vanity fair(名利场)-第178节

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did　not　care　to　remonstrate　with　Jos；　but　left　him　and
walked　home　with　Georgy。
〃Did　you　play？〃　asked　the　Major　when　they　were　out
and　on　their　way　home。
The　boy　said　〃No。〃
〃Give　me　your　word　of　honour　as　a　gentleman　that　you
never　will。〃
〃Why？〃　said　the　boy；　〃it　seems　very　good　fun。〃　And；　in
a　very　eloquent　and　impressive　manner；　the　Major　showed
him　why　he　shouldn't；　and　would　have　enforced　his
precepts　by　the　example　of　Georgy's　own　father；　had　he
liked　to　say　anything　that　should　reflect　on　the　other's
memory。　　When　he　had　housed　him；　he　went　to　bed　and
saw　his　light；　in　the　little　room　outside　of　Amelia's；
presently　disappear。　　Amelia's　followed　half　an　hour
afterwards。　　I　don't　know　what　made　the　Major　note　it
so　accurately。
Jos；　however；　remained　behind　over　the　play…table；　he
was　no　gambler；　but　not　averse　to　the　little　excitement
of　the　sport　now　and　then；　and　he　had　some　Napoleons
chinking　in　the　embroidered　pockets　of　his　court
waistcoat。　　He　put　down　one　over　the　fair　shoulder　of　the
little　gambler　before　him；　and　they　won。　　She　made　a　little
movement　to　make　room　for　him　by　her　side；　and
just　took　the　skirt　of　her　gown　from　a　vacant　chair　there。
〃Come　and　give　me　good　luck；〃　she　said；　still　in　a
foreign　accent；　quite　different　from　that　frank　and
perfectly　English　〃Thank　you；〃　with　which　she　had　saluted
Georgy's　coup　in　her　favour。　　The　portly　gentleman；
looking　round　to　see　that　nobody　of　rank　observed　him；
sat　down；　he　muttered〃Ah；　really；　well　now；　God　bless
my　soul。　　I'm　very　fortunate；　I'm　sure　to　give　you　good
fortune；〃　and　other　words　of　compliment　and　confusion。
〃Do　you　play　much？〃　the　foreign　mask　said。
　
〃I　put　a　Nap　or　two　down；〃　said　Jos　with　a　superb　air；
flinging　down　a　gold　piece。
　
〃Yes；　ay　nap　after　dinner；〃　said　the　mask　archly。　　But
Jos　looking　frightened；　she　continued；　in　her　pretty
French　accent；　〃You　do　not　play　to　win。　　No　more　do　I。
I　play　to　forget；　but　I　cannot。　　I　cannot　forget　old　times；
monsieur。　　Your　little　nephew　is　the　image　of　his　father；
and　youyou　are　not　changedbut　yes；　you　are。
Everybody　changes；　everybody　forgets；　nobody　has
any　heart。〃
　
〃Good　God；　who　is　it？〃　asked　Jos　in　a　flutter。
〃Can't　you　guess；　Joseph　Sedley？〃　said　the　little
woman　in　a　sad　voice；　and　undoing　her　mask；　she
looked　at　him。　　〃You　have　forgotten　me。〃
〃Good　heavens！　　Mrs。　Crawley！〃　gasped　out　Jos。
〃Rebecca；〃　said　the　other；　putting　her　hand　on　his；
but　she　followed　the　game　still；　all　the　time　she　was
looking　at　him。
〃I　am　stopping　at　the　Elephant；〃　she　continued。　　〃Ask
for　Madame　de　Raudon。　　I　saw　my　dear　Amelia　to…day；
how　pretty　she　looked；　and　how　happy！　　So　do　you！
Everybody　but　me；　who　am　wretched；　Joseph　Sedley。〃
And　she　put　her　money　over　from　the　red　to　the　black；
as　if　by　a　chance　movement　of　her　hand；　and　while　she
was　wiping　her　eyes　with　a　pocket…handkerchief　fringed
with　torn　lace。
The　red　came　up　again；　and　she　lost　the　whole　of　that
stake。~　〃Come　away；〃　she　said。　　〃Come　with　me　a　little
