vanity fair(名利场)-第123节

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〃What　is　it；　Dob；　me　boy？〃　said　the　Colonel；　expecting
there　was　a　fire　in　the　station；　or　that　the　route　had
come　from　headquarters。
〃II　must　have　leave　of　absence。　　I　must　go　to　England
on　the　most　urgent　private　affairs；〃　Dobbin　said。
〃Good　heavens；　what　has　happened！〃　thought　Glorvina；
trembling　with　all　the　papillotes。
〃I　want　to　be　offnowto…night；〃　Dobbin　continued；
and　the　Colonel　getting　up；　came　out　to　parley　with　him。
In　the　postscript　of　Miss　Dobbin's　cross…letter；　the
Major　had　just　come　upon　a　paragraph；　to　the　following
effect：〃I　drove　yesterday　to　see　your　old　ACQUAINTANCE；
Mrs。　Osborne。　　The　wretched　place　they　live　at；　since
they　were　bankrupts；　you　knowMr。　S。；　to　judge　from
a　BRASS　PLATE　on　the　door　of　his　hut　（it　is　little　better）
is　a　coal…merchant。　　The　little　boy；　your　godson；　is
certainly　a　fine　child；　though　forward；　and　inclined　to　be
saucy　and　self…willed。　　But　we　have　taken　notice　of　him
as　you　wish　it；　and　have　introduced　him　to　his　aunt；
Miss　O。；　who　was　rather　pleased　with　him。　　Perhaps　his
grandpapa；　not　the　bankrupt　one；　who　is　almost　doting；
but　Mr。　Osborne；　of　Russell　Square；　may　be　induced　to
relent　towards　the　child　of　your　friend；　HIS　ERRING　AND
SELF…WILLED　SON。　　And　Amelia　will　not　be　ill…disposed　to
give　him　up。　　The　widow　is　CONSOLED；　and　is　about　to
marry　a　reverend　gentleman；　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Binny；　one
of　the　curates　of　Brompton。　　A　poor　match。　　But　Mrs。　O。
is　getting　old；　and　I　saw　a　great　deal　of　grey　in　her　hair
she　was　in　very　good　spirits：　　and　your　little　godson　overate
himself　at　our　house。　　Mamma　sends　her　love　with
that　of　your　affectionate；　Ann　Dobbin。〃

CHAPTER　XLIV
A　Round…about　Chapter　between　London　and　Hampshire
Our　old　friends　the　Crawleys'　family　house；　in　Great
Gaunt　Street；　still　bore　over　its　front　the　hatchment　which
had　been　placed　there　as　a　token　of　mourning　for　Sir
Pitt　Crawley's　demise；　yet　this　heraldic　emblem　was　in
itself　a　very　splendid　and　gaudy　piece　of　furniture；　and
all　the　rest　of　the　mansion　became　more　brilliant　than　it
had　ever　been　during　the　late　baronet's　reign。　　The　black
outer…coating　of　the　bricks　was　removed；　and　they
appeared　with　a　cheerful；　blushing　face　streaked　with　white：
the　old　bronze　lions　of　the　knocker　were　gilt　handsomely；
the　railings　painted；　and　the　dismallest　house　in　Great
Gaunt　Street　became　the　smartest　in　the　whole　quarter；
before　the　green　leaves　in　Hampshire　had　replaced　those
yellowing　ones　which　were　on　the　trees　in　Queen's　Crawley
Avenue　when　old　Sir　Pitt　Crawley　passed　under　them
for　the　last　time。
A　little　woman；　with　a　carriage　to　correspond；　was
perpetually　seen　about　this　mansion；　an　elderly　spinster；
accompanied　by　a　little　boy；　also　might　be　remarked
coming　thither　daily。　　It　was　Miss　Briggs　and　little　Rawdon；
whose　business　it　was　to　see　to　the　inward　renovation
of　Sir　Pitt's　house；　to　superintend　the　female　band
engaged　in　stitching　the　blinds　and　hangings；　to　poke
and　rummage　in　the　drawers　and　cupboards　crammed
