vanity fair(名利场)-第119节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


had　been　disinherited；　thought　himself　infamously
swindled　by　the　old　merchant；　and　for　some　time　made　as
if　he　would　break　off　the　match　altogether。　　Osborne
withdrew　his　account　from　Bullock　and　Hulker's；　went　on
'Change　with　a　horsewhip　which　he　swore　he　would　lay
across　the　back　of　a　certain　scoundrel　that　should　be
nameless；　and　demeaned　himself　in　his　usual　violent
manner。　　Jane　Osborne　condoled　with　her　sister　Maria
during　this　family　feud。　　〃I　always　told　you；　Maria；　that　it
was　your　money　he　loved　and　not　you；〃　she　said；
soothingly。
〃He　selected　me　and　my　money　at　any　rate；　he　didn't
choose　you　and　yours；〃　replied　Maria；　tossing　up　her　head。
The　rapture　was；　however；　only　temporary。　　Fred's　father
and　senior　partners　counselled　him　to　take　Maria；　even
with　the　twenty　thousand　settled；　half　down；　and　half　at
the　death　of　Mr。　Osborne；　with　the　chances　of　the　further
division　of　the　property。　　So　he　〃knuckled　down；〃　again　to
use　his　own　phrase；　and　sent　old　Hulker　with　peaceable
overtures　to　Osborne。　　It　was　his　father；　he　said；　who　would
not　hear　of　the　match；　and　had　made　the　difficulties；　he
was　most　anxious　to　keep　the　engagement。　　The　excuse　was
sulkily　accepted　by　Mr。　Osborne。　　Hulker　and　Bullock　were
a　high　family　of　the　City　aristocracy；　and　connected　with
the　〃nobs〃　at　the　West　End。　　It　was　something　for　the　old
man　to　be　able　to　say；　〃My　son；　sir；　of　the　house　of　Hulker；
Bullock；　and　Co。；　sir；　my　daughter's　cousin；　Lady　Mary
Mango；　sir；　daughter　of　the　Right　Hon。　　The　Earl　of
Castlemouldy。〃　In　his　imagination　he　saw　his　house
peopled　by　the　〃nobs。〃　So　he　forgave　young　Bullock　and
consented　that　the　marriage　should　take　place。
It　was　a　grand　affairthe　bridegroom's　relatives　giving　the
breakfast；　their　habitations　being　near　St。　　George's；
Hanover　Square；　where　the　business　took　place。　　The　〃nobs
of　the　West　End〃　were　invited；　and　many　of　them　signed
the　book。　　Mr。　Mango　and　Lady　Mary　Mango　were　there；
with　the　dear　young　Gwendoline　and　Guinever　Mango　as
bridesmaids；　Colonel　Bludyer　of　the　Dragoon　Guards　（eldest
son　of　the　house　of　Bludyer　Brothers；　Mincing　Lane）；
another　cousin　of　the　bridegroom；　and　the　Honourable　Mrs。
Bludyer；　the　Honourable　George　Boulter；　Lord　Levant's　son；
and　his　lady；　Miss　Mango　that　was；　Lord　Viscount
Castletoddy；　Honourable　James　McMull　and　Mrs。　McMull
（formerly　Miss　Swartz）；　and　a　host　of　fashionables；　who
have　all　married　into　Lombard　Street　and　done　a　great
deal　to　ennoble　Cornhill。
The　young　couple　had　a　house　near　Berkeley　Square　and　a
small　villa　at　Roehampton；　among　the　banking　colony
there。　　Fred　was　considered　to　have　made　rather　a
mesalliance　by　the　ladies　of　his　family；　whose　grandfather
had　been　in　a　Charity　School；　and　who　were　allied　through
the　husbands　with　some　of　the　best　blood　in　England。　　And
Maria　was　bound；　by　superior　pride　and　great　care　in　the
composition　of　her　visiting…book；　to　make　up　for　the
defects　of　birth；　and　felt　it　her　duty　to　see　her　father　and
sister　as　little　as　possible。
