vanity fair(名利场)-第118节

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to　prayers。　　The　young　ladies　took　exercise　on　the
pianoforte　every　morning　after　breakfast；　Rebecca　giving
them　the　benefit　of　her　instruction。　　Then　they　put　on　thick
shoes　and　walked　in　the　park　or　shrubberies；　or　beyond
the　palings　into　the　village；　descending　upon　the　cottages；
with　Lady　Southdown's　medicine　and　tracts　for　the
sick　people　there。　　Lady　Southdown　drove　out　in　a
pony…chaise；　when　Rebecca　would　take　her　place　by　the
Dowager's　side　and　listen　to　her　solemn　talk　with　the　utmost
interest。　　She　sang　Handel　and　Haydn　to　the　family　of
evenings；　and　engaged　in　a　large　piece　of　worsted　work；　as　if
she　had　been　born　to　the　business　and　as　if　this　kind
of　life　was　to　continue　with　her　until　she　should　sink　to
the　grave　in　a　polite　old　age；　leaving　regrets　and　a　great
quantity　of　consols　behind　heras　if　there　were　not　cares
and　duns；　schemes；　shifts；　and　poverty　waiting　outside
the　park　gates；　to　pounce　upon　her　when　she　issued　into
the　world　again。
〃It　isn't　difficult　to　be　a　country　gentleman's　wife；〃
Rebecca　thought。　　〃I　think　I　could　be　a　good　woman　if
I　had　five　thousand　a　year。　　I　could　dawdle　about　in　the
nursery　and　count　the　apricots　on　the　wall。　　I　could　water
plants　in　a　green…house　and　pick　off　dead　leaves　from　the
geraniums。　　I　could　ask　old　women　about　their　rheumatisms
and　order　half…a…crown's　worth　of　soup　for
the　poor。　　I　shouldn't　miss　it　much；　out　of　five　thousand
a　year。　　I　could　even　drive　out　ten　miles　to　dine　at　a
neighbour's；　and　dress　in　the　fashions　of　the　year　before　last。
I　could　go　to　church　and　keep　awake　in　the　great　family
pew；　or　go　to　sleep　behind　the　curtains；　with　my　veil
down；　if　I　only　had　practice。　　I　could　pay　everybody；　if
I　had　but　the　money。　　This　is　what　the　conjurors　here
pride　themselves　upon　doing。　　They　look　down　with　pity
upon　us　miserable　sinners　who　have　none。　　They　think
themselves　generous　if　they　give　our　children　a　five…pound
note；　and　us　contemptible　if　we　are　without　one。〃　And
who　knows　but　Rebecca　was　right　in　her　speculations
and　that　it　was　only　a　question　of　money　and　fortune
which　made　the　difference　between　her　and　an　honest
woman？　If　you　take　temptations　into　account；　who　is　to
say　that　he　is　better　than　his　neighbour？　A　comfortable
career　of　prosperity；　if　it　does　not　make　people　honest；　at
least　keeps　them　so。　　An　alderman　coming　from　a　turtle
feast　will　not　step　out　of　his　carnage　to　steal　a　leg　of
mutton；　but　put　him　to　starve；　and　see　if　he　will　not
purloin　a　loaf。　　Becky　consoled　herself　by　so　balancing　the
chances　and　equalizing　the　distribution　of　good　and　evil
in　the　world。
The　old　haunts；　the　old　fields　and　woods；　the　copses；
ponds；　and　gardens；　the　rooms　of　the　old　house　where
she　had　spent　a　couple　of　years　seven　years　ago；　were　all
carefully　revisited　by　her。　　She　had　been　young　there；　or
comparatively　so；　for　she　forgot　the　time　when　she　ever
WAS　youngbut　she　remembered　her　thoughts　and
feelings　seven　years　back　and　contrasted　them　with　those
