle　social　life：　　opera…boxes　and
restaurateur　dinners　palled　upon　her：　　nosegays　could　not
be　laid　by　as　a　provision　for　future　years：　　and　she　could
not　live　upon　knick…knacks；　laced　handkerchiefs；　and　kid
gloves。　　She　felt　the　frivolity　of　pleasure　and　longed　for
more　substantial　benefits。
At　this　juncture　news　arrived　which　was　spread　among
the　many　creditors　of　the　Colonel　at　Paris；　and　which
caused　them　great　satisfaction。　　Miss　Crawley；　the　rich
aunt　from　whom　he　expected　his　immense　inheritance；
was　dying；　the　Colonel　must　haste　to　her　bedside。　　Mrs。
Crawley　and　her　child　would　remain　behind　until　he
came　to　reclaim　them。　　He　departed　for　Calais；　and　having
reached　that　place　in　safety；　it　might　have　been
supposed　that　he　went　to　Dover；　but　instead　he　took　the
diligence　to　Dunkirk；　and　thence　travelled　to　Brussels；
for　which　place　he　had　a　former　predilection。　　The　fact
is；　he　owed　more　money　at　London　than　at　Paris；　and　he
preferred　the　quiet　little　Belgian　city　to　either　of　the　more
noisy　capitals。
Her　aunt　was　dead。　　Mrs。　Crawley　ordered　the　most
intense　mourning　for　herself　and　little　Rawdon。　　The　Colonel
was　busy　arranging　the　affairs　of　the　inheritance。　　They
could　take　the　premier　now；　instead　of　the　little　entresol
of　the　hotel　which　they　occupied。　　Mrs。　Crawley　and　the
landlord　had　a　consultation　about　the　new　hangings；
an　amicable　wrangle　about　the　carpets；　and　a　final　adjustment
of　everything　except　the　bill。　　She　went　off　in　one
of　his　carriages；　her　French　bonne　with　her；　the　child
by　her　side；　the　admirable　landlord　and　landlady　smiling
farewell　to　her　from　the　gate。　　General　Tufto　was　furious
when　he　heard　she　was　gone；　and　Mrs。　Brent　furious
with　him　for　being　furious；　Lieutenant　Spooney　was　cut
to　the　heart；　and　the　landlord　got　ready　his　best　apartments
previous　to　the　return　of　the　fascinating　little
woman　and　her　husband。　　He　serred　the　trunks　which
she　left　in　his　charge　with　the　greatest　care。　　They　had　been
especially　recommended　to　him　by　Madame　Crawley。　　They
were　not；　however；　found　to　be　particularly　valuable
when　opened　some　time　after。
But　before　she　went　to　join　her　husband　in　the　Belgic
capital；　Mrs。　Crawley　made　an　expedition　into　England；
leaving　behind　her　her　little　son　upon　the　continent；
under　the　care　of　her　French　maid。
The　parting　between　Rebecca　and　the　little　Rawdon　did
not　cause　either　party　much　pain。　　She　had　not；　to　say
truth；　seen　much　of　the　young　gentleman　since　his　birth。
After　the　amiable　fashion　of　French　mothers；　she　had
placed　him　out　at　nurse　in　a　village　in　the　neighbourhood
of　Paris；　where　little　Rawdon　passed　the　first　months　of
his　life；　not　unhappily；　with　a　numerous　family　of
foster…brothers　in　wooden　shoes。　　His　father　would　ride　over
many　a　time　to　see　him　here；　and　the　elder　Rawdon's
paternal　heart　glowed　to　see　him　rosy　and　dirty；
shouting　lustily；　and　happy　in　the　making　of　mud…pies
under　the　superintendence　of　the　gardener's　wife；　his
nurse。
Rebecca　did　not　care　much　to　go　and　see　the　son
and　heir。　　Once　he　spoiled　a　new　dove…coloured　pelisse
of　hers。　　He　preferred　his　nurse's　caresses　to　his　mamma's；
and　when　finally　he　quitted　that　jolly　nurse　and　almost
parent；　he　cried　loudly　for　hours。　　He　was　only　consoled
by　his　mother's　promise　that　he　should　return　to　his　nurse
the　next　day；　indeed　the　nurse　herself；　who　probably
would　have　been　pained　at　the　parting　too；　was　told　that
the　child　would　immediately　be　restored　to　her；　and　for
