vanity fair(名利场)-第113节

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Where's　the　creature's　abominable　father？〃
〃He　DID　give　'em　me；〃　still　cried　poor　Betsy；　〃didn't
he；　Hester？　You　saw　Sir　Pittyou　know　you　did
give　'em　me；　ever　so　long　agothe　day　after　Mudbury
fair：　　not　that　I　want　'em。　　Take　'em　if　you　think　they
ain't　mine。〃　And　here　the　unhappy　wretch　pulled　out
from　her　pocket　a　large　pair　of　paste　shoe…buckles　which
had　excited　her　admiration；　and　which　she　had　just
appropriated　out　of　one　of　the　bookcases　in　the　study；
where　they　had　lain。
〃Law；　Betsy；　how　could　you　go　for　to　tell　such　a　wicked
story！〃　said　Hester；　the　little　kitchen…maid　late　on　her
promotion〃and　to　Madame　Crawley；　so　good　and　kind；
and　his　Rev'rince　（with　a　curtsey）；　and　you　may　search
all　MY　boxes；　Mum；　I'm　sure；　and　here's　my　keys　as　I'm
an　honest　girl；　though　of　pore　parents　and　workhouse
bredand　if　you　find　so　much　as　a　beggarly　bit　of　lace
or　a　silk　stocking　out　of　all　the　gownds　as　YOU'VE　had　the
picking　of；　may　I　never　go　to　church　agin。〃
〃Give　up　your　keys；　you　hardened　hussy；〃　hissed　out
the　virtuous　little　lady　in　the　calash。
〃And　here's　a　candle；　Mum；　and　if　you　please；　Mum；
I　can　show　you　her　room；　Mum；　and　the　press　in　the
housekeeper's　room；　Mum；　where　she　keeps　heaps　and
heaps　of　things；　Mum；〃　cried　out　the　eager　little　Hester
with　a　profusion　of　curtseys。
〃Hold　your　tongue；　if　you　please。　　I　know　the　room
which　the　creature　occupies　perfectly　well。　　Mrs。　Brown；
have　the　goodness　to　come　with　me；　and　Beddoes　don't
you　lose　sight　of　that　woman；〃　said　Mrs。　Bute；　seizing　the
candle。　　〃Mr。　Crawley；　you　had　better　go　upstairs　and
see　that　they　are　not　murdering　your　unfortunate　brother〃
and　the　calash；　escorted　by　Mrs。　Brown；　walked　away
to　the　apartment　which；　as　she　said　truly；　she　knew
perfectly　well。
Bute　went　upstairs　and　found　the　Doctor　from
Mudbury；　with　the　frightened　Horrocks　over　his　master　in　a
chair。　　They　were　trying　to　bleed　Sir　Pitt　Crawley。
With　the　early　morning　an　express　was　sent　off　to　Mr。
Pitt　Crawley　by　the　Rector's　lady；　who　assumed　the
command　of　everything；　and　had　watched　the　old　Baronet
through　the　night。　　He　had　been　brought　back　to　a　sort　of
life；　he　could　not　speak；　but　seemed　to　recognize　people。
Mrs。　Bute　kept　resolutely　by　his　bedside。　　She　never　seemed
to　want　to　sleep；　that　little　woman；　and　did　not　close　her
fiery　black　eyes　once；　though　the　Doctor　snored　in　the
arm…chair。　　Horrocks　made　some　wild　efforts　to　assert
his　authority　and　assist　his　master；　but　Mrs。　Bute　called
him　a　tipsy　old　wretch　and　bade　him　never　show　his　face
again　in　that　house；　or　he　should　be　transported　like　his
abominable　daughter。
Terrified　by　her　manner；　he　slunk　down　to　the　oak
parlour　where　Mr。　James　was；　who；　having　tried　the
bottle　standing　there　and　found　no　liquor　in　it；　ordered
Mr。　Horrocks　to　get　another　bottle　of　rum；　which　he
fetched；　with　clean　glasses；　and　to　which　the　Rector　and
his　son　sat　down；　ordering　Horrocks　to　put　down　the　keys
at　that　instant　and　never　to　show　his　face　again。