we　are　old　friends；　are　we　not；　dear　Mr。　Sedley？〃
And　Mr。　Kirsch　having　lost　all　his　money　by　this
time；　followed　his　master　out　into　the　moonlight；　where
the　illuminations　were　winking　out　and　the　transparency
over　our　mission　was　scarcely　visible。

CHAPTER　LXIV
A　Vagabond　Chapter
We　must　pass　over　a　part　of　Mrs。　Rebecca　Crawley's
biography　with　that　lightness　and　delicacy　which　the
world　demandsthe　moral　world；　that　has；　perhaps；　no
particular　objection　to　vice；　but　an　insuperable　repugnance
to　hearing　vice　called　by　its　proper　name。　　There
are　things　we　do　and　know　perfectly　well　in　Vanity　Fair；
though　we　never　speak　of　them：　　as　the　Ahrimanians
worship　the　devil；　but　don't　mention　him：　　and　a　polite
public　will　no　more　bear　to　read　an　authentic　description
of　vice　than　a　truly　refined　English　or　American　female
will　permit　the　word　breeches　to　be　pronounced　in　her
chaste　hearing。　　And　yet；　madam；　both　are　walking　the
world　before　our　faces　every　day；　without　much　shocking
us。　　If　you　were　to　blush　every　time　they　went　by；　what
complexions　you　would　have！　　It　is　only　when　their
naughty　names　are　called　out　that　your　modesty　has　any
occasion　to　show　alarm　or　sense　of　outrage；　and　it　has
been　the　wish　of　the　present　writer；　all　through　this　story；
deferentially　to　submit　to　the　fashion　at　present　prevailing；
and　only　to　hint　at　the　existence　of　wickedness　in　a
light；　easy；　and　agreeable　manner；　so　that　nobody's　fine
feelings　may　be　offended。　　I　defy　any　one　to　say　that
our　Becky；　who　has　certainly　some　vices；　has　not　been
presented　to　the　public　in　a　perfectly　genteel　and
inoffensive　manner。　　In　describing　this　Siren；　singing　and
smiling；　coaxing　and　cajoling；　the　author；　with　modest　pride；
asks　his　readers　all　round；　has　he　once　forgotten　the
laws　of　politeness；　and　showed　the　monster's　hideous　tail
above　water？　No！　　Those　who　like　may　peep　down　under
waves　that　are　pretty　transparent　and　see　it　writhing　and
twirling；　diabolically　hideous　and　slimy；　flapping　amongst
bones；　or　curling　round　corpses；　but　above　the　waterline；
I　ask；　has　not　everything　been　proper；　agreeable；
and　decorous；　and　has　any　the　most　squeamish　immoralist
in　Vanity　Fair　a　right　to　cry　fie？　When；　however；　the　Siren
disappears　and　dives　below；　down　among　the　dead　men；
the　water　of　course　grows　turbid　over　her；　and　it　is　labour
lost　to　look　into　it　ever　so　curiously。　　They　look　pretty
enough　when　they　sit　upon　a　rock；　twanging　their　harps
and　combing　their　hair；　and　sing；　and　beckon　to　you　to
come　and　hold　the　looking…glass；　but　when　they　sink
into　their　native　element；　depend　on　it；　those　mermaids
are　about　no　good；　and　we　had　best　not　examine　the
fiendish　marine　cannibals；　revelling　and　feasting　on　their
wretched　pickled　victims。　　And　so；　when　Becky　is　out　of
the　way；　be　sure　that　she　is　not　particularly　well
employed；　and　that　the　less　that　is　said　about　her　doings
is　in　fact　the　better。
If　we　were　to　give　a　full　account　of　her　proceedings
during　a　couple　of　years　that　followed　after　the　Curzon
Street　catastrophe；　there　might　be　some　reason　for
