vanity fair(名利场)-第112节

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pony…chaise；　which　was　for　the　use　of　the　servants　at
the　Hall。　　The　domestics　were　dismissed　at　her　pleasure。
The　Scotch　gardener；　who　still　lingered　on　the　premises；
taking　a　pride　in　his　walls　and　hot…houses；　and　indeed
making　a　pretty　good　livelihood　by　the　garden；　which　he
farmed；　and　of　which　he　sold　the　produce　at　Southampton；
found　the　Ribbons　eating　peaches　on　a　sunshiny　morning
at　the　south…wall；　and　had　his　ears　boxed　when　he
remonstrated　about　this　attack　on　his　property。　　He　and
his　Scotch　wife　and　his　Scotch　children；　the　only
respectable　inhabitants　of　Queen's　Crawley；　were　forced　to
migrate；　with　their　goods　and　their　chattels；　and　left　the
stately　comfortable　gardens　to　go　to　waste；　and　the
flower…beds　to　run　to　seed。　　Poor　Lady　Crawley's　rose…garden
became　the　dreariest　wilderness。　　Only　two　or　three
domestics　shuddered　in　the　bleak　old　servants'　hall。　　The
stables　and　offices　were　vacant；　and　shut　up；　and　half
ruined。　　Sir　Pitt　lived　in　private；　and　boozed　nightly　with
Horrocks；　his　butler　or　house…steward　（as　he　now　began
to　be　called）；　and　the　abandoned　Ribbons。　　The　times
were　very　much　changed　since　the　period　when　she　drove
to　Mudbury　in　the　spring…cart　and　called　the　small　tradesmen
〃Sir。〃　It　may　have　been　shame；　or　it　may　have　been
dislike　of　his　neighbours；　but　the　old　Cynic　of　Queen's
Crawley　hardly　issued　from　his　park…gates　at　all　now。　　He
quarrelled　with　his　agents　and　screwed　his　tenants　by
letter。　　His　days　were　passed　in　conducting　his　own
correspondence；　the　lawyers　and　farm…bailiffs　who　had　to
do　business　with　him　could　not　reach　him　but　through　the
Ribbons；　who　received　them　at　the　door　of　the
housekeeper's　room；　which　commanded　the　back　entrance　by
which　they　were　admitted；　and　so　the　Baronet's　daily
perplexities　increased；　and　his　embarrassments　multiplied
round　him。
The　horror　of　Pitt　Crawley　may　be　imagined；　as　these
reports　of　his　father's　dotage　reached　the　most　exemplary
and　correct　of　gentlemen。　　He　trembled　daily　lest　he　should
hear　that　the　Ribbons　was　proclaimed　his　second　legal
mother…in…law。　　After　that　first　and　last　visit；　his　father's
name　was　never　mentioned　in　Pitt's　polite　and　genteel
establishment。　　It　was　the　skeleton　in　his　house；　and　all　the
family　walked　by　it　in　terror　and　silence。　　The　Countess
Southdown　kept　on　dropping　per　coach　at　the　lodge…gate
the　most　exciting　tracts；　tracts　which　ought　to　frighten
the　hair　off　your　head。　　Mrs。　Bute　at　the　parsonage
nightly　looked　out　to　see　if　the　sky　was　red　over　the
elms　behind　which　the　Hall　stood；　and　the　mansion　was　on
fire。　　Sir　G。　　Wapshot　and　Sir　H。　　Fuddlestone；　old　friends　of
the　house；　wouldn't　sit　on　the　bench　with　Sir　Pitt　at
Quarter　Sessions；　and　cut　him　dead　in　the　High　Street
of　Southampton；　where　the　reprobate　stood　offering　his
dirty　old　hands　to　them。　　Nothing　had　any　effect　upon　him；
he　put　his　hands　into　his　pockets；　and　burst　out　laughing；
as　he　scrambled　into　his　carriage　and　four；　he　used　to