some　time　awaited　quite　anxiously　his　return。
In　fact；　our　friends　may　be　said　to　have　been　among
the　first　of　that　brood　of　hardy　English　adventurers　who
have　subsequently　invaded　the　Continent　and　swindled
in　all　the　capitals　of　Europe。　　The　respect　in　those　happy
days　of　1817…18　was　very　great　for　the　wealth　and
honour　of　Britons。　　They　had　not　then　learned；　as　I　am
told；　to　haggle　for　bargains　with　the　pertinacity　which
now　distinguishes　them。　　The　great　cities　of　Europe　had
not　been　as　yet　open　to　the　enterprise　of　our　rascals。
And　whereas　there　is　now　hardly　a　town　of　France　or
Italy　in　which　you　shall　not　see　some　noble　countryman
of　our　own；　with　that　happy　swagger　and　insolence
of　demeanour　which　we　carry　everywhere；　swindling
inn…landlords；　passing　fictitious　cheques　upon　credulous
bankers；　robbing　coach…makers　of　their　carriages；　goldsmiths
of　their　trinkets；　easy　travellers　of　their　money　at　cards；
even　public　libraries　of　their　booksthirty　years　ago　you
needed　but　to　be　a　Milor　Anglais；　travelling　in　a　private
carriage；　and　credit　was　at　your　hand　wherever　you　chose
to　seek　it；　and　gentlemen；　instead　of　cheating；　were
cheated。　　It　was　not　for　some　weeks　after　the　Crawleys'
departure　that　the　landlord　of　the　hotel　which　they
occupied　during　their　residence　at　Paris　found　out　the　losses
which　he　had　sustained：　　not　until　Madame　Marabou；　the
milliner；　made　repeated　visits　with　her　little　bill　for
articles　supplied　to　Madame　Crawley；　not　until　Monsieur
Didelot　from　Boule　d'Or　in　the　Palais　Royal　had　asked
half　a　dozen　times　whether　cette　charmante　Miladi　who
had　bought　watches　and　bracelets　of　him　was　de　retour。
It　is　a　fact　that　even　the　poor　gardener's　wife；　who
had　nursed　madame's　child；　was　never　paid　after　the
first　six　months　for　that　supply　of　the　milk　of　human
kindness　with　which　she　had　furnished　the　lusty　and
healthy　little　Rawdon。　　No；　not　even　the　nurse　was　paid
the　Crawleys　were　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　remember
their　trifling　debt　to　her。　　As　for　the　landlord　of　the　hotel；
his　curses　against　the　English　nation　were　violent　for　the
rest　of　his　natural　life。　　He　asked　all　travellers　whether
they　knew　a　certain　Colonel　Lor　Crawleyavec　sa
femme　une　petite　dame；　tres　spirituelle。　　〃Ah；
Monsieur！〃　he　would　add〃ils　m'ont　affreusement　vole。〃　It
was　melancholy　to　hear　his　accents　as　he　spoke　of　that
catastrophe。
Rebecca's　object　in　her　journey　to　London　was　to
effect　a　kind　of　compromise　with　her　husband's　numerous
creditors；　and　by　offering　them　a　dividend　of　ninepence
or　a　shilling　in　the　pound；　to　secure　a　return　for　him　into
his　own　country。　　It　does　not　become　us　to　trace　the　steps
which　she　took　in　the　conduct　of　this　most　difficult
negotiation；　but；　having　shown　them　to　their　satisfaction
that　the　sum　which　she　was　empowered　to　offer　was　all
her　husband's　available　capital；　and　having　convinced
them　that　Colonel　Crawley　would　prefer　a　perpetual
retirement　on　the　Continent　to　a　residence　in　this　country
with　his　debts　unsettled；　having　proved　to　them　that　there
was　no　possibility　of　money　accruing　to　him　from　other
quarters；　and　no　earthly　chance　of　their　getting　a　larger
dividend　than　that　which　she　was　empowered　to　offer；
she　brought　the　Colonel's　creditors　unanimously　to
accept　her　proposals；　and　purchased　with　fifteen　hundred
pounds　of　ready　money　more　than　ten　times　that　amount
of　debts。
Mrs。　Crawley　employed　no　la