people　to　say　this　book　was　improper。　　The　actions　of　very
vain；　heartless；　pleasure…seeking　people　are　very　often
improper　（as　are　many　of　yours；　my　friend　with　the
grave　face　and　spotless　reputationbut　that　is　merely
by　the　way）；　and　what　are　those　of　a　woman　without
faithor　loveor　character？　And　I　am　inclined　to　think
that　there　was　a　period　in　Mrs　Becky's　life　when
she　was　seized；　not　by　remorse；　but　by　a　kind　of　despair；
and　absolutely　neglected　her　person　and　did　not　even
care　for　her　reputation。
This　abattement　and　degradation　did　not　take　place
all　at　once；　it　was　brought　about　by　degrees；　after　her
calamity；　and　after　many　struggles　to　keep　upas　a
man　who　goes　overboard　hangs　on　to　a　spar　whilst　any
hope　is　left；　and　then　flings　it　away　and　goes　down；　when
he　finds　that　struggling　is　in　vain。
She　lingered　about　London　whilst　her　husband　was
making　preparations　for　his　departure　to　his　seat　of
government；　and　it　is　believed　made　more　than　one
attempt　to　see　her　brother…in…law；　Sir　Pitt　Crawley；　and　to
work　upon　his　feelings；　which　she　had　almost
enlisted　in　her　favour。　　As　Sir　Pitt　and　Mr。　Wenham　were
walking　down　to　the　House　of　Commons；　the　latter　spied
Mrs。　Rawdon　in　a　black　veil；　and　lurking　near　the　palace
of　the　legislature。　　She　sneaked　away　when　her　eyes　met
those　of　Wenham；　and　indeed　never　succeeded　in　her
designs　upon　the　Baronet。
Probably　Lady　Jane　interposed。　　I　have　heard　that　she
quite　astonished　her　husband　by　the　spirit　which　she
exhibited　in　this　quarrel；　and　her　determination　to　disown
Mrs。　Becky。　　Of　her　own　movement；　she　invited　Rawdon
to　come　and　stop　in　Gaunt　Street　until　his　departure　for
Coventry　Island；　knowing　that　with　him　for　a　guard　Mrs。
Becky　would　not　try　to　force　her　door；　and　she　looked
curiously　at　the　superscriptions　of　all　the　letters　which
arrived　for　Sir　Pitt；　lest　he　and　his　sister…in…law　should
be　corresponding。　　Not　but　that　Rebecca　could　have
written　had　she　a　mind；　but　she　did　not　try　to　see　or　to　write
to　Pitt　at　his　own　house；　and　after　one　or　two　attempts
consented　to　his　demand　that　the　correspondence
regarding　her　conjugal　differences　should　be　carried　on　by
lawyers　only。
The　fact　was　that　Pitt's　mind　had　been　poisoned　against
her。　　A　short　time　after　Lord　Steyne's　accident　Wenham
had　been　with　the　Baronet　and　given　him　such　a　biography
of　Mrs。　Becky　as　had　astonished　the　member　for
Queen's　Crawley。　　He　knew　everything　regarding　her：
who　her　father　was；　in　what　year　her　mother　danced　at
the　opera；　what　had　been　her　previous　history；　and　what
her　conduct　during　her　married　lifeas　I　have　no　doubt
that　the　greater　part　of　the　story　was　false　and
dictated　by　interested　malevolence；　it　shall　not　be　repeated
here。　　But　Becky　was　left　with　a　sad　sad　reputation　in　the
esteem　of　a　country　gentleman　and　relative　who　had
been　once　rather　partial　to　her。
The　revenues　of　the　Governor　of　Coventry　Island　are
not　large。　　A　part　of　them　were　set　aside　by　his　Excellency
for　the　payment　of　certain　outstanding　debts　and
liabilities；　the　charges　incident　on　his　high　situation
required　consi