vanity fair(名利场)-第124节

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small　sum　for　the　benefit　of　her　little　boy。
Pitt　knew　how　poor　his　brother　and　his　brother's　family
must　be。　　It　could　not　have　escaped　the　notice　of　such　a
cool　and　experienced　old　diplomatist　that　Rawdon's　family
had　nothing　to　live　upon；　and　that　houses　and　carriages
are　not　to　be　kept　for　nothing。　　He　knew　very　well　that
he　was　the　proprietor　or　appropriator　of　the　money；
which；　according　to　all　proper　calculation；　ought　to　have
　fallen　to　his　younger　brother；　and　he　had；　we　may　be　sure；
　somesecret　pangs　of　remorse　within　him；　which　warned
him　that　he　ought　to　perform　some　act　of　justice；
or；　let　us　say；　compensation；　towards　these　disappointed
relations。　　A　just；　decent　man；　not　without　brains；
who　said　his　prayers；　and　knew　his　catechism；　and
did　his　duty　outwardly　through　life；　he　could　not　be
otherwise　than　aware　that　something　was　due　to　his
brother　at　his　hands；　and　that　morally　he　was　Rawdon's
debtor。
But；　as　one　reads　in　the　columns　of　the　Times　newspaper
every　now　and　then；　queer　announcements　from
the　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　acknowledging　the　receipt
of　50　pounds　from　A。　　B。；　or　10　pounds　from　W。　　T。；　as
conscience…money；　on　account　of　taxes　due　by　the　said
A。　　B。　　or　W。　　T。；　which　payments　the　penitents　beg　the
Right　Honourable　gentleman　to　acknowledge　through　the
medium　of　the　public　pressso　is　the　Chancellor　no
doubt；　and　the　reader　likewise；　always　perfectly　sure　that
the　above…named　A。　　B。　　and　W。　　T。　　are　only　paying　a
very　small　instalment　of　what　they　really　owe；　and　that
the　man　who　sends　up　a　twenty…pound　note　has　very
likely　hundreds　or　thousands　more　for　which　he　ought
to　account。　　Such；　at　least；　are　my　feelings；　when　I　see
A。　　B。　　or　W。　　T。's　insufficient　acts　of　repentance。　　And　I
have　no　doubt　that　Pitt　Crawley's　contrition；　or　kindness
if　you　will；　towards　his　younger　brother；　by　whom
he　had　so　much　profited；　was　only　a　very　small　dividend
upon　the　capital　sum　in　which　he　was　indebted　to　Rawdon。
Not　everybody　is　willing　to　pay　even　so　much。　　To　part
with　money　is　a　sacrifice　beyond　almost　all　men　endowed
with　a　sense　of　order。　　There　is　scarcely　any　man　alive
who　does　not　think　himself　meritorious　for　giving
his　neighbour　five　pounds。　　Thriftless　gives；　not　from　a
beneficent　pleasure　in　giving；　but　from　a　lazy　delight　in
spending。　　He　would　not　deny　himself　one　enjoyment；　not
his　opera…stall；　not　his　horse；　not　his　dinner；　not　even
the　pleasure　of　giving　Lazarus　the　five　pounds。　　Thrifty；
who　is　good；　wise；　just；　and　owes　no　man　a　penny；　turns
from　a　beggar；　haggles　with　a　hackney…coachman；　or
denies　a　poor　relation；　and　I　doubt　which　is　the　most
selfish　of　the　two。　　Money　has　only　a　different　value　in
the　eyes　of　each。
So；　in　a　word；　Pitt　Crawley　thought　he　would　do　something
for　his　brother；　and　then　thought　that　he　would　think
about　it　some　other　time。
And　with　regard　to　Becky；　she　was　not　a　woman　who
expected　too　much　from　the　generosity　of　her
neighbours；　and　so　was　quite　content　with　all　that　Pitt　Crawley