with　the　dirty　relics　and　congregated　trumperies　of　a
couple　of　generations　of　Lady　Crawleys；　and　to　take
inventories　of　the　china；　the　glass；　and　other　properties
in　the　closets　and　store…rooms。
Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley　was　general…in…chief　over　these
arrangements；　with　full　orders　from　Sir　Pitt　to　sell；　barter；
confiscate；　or　purchase　furniture；　and　she　enjoyed　herself
not　a　little　in　an　occupation　which　gave　full　scope　to　her
taste　and　ingenuity。　　The　renovation　of　the　house　was
determined　upon　when　Sir　Pitt　came　to　town　in　November
to　see　his　lawyers；　and　when　he　passed　nearly　a　week　in
Curzon　Street；　under　the　roof　of　his　affectionate　brother
and　sister。
He　had　put　up　at　an　hotel　at　first；　but；　Becky；　as　soon
as　she　heard　of　the　Baronet's　arrival；　went　off　alone　to
greet　him；　and　returned　in　an　hour　to　Curzon　Street
with　Sir　Pitt　in　the　carriage　by　her　side。　　It　was　impossible
sometimes　to　resist　this　artless　little　creature's　hospitalities；
so　kindly　were　they　pressed；　so　frankly　and　amiably
offered。　　Becky　seized　Pitt's　hand　in　a　transport　of
gratitude　when　he　agreed　to　come。　　〃Thank　you；〃　she
said；　squeezing　it　and　looking　into　the　Baronet's　eyes；
who　blushed　a　good　deal；　〃how　happy　this　will　make
Rawdon！〃　She　bustled　up　to　Pitt's　bedroom；　leading
on　the　servants；　who　were　carrying　his　trunks　thither。　　She
came　in　herself　laughing；　with　a　coal…scuttle　out　of
her　own　room。
A　fire　was　blazing　already　in　Sir　Pitt's　apartment　（it
was　Miss　Briggs's　room；　by　the　way；　who　was　sent
upstairs　to　sleep　with　the　maid）。　　〃I　knew　I　should　bring
you；〃　she　said　with　pleasure　beaming　in　her　glance。　　Indeed；
she　was　really　sincerely　happy　at　having　him　for　a　guest。
Becky　made　Rawdon　dine　out　once　or　twice　on　business；
while　Pitt　stayed　with　them；　and　the　Baronet　passed
the　happy　evening　alone　with　her　and　Briggs。　　She　went
downstairs　to　the　kitchen　and　actually　cooked　little
dishes　for　him。　　〃Isn't　it　a　good　salmi？〃　she　said；　〃I
made　it　for　you。　　I　can　make　you　better　dishes　than　that；
and　will　when　you　come　to　see　me。〃
〃Everything　you　do；　you　do　well；〃　said　the　Baronet
gallantly。　　〃The　salmi　is　excellent　indeed。〃
〃A　poor　man's　wife；〃　Rebecca　replied　gaily；　〃must
make　herself　useful；　you　know〃；　on　which　her　brother…
in…law　vowed　that　〃she　was　fit　to　be　the　wife　of　an
Emperor；　and　that　to　be　skilful　in　domestic　duties　was
surely　one　of　the　most　charming　of　woman's　qualities。〃
And　Sir　Pitt　thought；　with　something　like　mortification；
of　Lady　Jane　at　home；　and　of　a　certain　pie　which　she　had
insisted　on　making；　and　serving　to　him　at　dinnera
most　abominable　pie。
Besides　the　salmi；　which　was　made　of　Lord　Steyne's
pheasants　from　his　lordship's　cottage　of　Stillbrook；　Becky
gave　her　brother…in…law　a　bottle　of　white　wine；　some
that　Rawdon　had　brought　with　him　from　France；　and　had
picked　up　for　nothing；　the　little　story…teller　said；　whereas
the　liquor　was；　in　truth；　some　White　Hermitage　from
the　Marquis　of　Steyne's　famous　cellars；　which　brought　fire
into　the　Baronet's　pallid　cheeks　and　a　glow　into　his　feeble
frame。