burst　out　laughing　at　Lady　Southdown's　tracts；　and　he
laughed　at　his　sons；　and　at　the　world；　and　at　the
Ribbons　when　she　was　angry；　which　was　not　seldom。
Miss　Horrocks　was　installed　as　housekeeper　at　Queen's
Crawley；　and　ruled　all　the　domestics　there　with　great
majesty　and　rigour。　　All　the　servants　were　instructed　to
address　her　as　〃Mum；〃　or　〃Madam〃and　there　was　one
little　maid；　on　her　promotion；　who　persisted　in　calling
her　〃My　Lady；〃　without　any　rebuke　on　the　part　of　the
housekeeper。　　〃There　has　been　better　ladies；　and　there
has　been　worser；　Hester；〃　was　Miss　Horrocks'　reply　to
this　compliment　of　her　inferior；　so　she　ruled；　having
supreme　power　over　all　except　her　father；　whom；
however；　she　treated　with　considerable　haughtiness；　warning
him　not　to　be　too　familiar　in　his　behaviour　to　one　〃as　was
to　be　a　Baronet's　lady。〃　Indeed；　she　rehearsed　that　exalted
part　in　life　with　great　satisfaction　to　herself；　and　to　the
amusement　of　old　Sir　Pitt；　who　chuckled　at　her　airs　and
graces；　and　would　laugh　by　the　hour　together　at　her
assumptions　of　dignity　and　imitations　of　genteel　life。
He　swore　it　was　as　good　as　a　play　to　see　her　in　the
character　of　a　fine　dame；　and　he　made　her　put　on　one　of
the　first　Lady　Crawley's　court…dresses；　swearing　（entirely
to　Miss　Horrocks'　own　concurrence）　that　the　dress
became　her　prodigiously；　and　threatening　to　drive　her　off
that　very　instant　to　Court　in　a　coach…and…four。　　She　had
the　ransacking　of　the　wardrobes　of　the　two　defunct　ladies；
and　cut　and　hacked　their　posthumous　finery　so　as　to　suit
her　own　tastes　and　figure。　　And　she　would　have　liked　to
take　possession　of　their　jewels　and　trinkets　too；　but　the
old　Baronet　had　locked　them　away　in　his　private　cabinet；
nor　could　she　coax　or　wheedle　him　out　of　the　keys。　　And
it　is　a　fact；　that　some　time　after　she　left　Queen's　Crawley
a　copy…book　belonging　to　this　lady　was　discovered；　which
showed　that　she　had　taken　great　pains　in　private　to　learn
the　art　of　writing　in　general；　and　especially　of　writing
her　own　name　as　Lady　Crawley；　Lady　Betsy　Horrocks；
Lady　Elizabeth　Crawley；　&c。
Though　the　good　people　of　the　Parsonage　never　went　to
the　Hall　and　shunned　the　horrid　old　dotard　its　owner；　yet
they　kept　a　strict　knowledge　of　all　that　happened　there；
and　were　looking　out　every　day　for　the　catastrophe　for
which　Miss　Horrocks　was　also　eager。　　But　Fate　intervened
enviously　and　prevented　her　from　receiving　the　reward　due
to　such　immaculate　love　and　virtue。
One　day　the　Baronet　surprised　〃her　ladyship；〃　as　he
jocularly　called　her；　seated　at　that　old　and　tuneless　piano
in　the　drawing…room；　which　had　scarcely　been　touched
since　Becky　Sharp　played　quadrilles　upon　itseated　at
the　piano　with　the　utmost　gravity　and　squalling　to　the
best　of　her　power　in　imitation　of　the　music　which　she
had　sometimes　heard。　　The　little　kitchen…maid　on　her
promotion　was　standing　at　her　mistress's　side；　quite　delighted
during　the　operation；　and　wagging　her　head　up　and　down
and　crying；　〃Lor；　Mum；　'tis　bittiful〃just　like　a　genteel
sycophant　in　a　real　drawing…room。
This　incident　made　the　old　Baronet　roar　with　laughter；
