vanity fair(名利场)-第146节

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know　where　you　would　have　been　now；　and　in　what　sort
of　a　position　in　society；　if　I　had　not　looked　after　you。〃
Indeed；　nobody　wanted　poor　old　Rawdon　at　the　parties
whither　Becky　used　to　go。　　She　was　often　asked　without
him　now。　　She　talked　about　great　people　as　if　she　had　the
fee…simple　of　May　Fair；　and　when　the　Court　went　into
mourning；　she　always　wore　black。
Little　Rawdon　being　disposed　of；　Lord　Steyne；　who
took　such　a　parental　interest　in　the　affairs　of　this　amiable
poor　family；　thought　that　their　expenses　might　be　very
advantageously　curtailed　by　the　departure　of　Miss　Briggs；
and　that　Becky　was　quite　clever　enough　to　take　the
management　of　her　own　house。　　It　has　been　narrated　in　a
former　chapter　how　the　benevolent　nobleman　had　given
his　protegee　money。to　pay　off　her　little　debt　to　Miss
Briggs；　who　however　still　remained　behind　with　her
friends；　whence　my　lord　came　to　the　painful　conclusion
that　Mrs。　Crawley　had　made　some　other　use　of　the
money　confided　to　her　than　that　for　which　her　generous
patron　had　given　the　loan。　　However；　Lord　Steyne　was
not　so　rude　as　to　impart　his　suspicions　upon　this　head　to
Mrs。　Becky；　whose　feelings　might　be　hurt　by　any
controversy　on　the　money…question；　and　who　might　have　a
thousand　painful　reasons　for　disposing　otherwise　of　his
lordship's　generous　loan。　　But　he　determined　to　satisfy
himself　of　the　real　state　of　the　case；　and　instituted　the
necessary　inquiries　in　a　most　cautious　and　delicate
manner。
In　the　first　place　he　took　an　early　opportunity　of
pumping　Miss　Briggs。　　That　was　not　a　difficult　operation。
A　very　little　encouragement　would　set　that　worthy　woman
to　talk　volubly　and　pour　out　all　within　her。　　And　one　day
when　Mrs。　Rawdon　had　gone　out　to　drive　（as　Mr。　Fiche；
his　lordship's　confidential　servant；　easily　learned　at　the
livery　stables　where　the　Crawleys　kept　their　carriage　and
horses；　or　rather；　where　the　livery…man　kept　a　carriage
and　horses　for　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Crawley）my　lord　dropped
in　upon　the　Curzon　Street　houseasked　Briggs　for　a　cup
of　coffeetold　her　that　he　had　good　accounts　of　the　little
boy　at　schooland　in　five　minutes　found　out　from　her
that　Mrs。　Rawdon　had　given　her　nothing　except　a　black
silk　gown；　for　which　Miss　Briggs　was　immensely　grateful。
He　laughed　within　himself　at　this　artless　story。　　For　the
truth　is；　our　dear　friend　Rebecca　had　given　him　a　most
circumstantial　narration　of　Briggs's　delight　at　receiving
her　moneyeleven　hundred　and　twenty…five　pounds
and　in　what　securities　she　had　invested　it；　and　what　a
pang　Becky　herself　felt　in　being　obliged　to　pay　away　such
a　delightful　sum　of　money。　　〃Who　knows；〃　the　dear
woman　may　have　thought　within　herself；　〃perhaps　he
may　give　me　a　little　more？〃　My　lord；　however；　made　no
such　proposal　to　the　little　schemervery　likely　thinking
that　he　had　been　sufficiently　generous　already。
He　had　the　curiosity；　then；　to　ask　Miss　Briggs　about
the　state　of　her　private　affairsand　she　told　his　lordship
candidly　what　her　position　washow　Miss　Crawley　had