Cowed　by　this　behaviour；　Horrocks　gave　up　the　keys；
and　he　and　his　daughter　slunk　off　silently　through　the
night　and　gave　up　possession　of　the　house　of　Queen's
Crawley。

CHAPTER　XL
In　Which　Becky　Is　Recognized　by　the　Family
The　heir　of　Crawley　arrived　at　home；　in　due　time；　after
this　catastrophe；　and　henceforth　may　be　said　to　have
reigned　in　Queen's　Crawley。　　For　though　the　old　Baronet
survived　many　months；　he　never　recovered　the　use　of
his　intellect　or　his　speech　completely；　and　the　government
of　the　estate　devolved　upon　his　elder　son。　　In　a
strange　condition　Pitt　found　it。　　Sir　Pitt　was　always　buying
and　mortgaging；　he　had　twenty　men　of　business；　and
quarrels　with　each；　quarrels　with　all　his　tenants；　and
lawsuits　with　them；　lawsuits　with　the　lawyers；　lawsuits
with　the　Mining　and　Dock　Companies　in　which　he　was
proprietor；　and　with　every　person　with　whom　he　had
business。　　To　unravel　these　difficulties　and　to　set　the
estate　clear　was　a　task　worthy　of　the　orderly　and
persevering　diplomatist　of　Pumpernickel；　and　he　set
himself　to　work　with　prodigious　assiduity。　　His　whole　family；
of　course；　was　transported　to　Queen's　Crawley；　whither
Lady　Southdown；　of　course；　came　too；　and　she　set　about
converting　the　parish　under　the　Rector's　nose；　and
brought　down　her　irregular　clergy　to　the　dismay　of　the
angry　Mrs　Bute。　　Sir　Pitt　had　concluded　no　bargain　for
the　sale　of　the　living　of　Queen's　Crawley；　when　it　should
drop；　her　Ladyship　proposed　to　take　the　patronage　into
her　own　hands　and　present　a　young　protege　to　the
Rectory；　on　which　subject　the　diplomatic　Pitt　said
nothing。
Mrs。　Bute's　intentions　with　regard　to　Miss　Betsy
Horrocks　were　not　carried　into　effect；　and　she　paid　no　visit
to　Southampton　Gaol。　　She　and　her　father　left　the　Hall
when　the　latter　took　possession　of　the　Crawley　Arms　in
the　village；　of　which　he　had　got　a　lease　from　Sir　Pitt。
The　ex…butler　had　obtained　a　small　freehold　there
likewise；　which　gave　him　a　vote　for　the　borough。　　The　Rector
had　another　of　these　votes；　and　these　and　four　others
formed　the　representative　body　which　returned　the　two
members　for　Queen's　Crawley。
There　was　a　show　of　courtesy　kept　up　between　the
Rectory　and　the　Hall　ladies；　between　the　younger　ones　at
least；　for　Mrs。　Bute　and　Lady　Southdown　never　could
meet　without　battles；　and　gradually　ceased　seeing　each
other。　　Her　Ladyship　kept　her　room　when　the　ladies　from
the　Rectory　visited　their　cousins　at　the　Hall。　　Perhaps　Mr。
Pitt　was　not　very　much　displeased　at　these　occasional
absences　of　his　mamma…in…law。　　He　believed　the　Binkie
family　to　be　the　greatest　and　wisest　and　most　interesting
in　the　world；　and　her　Ladyship　and　his　aunt　had　long　held
ascendency　over　him；　but　sometimes　he　felt　that　she
commanded　him　too　much。　　To　be　considered　young　was
complimentary；　doubtless；　but　at　six…and…forty　to　be
treated　as　a　boy　was　sometimes　mortifying。　　Lady　Jane
yielded　up　everything；　however；　to　her　mother。　　She　was
only　fond　of　her　children　in　private；　and　it　was　lucky
for　her　that　Lady　Southdown's　multifarious　business；　her
conferences　with　ministers；　and　her　correspondence　with