as　usual。　　He　narrated　the　circumstance　a　dozen　times　to
Horrocks　in　the　course　of　the　evening；　and　greatly　to　the
discomfiture　of　Miss　Horrocks。　　He　thrummed　on　the　table
as　if　it　had　been　a　musical　instrument；　and　squalled　in
imitation　of　her　manner　of　singing。　　He　vowed　that　such
a　beautiful　voice　ought　to　be　cultivated　and　declared　she
ought　to　have　singing…masters；　in　which　proposals　she
saw　nothing　ridiculous。　　He　was　in　great　spirits　that　night；
and　drank　with　his　friend　and　butler　an　extraordinary
quantity　of　rum…and…waterat　a　very　late　hour　the
faithful　friend　and　domestic　conducted　his　master　to　his
bedroom。
Half　an　hour　afterwards　there　was　a　great　hurry　and
bustle　in　the　house。　　Lights　went　about　from　window　to
window　in　the　lonely　desolate　old　Hall；　whereof　but　two　or
three　rooms　were　ordinarily　occupied　by　its　owner。
Presently；　a　boy　on　a　pony　went　galloping　off　to　Mudbury；
to　the　Doctor's　house　there。　　And　in　another　hour　（by
which　fact　we　ascertain　how　carefully　the　excellent　Mrs。
Bute　Crawley　had　always　kept　up　an　understanding　with
the　great　house）；　that　lady　in　her　clogs　and　calash；　the
Reverend　Bute　Crawley；　and　James　Crawley；　her　son；
had　walked　over　from　the　Rectory　through　the　park；　and
had　entered　the　mansion　by　the　open　hall…door。
They　passed　through　the　hall　and　the　small　oak　parlour；
on　the　table　of　which　stood　the　three　tumblers　and　the
empty　rum…bottle　which　had　served　for　Sir　Pitt's　carouse；
and　through　that　apartment　into　Sir　Pitt's　study；　where
they　found　Miss　Horrocks；　of　the　guilty　ribbons；　with　a
wild　air；　trying　at　the　presses　and　escritoires　with　a
bunch　of　keys。　　She　dropped　them　with　a　scream　of
terror；　as　little　Mrs。　Bute's　eyes　flashed　out　at　her　from
under　her　black　calash。
〃Look　at　that；　James　and　Mr。　Crawley；？〃　cried　Mrs。
Bute；　pointing　at　the　scared　figure　of　the　black…eyed；
guilty　wench。
〃He　gave　'em　me；　he　gave　'em　me！〃　she　cried。
〃Gave　them　you；　you　abandoned　creature！〃　screamed
Mrs。　Bute。　　〃Bear　witness；　Mr。　Crawley；　we　found　this
good…for…nothing　woman　in　the　act　of　stealing　your
brother's　property；　and　she　will　be　hanged；　as　I　always
said　she　would。〃
Betsy　Horrocks；　quite　daunted；　flung　herself　down　on
her　knees；　bursting　into　tears。　　But　those　who　know　a　really
good　woman　are　aware　that　she　is　not　in　a　hurry　to
forgive；　and　that　the　humiliation　of　an　enemy　is　a　triumph
to　her　soul。
〃Ring　the　bell；　James；〃　Mrs。　Bute　said。　　〃Go　on　ringing　it
till　the　people　come。〃　The　three　or　four　domestics
resident　in　the　deserted　old　house　came　presently　at　that
jangling　and　continued　summons。
〃Put　that　woman　in　the　strong…room；〃　she　said。　　〃We
caught　her　in　the　act　of　robbing　Sir　Pitt。　　Mr。　Crawley；
you'll　make　out　her　committaland；　Beddoes；　you'll
drive　her　over　in　the　spring　cart；　in　the　morning；　to
Southampton　Gaol。〃
〃My　dear；〃　interposed　the　Magistrate　and　Rector
〃she's　only〃
〃Are　there　no　handcuffs？〃　Mrs。　Bute　continued；
stamping　in　her　clogs。　　〃There　used　to　be　handcuffs。
Where's　the　creature's　abominable　father？〃
〃He　DID　give　'em　me；〃　still　cried　poor　Betsy；　〃didn't
he；　Hester？