That　she　should　utterly　break　with　the　old　man；　who　had
still　so　many　scores　of　thousand　pounds　to　give　away；　is
absurd　to　suppose。　　Fred　Bullock　would　never　allow　her　to
do　that。　　But　she　was　still　young　and　incapable　of　hiding　her
feelings；　and　by　inviting　her　papa　and　sister　to　her　third…
rate　parties；　and　behaving　very　coldly　to　them　when　they
came；　and　by　avoiding　Russell　Square；　and　indiscreetly
begging　her　father　to　quit　that　odious　vulgar　place；　she　did
more　harm　than　all　Frederick's　diplomacy　could　repair；　and
perilled　her　chance　of　her　inheritance　like　a　giddy　heedless
creature　as　she　was。
So　Russell　Square　is　not　good　enough　for　Mrs。　Maria；　hay？〃
said　the　old　gentleman；　rattling　up　the　carriage　windows　as
he　and　his　daughter　drove　away　one　night　from　Mrs。
Frederick　Bullock's；　after　dinner。　　〃So　she　invites　her　father
and　sister　to　a　second　day's　dinner　（if　those　sides；　or
ontrys；　as　she　calls　'em；　weren't　served　yesterday；　I'm
dd）；　and　to　meet　City　folks　and　littery　men；　and　keeps
the　Earls　and　the　Ladies；　and　the　Honourables　to　herself。
Honourables？　Damn　Honourables。　　I　am　a　plain　British
merchant　I　am；　and　could　buy　the　beggarly　hounds　over
and　over。　　Lords；　indeed！why；　at　one　of　her　swarreys　I
saw　one　of　'em　speak　to　a　dam　fiddlera　fellar　I　despise。
And　they　won't　come　to　Russell　Square；　won't　they？　Why；
I'll　lay　my　life　I've　got　a　better　glass　of　wine；　and　pay　a
better　figure　for　it；　and　can　show　a　handsomer　service　of
silver；　and　can　lay　a　better　dinner　on　my　mahogany；　than
ever　they　see　on　theirsthe　cringing；　sneaking；　stuck…up
fools。　　Drive　on　quick；　James：　　I　want　to　get　back　to　Russell
Squareha；　ha！〃　and　he　sank　back　into　the　corner　with　a
furious　laugh。　　With　such　reflections　on　his　own　superior
merit；　it　was　the　custom　of　the　old　gentleman　not
unfrequently　to　console　himself。
Jane　Osborne　could　not　but　concur　in　these　opinions
respecting　her　sister's　conduct；　and　when　Mrs。　Frederick's
first…born；　Frederick　Augustus　Howard　Stanley　Devereux
Bullock；　was　born；　old　Osborne；　who　was　invited　to　the
christening　and　to　be　godfather；　contented　himself　with
sending　the　child　a　gold　cup；　with　twenty　guineas　inside　it
for　the　nurse。　　〃That's　more　than　any　of　your　Lords　will
give；　I'LL　warrant；〃　he　said　and　refused　to　attend　at　the
ceremony。
The　splendour　of　the　gift；　however；　caused　great
satisfaction　to　the　house　of　Bullock。　　Maria　thought　that　her
father　was　very　much　pleased　with　her；　and　Frederick
augured　the　best　for　his　little　son　and　heir。
One　can　fancy　the　pangs　with　which　Miss　Osborne　in　her
solitude　in　Russell　Square　read　the　Morning　Post；　where
her　sister's　name　occurred　every　now　and　then；　in　the
articles　headed　〃Fashionable　Reunions；〃　and　where　she　had
an　opportunity　of　reading　a　description　of　Mrs。　F。　　Bullock's
costume；　when　presented　at　the　drawing　room　by　Lady
Frederica　Bullock。　　Jane's　own　life；　as　we　have　said；
admitted　of　no　such　grandeur。　　It　was　an　awful　existence。
She　had　to　get　up　of　black　winter's　mornings　to　make
breakfast　for　her　scowling　old　father；　who　would　have