which　she　had　at　present；　now　that　she　had　seen　the
world；　and　lived　with　great　people；　and　raised　herself　far
beyond　her　original　humble　station。
〃I　have　passed　beyond　it；　because　I　have　brains；〃　Becky
thought；　〃and　almost　all　the　rest　of　the　world　are　fools。
I　could　not　go　back　and　consort　with　those　people　now；
whom　I　used　to　meet　in　my　father's　studio。　　Lords　come　up
to　my　door　with　stars　and　garters；　instead　of　poor
artists　with　screws　of　tobacco　in　their　pockets。　　I　have　a
gentleman　for　my　husband；　and　an　Earl's　daughter　for　my
sister；　in　the　very　house　where　I　was　little　better　than　a
servant　a　few　years　ago。　　But　am　I　much　better　to　do　now
in　the　world　than　I　was　when　I　was　the　poor　painter's
daughter　and　wheedled　the　grocer　round　the　corner　for
sugar　and　tea？　Suppose　I　had　married　Francis　who　was
so　fond　of　meI　couldn't　have　been　much　poorer　than
I　am　now。　　Heigho！　　I　wish　I　could　exchange　my　position
in　society；　and　all　my　relations　for　a　snug　sum　in　the
Three　Per　Cent。　　Consols〃；　for　so　it　was　that　Becky　felt
the　Vanity　of　human　affairs；　and　it　was　in　those　securities
that　she　would　have　liked　to　cast　anchor。
It　may；　perhaps；　have　struck　her　that　to　have　been
honest　and　humble；　to　have　done　her　duty；　and　to　have
marched　straightforward　on　her　way；　would　have　brought
her　as　near　happiness　as　that　path　by　which　she　was
striving　to　attain　it。　　Butjust　as　the　children　at　Queen's
Crawley　went　round　the　room　where　the　body　of　their
father　layif　ever　Becky　had　these　thoughts；　she　was
accustomed　to　walk　round　them　and　not　look　in。　　She
eluded　them　and　despised　themor　at　least　she　was
committed　to　the　other　path　from　which　retreat　was　now
impossible。　　And　for　my　part　I　believe　that　remorse　is　the
least　active　of　all　a　man's　moral　sensesthe　very　easiest　to
be　deadened　when　wakened；　and　in　some　never　wakened
at　all。　　We　grieve　at　being　found　out　and　at　the　idea　of
shame　or　punishment；　but　the　mere　sense　of　wrong　makes
very　few　people　unhappy　in　Vanity　Fair。
So　Rebecca；　during　her　stay　at　Queen's　Crawley；　made　as
many　friends　of　the　Mammon　of　Unrighteousness　as　she
could　possibly　bring　under　control。　　Lady　Jane　and　her
husband　bade　her　farewell　with　the　warmest
demonstrations　of　good…will。　　They　looked　forward　with
pleasure　to　the　time　when；　the　family　house　in　Gaunt
Street　being　repaired　and　beautified；　they　were　to　meet
again　in　London。　　Lady　Southdown　made　her　up　a　packet　of
medicine　and　sent　a　letter　by　her　to　the　Rev。　　Lawrence
Grills；　exhorting　that　gentleman　to　save　the　brand　who
〃honoured〃　the　letter　from　the　burning。　　Pitt　accompanied
them　with　four　horses　in　the　carriage　to　Mudbury；　having
sent　on　their　baggage　in　a　cart　previously；　accompanied
with　loads　of　game。
〃How　happy　you　will　be　to　see　your　darling　little　boy
again！〃　Lady　Crawley　said；　taking　leave　of　her　kinswoman。
〃Oh　so　happy！〃　said　Rebecca；　throwing　up　the　green　eyes。
She　was　immensely　happy　to　be　free　of　the　place；　and　yet
loath　to　go。　　Queen's　Crawley　was　abominably　stupid；　and
yet　the　air　there　was　somehow　purer　than　that　which　she
had　been　accustomed　to　breathe。　　Everybody　had　been　dull；