left　her　a　legacyhow　her　relatives　had　had　part　of　it
how　Colonel　Crawley　had　put　out　another　portion；　for
which　she　had　the　best　security　and　interestand　how
Mr。　and　Mrs。　Rawdon　had　kindly　busied　themselves　with
Sir　Pitt；　who　was　to　dispose　of　the　remainder　most
advantageously　for　her；　when　he　had　time。　　My　lord　asked
how　much　the　Colonel　had　already　invested　for　her；　and
Miss　Briggs　at　once　and　truly　told　him　that　the　sum　was
six　hundred　and　odd　pounds。
But　as　soon　as　she　had　told　her　story；　the　voluble
Briggs　repented　of　her　frankness　and　besought　my　lord
not　to　tell　Mr。　Crawley　of　the　confessions　which　she　had
made。　　〃The　Colonel　was　so　kindMr。　Crawley　might
be　offended　and　pay　back　the　money；　for　which　she
could　get　no　such　good　interest　anywhere　else。〃　Lord
Steyne；　laughing；　promised　he　never　would　divulge　their
conversation；　and　when　he　and　Miss　Briggs　parted　he
laughed　still　more。
〃What　an　accomplished　little　devil　it　is！〃　thought　he。
〃What　a　splendid　actress　and　manager！　　She　had　almost
got　a　second　supply　out　of　me　the　other　day；　with　her
coaxing　ways。　　She　beats　all　the　women　I　have　ever　seen
in　the　course　of　all　my　well…spent　life。　　They　are　babies
compared　to　her。　　I　am　a　greenhorn　myself；　and　a　fool　in
her　handsan　old　fool。　　She　is　unsurpassable　in　lies。〃
His　lordship's　admiration　for　Becky　rose　immeasurably
at　this　proof　of　her　cleverness。　　Getting　the　money　was
nothingbut　getting　double　the　sum　she　wanted；　and
paying　nobodyit　was　a　magnificent　stroke。　　And　Crawley；
my　lord　thoughtCrawley　is　not　such　a　fool　as　he
looks　and　seems。　　He　has　managed　the　matter　cleverly
enough　on　his　side。　　Nobody　would　ever　have　supposed
from　his　face　and　demeanour　that　he　knew　anything
about　this　money　business；　and　yet　he　put　her　up　to　it；
and　has　spent　the　money；　no　doubt。　　In　this　opinion　my
lord；　we　know；　was　mistaken；　but　it　influenced　a　good
deal　his　behaviour　towards　Colonel　Crawley；　whom　he
began　to　treat　with　even　less　than　that　semblance　of
respect　which　he　had　formerly　shown　towards　that
gentleman。　　It　never　entered　into　the　head　of　Mrs。
Crawley's　patron　that　the　little　lady　might　be　making　a
purse　for　herself；　and；　perhaps；　if　the　truth　must　be　told；
he　judged　of　Colonel　Crawley　by　his　experience　of　other
husbands；　whom　he　had　known　in　the　course　of　the　long
and　well…spent　life　which　had　made　him　acquainted　with
a　great　deal　of　the　weakness　of　mankind。　　My　lord　had
bought　so　many　men　during　his　life　that　he　was　surely
to　be　pardoned　for　supposing　that　he　had　found　the　price
of　this　one。
He　taxed　Becky　upon　the　point　on　the　very　first　occasion
when　he　met　her　alone；　and　he　complimented　her；
good…humouredly；　on　her　cleverness　in　getting　more　than
the　money　which　she　required。　　Becky　was　only　a　little
taken　aback。　　It　was　not　the　habit　of　this　dear　creature
to　tell　falsehoods；　except　when　necessity　compelled；　but
in　these　great　emergencies　it　was　her　practice　to　lie　very
freely；　and　in　an　instant　she　was　ready　with　another　neat
plausible　circumstantial　story　which　she　administered　to
her　patron。　　The　previous　statement　which　she　had　made