turned　the　whole　house　out　of　doors　if　his　tea　had　not　been
ready　at　half…past　eight。　　She　remained　silent　opposite　to
him；　listening　to　the　urn　hissing；　and　sitting　in　tremor
while　the　parent　read　his　paper　and　consumed　his
accustomed　portion　of　muffins　and　tea。　　At　half…past　nine
he　rose　and　went　to　the　City；　and　she　was　almost　free　till
dinner…time；　to　make　visitations　in　the　kitchen　and　to　scold
the　servants；　to　drive　abroad　and　descend　upon　the
tradesmen；　who　were　prodigiously　respectful；　to　leave　her
cards　and　her　papa's　at　the　great　glum　respectable　houses
of　their　City　friends；　or　to　sit　alone　in　the　large　drawing…
room；　expecting　visitors；　and　working　at　a　huge　piece　of
worsted　by　the　fire；　on　the　sofa；　hard　by　the　great
Iphigenia　clock；　which　ticked　and　tolled　with　mournful
loudness　in　the　dreary　room。　　The　great　glass　over　the
mantelpiece；　faced　by　the　other　great　console　glass　at　the
opposite　end　of　the　room；　increased　and　multiplied
between　them　the　brown　Holland　bag　in　which　the
chandelier　hung；　until　you　saw　these　brown　Holland　bags
fading　away　in　endless　perspectives；　and　this　apartment　of
Miss　Osborne's　seemed　the　centre　of　a　system　of
drawing…rooms。　　When　she　removed　the　cordovan　leather
from　the　grand　piano　and　ventured　to　play　a　few　notes　on
it；　it　sounded　with　a　mournful　sadness；　startling　the　dismal
echoes　of　the　house。　　George's　picture　was　gone；　and　laid
upstairs　in　a　lumber…room　in　the　garret；　and　though　there
was　a　consciousness　of　him；　and　father　and　daughter　often
instinctively　knew　that　they　were　thinking　of　him；　no
mention　was　ever　made　of　the　brave　and　once　darling　son。
At　five　o'clock　Mr。　Osborne　came　back　to　his　dinner；　which
he　and　his　daughter　took　in　silence　（seldom　broken；　except
when　he　swore　and　was　savage；　if　the　cooking　was　not　to
his　liking）；　or　which　they　shared　twice　in　a　month　with　a
party　of　dismal　friends　of　Osborne's　rank　and　age。　　Old　Dr。
Gulp　and　his　lady　from　Bloomsbury　Square；　old　Mr。
Frowser；　the　attorney；　from　Bedford　Row；　a　very　great
man；　and　from　his　business；　hand…in…glove　with　the　〃nobs
at　the　West　End〃；　old　Colonel　Livermore；　of　the　Bombay
Army；　and　Mrs。　Livermore；　from　Upper　Bedford　Place；　old
Sergeant　Toffy　and　Mrs。　Toffy；　and　sometimes　old　Sir
Thomas　Coffin　and　Lady　Coffin；　from　Bedford　Square。　　Sir
Thomas　was　celebrated　as　a　hanging　judge；　and　the
particular　tawny　port　was　produced　when　he　dined　with
Mr。　Osborne。
These　people　and　their　like　gave　the　pompous　Russell
Square　merchant　pompous　dinners　back　again。　　They　had
solemn　rubbers　of　whist；　when　they　went　upstairs　after
drinking；　and　their　carriages　were　called　at　half　past　ten。
Many　rich　people；　whom　we　poor　devils　are　in　the　habit　of
envying；　lead　contentedly　an　existence　like　that　above
described。　　Jane　Osborne　scarcely　ever　met　a　man　under
sixty；　and　almost　the　only　bachelor　who　appeared　in　their
society　was　Mr。　Smirk；　the　celebrated　ladies'　doctor。
I　can't　say　that　nothing　had　occurred　to　disturb　the
monotony　of　this　awful　existence：　　the　fact　is；　there　had
been　a　secret　in　poor　Jane's　life　which　had　made　her　fat