had　done　for　her。　　She　was　acknowledged　by　the　head
of　the　family。　　If　Pitt　would　not　give　her　anything；　he
would　get　something　for　her　some　day。　　If　she　got　no
money　from　her　brother…in…law；　she　got　what　was　as　good
as　moneycredit。　　Raggles　was　made　rather　easy　in　his
mind　by　the　spectacle　of　the　union　between　the　brothers；
by　a　small　payment　on　the　spot；　and　by　the　promise　of　a
much　larger　sum　speedily　to　be　assigned　to　him。　　And
Rebecca　told　Miss　Briggs；　whose　Christmas　dividend
upon　the　little　sum　lent　by　her　Becky　paid　with　an　air　of
candid　joy；　and　as　if　her　exchequer　was　brimming　over
with　goldRebecca；　we　say；　told　Miss　Briggs；　in　strict
confidence　that　she　had　conferred　with　Sir　Pitt；　who　was
famous　as　a　financier；　on　Briggs's　special　behalf；　as　to
the　most　profitable　investment　of　Miss　B。's　remaining
capital；　that　Sir　Pitt；　after　much　consideration；　had
thought　of　a　most　safe　and　advantageous　way　in　which
Briggs　could　lay　out　her　money；　that；　being　especially
interested　in　her　as　an　attached　friend　of　the　late　Miss
Crawley；　and　of　the　whole　family；　and　that　long　before
he　left　town；　he　had　recommended　that　she　should　be
ready　with　the　money　at　a　moment's　notice；　so　as　to
purchase　at　the　most　favourable　opportunity　the　shares
which　Sir　Pitt　had　in　his　eye。　　Poor　Miss　Briggs　was　very
grateful　for　this　mark　of　Sir　Pitt's　attentionit　came　so
unsolicited；　she　said；　for　she　never　should　have　thought　of
removing　the　money　from　the　fundsand　the　delicacy
enhanced　the　kindness　of　the　office；　and　she　promised　to
see　her　man　of　business　immediately　and　be　ready　with
her　little　cash　at　the　proper　hour。
And　this　worthy　woman　was　so　grateful　for　the
kindness　of　Rebecca　in　the　matter；　and　for　that　of　her
generous　benefactor；　the　Colonel；　that　she　went　out　and
spent　a　great　part　of　her　half…year's　dividend　in　the
purchase　of　a　black　velvet　coat　for　little　Rawdon；　who；　by
the　way；　was　grown　almost　too　big　for　black　velvet　now；
and　was　of　a　size　and　age　befitting　him　for　the　assumption
of　the　virile　jacket　and　pantaloons。
He　was　a　fine　open…faced　boy；　with　blue　eyes　and
waving　flaxen　hair；　sturdy　in　limb；　but　generous　and　soft　in
heart；　fondly　attaching　himself　to　all　who　were　good　to
himto　the　ponyto　Lord　Southdown；　who　gave　him
the　horse　（he　used　to　blush　and　glow　all　over　when　he
saw　that　kind　young　nobleman）to　the　groom　who　had
charge　of　the　ponyto　Molly；　the　cook；　who　crammed
him　with　ghost　stories　at　night；　and　with　good　things　from
the　dinnerto　Briggs；　whom　he　plagued　and　laughed　at
and　to　his　father　especially；　whose　attachment
towards　the　lad　was　curious　too　to　witness。　　Here；　as　he
grew　to　be　about　eight　years　old；　his　attachments　may
be　said　to　have　ended。　　The　beautiful　mother…vision　had
faded　away　after　a　while。　　During　near　two　years　she　had
scarcely　spoken　to　the　child。　　She　disliked　him。　　He　had
the　measles　and　the　hooping…cough。　　He　bored　her。　　One
day　when　he　was　standing　at　the　landing…place；　having
crept　down　from　the　upper　regions；　attracted　by　the　sound
of　his　mother's　voice；　who　was　singing　to　Lord　Steyne；