to　him　was　a　falsehooda　wicked　falsehoodshe
owned　it。　　But　who　had　made　her　tell　it？　〃Ah；　my　Lord；〃
she　said；　〃you　don't　know　all　I　have　to　suffer　and　bear
in　silence；　you　see　me　gay　and　happy　before　youyou
little　know　what　I　have　to　endure　when　there　is　no
protector　near　me。　　It　was　my　husband；　by　threats　and
the　most　savage　treatment；　forced　me　to　ask　for　that
sum　about　which　I　deceived　you。　　It　was　he　who；
foreseeing　that　questions　might　be　asked　regarding　the
disposal　of　the　money；　forced　me　to　account　for　it　as　I
did。　　He　took　the　money。　　He　told　me　he　had　paid　Miss
Briggs；　I　did　not　want；　I　did　not　dare　to　doubt　him。
Pardon　the　wrong　which　a　desperate　man　is　forced　to
commit；　and　pity　a　miserable；　miserable　woman。〃　She
burst　into　tears　as　she　spoke。　　Persecuted　virtue　never
looked　more　bewitchingly　wretched。
They　had　a　long　conversation；　driving　round　and　round
the　Regent's　Park　in　Mrs。　Crawley's　carriage　together；
a　conversation　of　which　it　is　not　necessary　to　repeat
the　details；　but　the　upshot　of　it　was　that；　when　Becky
came　home；　she　flew　to　her　dear　Briggs　with　a　smiling
face　and　announced　that　she　had　some　very　good　news
for　her。　　Lord　Steyne　had　acted　in　the　noblest　and　most
generous　manner。　　He　was　always　thinking　how　and　when
he　could　do　good。　　Now　that　little　Rawdon　was　gone　to
school；　a　dear　companion　and　friend　was　no　longer
necessary　to　her。　　She　was　grieved　beyond　measure　to　part
with　Briggs；　but　her　means　required　that　she　should
practise　every　retrenchment；　and　her　sorrow　was
mitigated　by　the　idea　that　her　dear　Briggs　would　be　far
better　provided　for　by　her　generous　patron　than　in　her
humble　home。　　Mrs。　Pilkington；　the　housekeeper　at　Gauntly
Hall；　was　growing　exceedingly　old；　feeble；　and　rheumatic：
she　was　not　equal　to　the　work　of　superintending
that　vast　mansion；　and　must　be　on　the　look　out　for　a
successor。　　It　was　a　splendid　position。　　The　family　did　not
go　to　Gauntly　once　in　two　years。　　At　other　times　the
housekeeper　was　the　mistress　of　the　magnificent
mansionhad　four　covers　daily　for　her　table；　was　visited　by
the　clergy　and　the　most　respectable　people　of　the　county
was　the　lady　of　Gauntly；　in　fact；　and　the　two　last
housekeepers　before　Mrs。　Pilkington　had　married　rectors
of　Gauntlybut　Mrs。　P。　　could　not；　being　the　aunt　of
the　present　Rector。　　The　place　was　not　to　be　hers　yet；
but　she　might　go　down　on　a　visit　to　Mrs。　Pilkington　and
see　whether　she　would　like　to　succeed　her。
What　words　can　paint　the　ecstatic　gratitude　of　Briggs！
All　she　stipulated　for　was　that　little　Rawdon　should　be
allowed　to　come　down　and　see　her　at　the　Hall。　　Becky
promised　thisanything。　　She　ran　up　to　her　husband　when
he　came　home　and　told　him　the　joyful　news。　　Rawdon
was　glad；　deuced　glad；　the　weight　was　off　his　conscience
about　poor　Briggs's　money。　　She　was　provided　for；　at　any
rate；　butbut　his　mind　was　disquiet。　　He　did　not　seem
to　be　all　right；　somehow。　　He　told　little　Southdown　what
Lord　Steyne　had　done；　and　the　young　man　eyed　Crawley
with　an　air　which　surprised　the　latter。
He　told　Lady　Jane　of　this　second　p