but　had　been　kind　in　their　way。　　〃It　is　all　the　influence　of　a
long　course　of　Three　Per　Cents；〃　Becky　said　to　herself；　and
was　right　very　likely。
However；　the　London　lamps　flashed　joyfully　as　the　stage
rolled　into　Piccadilly；　and　Briggs　had　made　a　beautiful　fire
in　Curzon　Street；　and　little　Rawdon　was　up　to　welcome
back　his　papa　and　mamma。

CHAPTER　XLII
Which　Treats　of　the　Osborne　Family
Considerable　time　has　elapsed　since　we　have　seen　our
respectable　friend；　old　Mr。　Osborne　of　Russell　Square。　　He
has　not　been　the　happiest　of　mortals　since　last　we　met　him。
Events　have　occurred　which　have　not　improved　his
temper；　and　in　more　in　stances　than　one　he　has　not　been
allowed　to　have　his　own　way。　　To　be　thwarted　in　this
reasonable　desire　was　always　very　injurious　to　the　old
gentleman；　and　resistance　became　doubly　exasperating
when　gout；　age；　loneliness；　and　the　force　of　many
disappointments　combined　to　weigh　him　down。　　His　stiff
black　hair　began　to　grow　quite　white　soon　after　his　son's
death；　his…face　grew　redder；　his　hands　trembled　more　and
more　as　he　poured　out　his　glass　of　port　wine。　　He　led　his
clerks　a　dire　life　in　the　City：　　his　family　at　home　were　not
much　happier。　　I　doubt　if　Rebecca；　whom　we　have　seen
piously　praying　for　Consols；　would　have　exchanged　her
poverty　and　the　dare…devil　excitement　and　chances　of　her
life　for　Osborne's　money　and　the　humdrum　gloom　which
enveloped　him。　　He　had　proposed　for　Miss　Swartz；　but　had
been　rejected　scornfully　by　the　partisans　of　that　lady；　who
married　her　to　a　young　sprig　of　Scotch　nobility。　　He　was　a
man　to　have　married　a　woman　out　of　low　life　and　bullied
her　dreadfully　afterwards；　but　no　person　presented　herself
suitable　to　his　taste；　and；　instead；　he　tyrannized　over　his
unmarried　daughter；　at　home。　　She　had　a　fine　carriage　and
fine　horses　and　sat　at　the　head　of　a　table　loaded　with　the
grandest　plate。　　She　had　a　cheque…book；　a　prize　footman　to
follow　her　when　she　walked；　unlimited　credit；　and　bows
and　compliments　from　all　the　tradesmen；　and　all　the
appurtenances　of　an　heiress；　but　she　spent　a　woeful　time。
The　little　charity…girls　at　the　Foundling；　the　sweeperess　at
the　crossing；　the　poorest　under…kitchen…maid　in　the
servants'　hall；　was　happy　compared　to　that　unfortunate
and　now　middle…aged　young　lady。
Frederick　Bullock；　Esq。；　of　the　house　of　Bullock；　Hulker；　and
Bullock；　had　married　Maria　Osborne；　not　without　a　great
deal　of　difficulty　and　grumbling　on　Mr。　Bullock's　part。
George　being　dead　and　cut　out　of　his　father's　will；
Frederick　insisted　that　the　half　of　the　old　gentleman's
property　should　be　settled　upon　his　Maria；　and　indeed；　for
a　long　time；　refused；　〃to　come　to　the　scratch〃　（it　was　Mr。
Frederick's　own　expression）　on　any　other　terms。　　Osborne
said　Fred　had　agreed　to　take　his　daughter　with　twenty
thousand；　and　he　should　bind　himself　to　no　more。　　〃Fred
might　take　it；　and　welcome；　or　leave　it；　and　go　and　be
hanged。〃　Fred；　whose　hopes　had　been　raised　when　George
had　been　disinherited；　thought　himself　infamously
swindled　by　the　old　merchant；　and　for　some