all　the　missionaries　of　Africa；　Asia；　aud　Australasia；　&c。；
occupied　the　venerable　Countess　a　great　deal；　so　that
she　had　but　little　time　to　devote　to　her　granddaughter；
the　little　Matilda；　and　her　grandson；　Master　Pitt　Crawley。
The　latter　was　a　feeble　child；　and　it　was　only　by
prodigious　quantities　of　calomel　that　Lady　Southdown　was
able　to　keep　him　in　life　at　all。
As　for　Sir　Pitt　he　retired　into　those　very　apartments
where　Lady　Crawley　had　been　previously　extinguished；
and　here　was　tended　by　Miss　Hester；　the　girl　upon　her
promotion；　with　constant　care　and　assiduity。　　What　love；
what　fidelity；　what　constancy　is　there　equal　to　that　of　a
nurse　with　good　wages？　They　smooth　pillows；　and　make
arrowroot；　they　get　up　at　nights；　they　bear　complaints
and　querulousness；　they　see　the　sun　shining　out　of　doors
and　don't　want　to　go　abroad；　they　sleep　on　arm…chairs
and　eat　their　meals　in　solitude；　they　pass　long　long
evenings　doing　nothing；　watching　the　embers；　and　the
patient's　drink　simmering　in　the　jug；　they　read　the　weekly
paper　the　whole　week　through；　and　Law's　Serious　Call　or
the　Whole　Duty　of　Man　suffices　them　for　literature　for
the　yearand　we　quarrel　with　them　because；　when　their
relations　come　to　see　them　once　a　week；　a　little　gin
is　smuggled　in　in　their　linen　basket。　　Ladies；　what　man's
love　is　there　that　would　stand　a　year's　nursing　of　the
object　of　his　affection？　Whereas　a　nurse　will　stand　by　you
for　ten　pounds　a　quarter；　and　we　think　her　too　highly
paid。　　At　least　Mr。　Crawley　grumbled　a　good　deal　about
paying　half　as　much　to　Miss　Hester　for　her　constant
attendance　upon　the　Baronet　his　father。
Of　sunshiny　days　this　old　gentleman　was　taken　out　in　a
chair　on　the　terracethe　very　chair　which　Miss　Crawley
had　had　at　Brighton；　and　which　had　been　transported
thence　with　a　number　of　Lady　Southdown's　effects　to
Queen's　Crawley。　　Lady　Jane　always　walked　by　the　old
man；　and　was　an　evident　favourite　with　him。　　He　used　to
nod　many　times　to　her　and　smile　when　she　came　in；　and
utter　inarticulate　deprecatory　moans　when　she　was　going
away。　　When　the　door　shut　upon　her　he　would　cry　and
sobwhereupon　Hester's　face　and　manner；　which　was
always　exceedingly　bland　and　gentle　while　her　lady　was
present；　would　change　at　once；　and　she　would　make　faces
at　him　and　clench　her　fist　and　scream　out　〃Hold　your
tongue；　you　stoopid　old　fool；〃　and　twirl　away　his　chair
from　the　fire　which　he　loved　to　look　atat　which　he
would　cry　more。　　For　this　was　all　that　was　left　after　more
than　seventy　years　of　cunning；　and　struggling；　and
drinking；　and　scheming；　and　sin　and　selfishnessa
whimpering　old　idiot　put　in　and　out　of　bed　and　cleaned
and　fed　like　a　baby。
At　last　a　day　came　when　the　nurse's　occupation　was
over。　　Early　one　morning；　as　Pitt　Crawley　was　at　his
steward's　and　bailiff's　books　in　the　study；　a　knock　came
to　the　door；　and　Hester　presented　herself；　dropping　a
curtsey；　and　said；
〃If　you　please；　Sir　Pitt；　Sir　Pitt　died　this　morning；　Sir
Pitt。　　I　was　a…making　of　his　toast；　Sir　Pitt；　for　his　gruel；
Sir　Pitt；　which　he　took　every　morning　regular　at　s