the　drawing　room　door　opening　suddenly；　discovered　the
little　spy；　who　but　a　moment　before　had　been　rapt　in
delight；　and　listening　to　the　music。
His　mother　came　out　and　struck　him　violently　a　couple
of　boxes　on　the　ear。　　He　heard　a　laugh　from　the　Marquis
in　the　inner　room　（who　was　amused　by　this　free　and
artless　exhibition　of　Becky's　temper）　and　fled　down　below
to　his　friends　of　the　kitchen；　bursting　in　an　agony　of
grief。
〃It　is　not　because　it　hurts　me；〃　little　Rawdon　gasped
out〃onlyonly〃sobs　and　tears　wound　up　the
sentence　in　a　storm。　　It　was　the　little　boy's　heart　that　was
bleeding。　　〃Why　mayn't　I　hear　her　singing？　Why　don't
she　ever　sing　to　meas　she　does　to　that　baldheaded
man　with　the　large　teeth？〃　He　gasped　out　at　various
intervals　these　exclamations　of　rage　and　grief。　　The　cook
looked　at　the　housemaid；　the　housemaid　looked
knowingly　at　the　footmanthe　awful　kitchen　inquisition　which
sits　in　judgement　in　every　house　and　knows　everything
sat　on　Rebecca　at　that　moment。
After　this　incident；　the　mother's　dislike　increased　to
hatred；　the　consciousness　that　the　child　was　in　the　house
was　a　reproach　and　a　pain　to　her。　　His　very　sight
annoyed　her。　　Fear；　doubt；　and　resistance　sprang　up；　too；
in　the　boy's　own　bosom。　　They　were　separated　from　that
day　of　the　boxes　on　the　ear。
Lord　Steyne　also　heartily　disliked　the　boy。　　When　they
met　by　mischance；　he　made　sarcastic　bows　or　remarks
to　the　child；　or　glared　at　him　with　savage…looking　eyes。
Rawdon　used　to　stare　him　in　the　face　and　double　his
little　fists　in　return。　　He　knew　his　enemy；　and　this　gentleman；
of　all　who　came　to　the　house；　was　the　one　who
angered　him　most。　　One　day　the　footman　found　him
squaring　his　fists　at　Lord　Steyne's　hat　in　the　hall。　　The
footman　told　the　circumstance　as　a　good　joke　to　Lord
Steyne's　coachman；　that　officer　imparted　it　to　Lord
Steyne's　gentleman；　and　to　the　servants'　hall　in　general。
And　very　soon　afterwards；　when　Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley
made　her　appearance　at　Gaunt　House；　the　porter　who
unbarred　the　gates；　the　servants　of　all　uniforms　in　the　hall；
the　functionaries　in　white　waistcoats；　who　bawled　out
from　landing　to　landing　the　names　of　Colonel　and　Mrs。
Rawdon　Crawley；　knew　about　her；　or　fancied　they　did。
The　man　who　brought　her　refreshment　and　stood　behind
her　chair；　had　talked　her　character　over　with　the　large
gentleman　in　motley…coloured　clothes　at　his　side。　　Bon
Dieu！　it　is　awful；　that　servants'　inquisition！　　You　see　a
woman　in　a　great　party　in　a　splendid　saloon；　surrounded
by　faithful　admirers；　distributing　sparkling　glances；
dressed　to　perfection；　curled；　rouged；　smiling　and　happy
Discovery　walks　respectfully　up　to　her；　in　the　shape　of
a　huge　powdered　man　with　large　calves　and　a　tray　of　ices
with　Calumny　（which　is　as　fatal　as　truth）　behind
him；　in　the　shape　of　the　hulking　fellow　carrying　the　wafer…
biscuits。　　Madam；　your　secret　will　be　talked　over　by　those
men　at　their　club　at　the　public…house　to…night。　　Jeames
will　tell　Chawles　his　notions　about　you　over　their　pipes
and　pewter　beer…pots。　　Some　people　ought　to　have　mutes
for　servants　in