Then　when　he　had　drunk　up　the　bottle　of　petit　vin
blanc；　she　gave　him　her　hand；　and　took　him　up　to　the
drawing…room；　and　made　him　snug　on　the　sofa　by　the
fire；　and　let　him　talk　as　she　listened　with　the　tenderest
kindly　interest；　sitting　by　him；　and　hemming　a　shirt
for　her　dear　little　boy。　　Whenever　Mrs。　Rawdon　wished
to　be　particularly　humble　and　virtuous；　this　little　shirt
used　to　come　out　of　her　work…box。　　It　had　got　to　be　too
small　for　Rawdon　long　before　it　was　finished。
Well；　Rebecca　listened　to　Pitt；　she　talked　to　him；　she
sang　to　him；　she　coaxed　him；　and　cuddled　him；　so　that
he　found　himself　more　and　more　glad　every　day　to　get
back　from　the　lawyer's　at　Gray's　Inn；　to　the　blazing　fire
in　Curzon　Streeta　gladness　in　which　the　men　of　law
likewise　participated；　for　Pitt's　harangues　were　of　the
longestand　so　that　when　he　went　away　he　felt　quite　a
pang　at　departing。　　How　pretty　she　looked　kissing　her
hand　to　him　from　the　carriage　and　waving　her　handkerchief
when　he　had　taken　his　place　in　the　mail！　　She　put
the　handkerchief　to　her　eyes　once。　　He　pulled　his
sealskin　cap　over　his；　as　the　coach　drove　away；　and；
sinking　back；　he　thought　to　himself　how　she　respected
him　and　how　he　deserved　it；　and　how　Rawdon　was　a　foolish
dull　fellow　who　didn't　half…appreciate　his　wife；　and
how　mum　and　stupid　his　own　wife　was　compared　to　that
brilliant　little　Becky。　　Becky　had　hinted　every　one　of　these
things　herself；　perhaps；　but　so　delicately　and　gently　that
you　hardly　knew　when　or　where。　　And；　before　they
parted；　it　was　agreed　that　the　house　in　London　should　be
redecorated　for　the　next　season；　and　that　the　brothers'
families　should　meet　again　in　the　country　at　Christmas。
〃I　wish　you　could　have　got　a　little　money　out　of
him；〃　Rawdon　said　to　his　wife　moodily　when　the　Baronet
was　gone。　　〃I　should　like　to　give　something　to　old　Raggles；
hanged　if　I　shouldn't。　　It　ain't　right；　you　know；　that　the
old　fellow　should　be　kept　out　of　all　his　money。　　It　may　be
inconvenient；　and　he　might　let　to　somebody　else　besides
us；　you　know。〃
〃Tell　him；〃　said　Becky；　〃that　as　soon　as　Sir　Pitt's
affairs　are　settled；　everybody　will　be　paid；　and　give　him　a
little　something　on　account。　　Here's　a　cheque　that　Pitt
left　for　the　boy；〃　and　she　took　from　her　bag　and　gave
her　husband　a　paper　which　his　brother　had　handed　over
to　her；　on　behalf　of　the　little　son　and　heir　of　the　younger
branch　of　the　Crawleys。
The　truth　is；　she　had　tried　personally　the　ground　on
which　her　husband　expressed　a　wish　that　she　should
venturetried　it　ever　so　delicately；　and　found　it　unsafe。
Even　at　a　hint　about　embarrassments；　Sir　Pitt　Crawley　was
off　and　alarmed。　　And　he　began　a　long　speech；　explaining
how　straitened　he　himself　was　in　money　matters；　how
the　tenants　would　not　pay；　how　his　father's　affairs；　and
the　expenses　attendant　upon　the　demise　of　the　old
gentleman；　had　involved　him；　how　he　wanted　to　pay　off
incumbrances；　and　how　the　bankers　and　agents　were
overdrawn；　and　Pitt　Crawley　ended　by　making　a
compromise　with　his　sister…in…law　and　giving　her　a　very
small　sum　for　the　benefit　of　her　little　boy。
Pitt　knew　how　poor　his　brother　and