vanity fair(名利场)-第189节

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ready　to　call　her　du　and　to　swear　eternal　friendship　for
her　than　they　had　been　to　bestow　the　same　inestimable
benefits　upon　Amelia。　　Love　and　Liberty　are　interpreted
by　those　simple　Germans　in　a　way　which　honest　folks　in
Yorkshire　and　Somersetshire　little　understand；　and　a　lady
might；　in　some　philosophic　and　civilized　towns；　be
divorced　ever　so　many　times　from　her　respective　husbands
and　keep　her　character　in　society。　　Jos's　house　never　was
so　pleasant　since　he　had　a　house　of　his　own　as　Rebecca
caused　it　to　be。　　She　sang；　she　played；　she　laughed；　she
talked　in　two　or　three　languages；　she　brought　everybody
to　the　house；　and　she　made　Jos　believe　that　it　was　his
own　great　social　talents　and　wit　which　gathered　the
society　of　the　place　round　about　him。
As　for　Emmy；　who　found　herself　not　in　the　least
mistress　of　her　own　house；　except　when　the　bills　were
to　be　paid；　Becky　soon　discovered　the　way　to　soothe　and
please　her。　　She　talked　to　her　perpetually　about　Major
Dobbin　sent　about　his　business；　and　made　no　scruple
of　declaring　her　admiration　for　that　excellent；　high…
minded　gentleman；　and　of　telling　Emmy　that　she　had
behaved　most　cruelly　regarding　him。　　Emmy　defended　her
conduct　and　showed　that　it　was　dictated　only　by　the
purest　religious　principles；　that　a　woman　once；　&c。；　and　to
such　an　angel　as　him　whom　she　had　had　the　good
fortune　to　marry；　was　married　forever；　but　she　had　no
objection　to　hear　the　Major　praised　as　much　as　ever
Becky　chose　to　praise　him；　and　indeed；　brought　the
conversation　round　to　the　Dobbin　subject　a　score　of　times
every　day。
Means　were　easily　found　to　win　the　favour　of　Georgy
and　the　servants。　　Amelia's　maid；　it　has　been　said；　was
heart　and　soul　in　favour　of　the　generous　Major。　　Having　at
first　disliked　Becky　for　being　the　means　of　dismissing
him　from　the　presence　of　her　mistress；　she　was　reconciled
to　Mrs。　Crawley　subsequently；　because　the　latter
became　William's　most　ardent　admirer　and　champion。　　And
in　those　nightly　conclaves　in　which　the　two　ladies
indulged　after　their　parties；　and　while　Miss　Payne　was
〃brushing　their　'airs；〃　as　she　called　the　yellow　locks　of
the　one　and　the　soft　brown　tresses　of　the　other；　this
girl　always　put　in　her　word　for　that　dear　good　gentleman
Major　Dobbin。　　Her　advocacy　did　not　make　Amelia
angry　any　more　than　Rebecca's　admiration　of　him。　　She
made　George　write　to　him　constantly　and　persisted　in
sending　Mamma's　kind　love　in　a　postscript。　　And　as　she
looked　at　her　husband's　portrait　of　nights；　it　no　longer
reproached　herperhaps　she　reproached　it；　now
William　was　gone。
Emmy　was　not　very　happy　after　her　heroic　sacrifice。
She　was　very　distraite；　nervous；　silent；　and　ill　to　please。
The　family　had　never　known　her　so　peevish。　　She　grew
pale　and　ill。　　She　used　to　try　to　sing　certain　songs
（〃Einsam　bin　ich　nicht　alleine；〃　was　one　of　them；　that　tender
love…song　of　Weber's　which~　in　old…fashioned　days；
young　ladies；　and　when　you　were　scarcely　born；　showed
that　those　who　lived　before　you　knew　too　how　to　love
and　to　sing）　certain　songs；　I　say；　to　which　the　Major
was　partial；　and　as　she　warbled　them　in　the　twilight　in　the
drawing…room；　she　would　break　off　in　the　midst　of　the
song；　and　walk　into　her　neighbouring　apartment；　and
there；　no　doubt；　take　refuge　in　the　miniature　of　her
husband。
Some　books　still　subsisted；　after　Dobbin's　departure；
with　his　name　written　in　them；　a　German　dictionary；　for
instance；　with　〃William　Dobbin；　th　Reg。；〃　in　the　fly…leaf；
a　guide…book　with　his　initials；　and　one　or　two　other
volumes　which　belonged　to　the　Major。　　Emmy　cleared　these
away　and　put　them　on　the　drawers；　where　she　placed　her
work…box；　her　desk；　her　Bible；　and　prayer…book；　under
the　pictures　of　the　two　Georges。　　And　the　Major；　on　going
away；　having　left　his　gloves　behind　him；　it　is　a　fact　that
Georgy；　rummaging　his　mother's　desk　some　time
afterwards；　found　the　gloves　neatly　folded　up　and　put　away　in
what　they　call　the　secret…drawers　of　the　desk。
Not　caring　for　society；　and　moping　there　a　great　deal；
Emmy's　chief　pleasure　in　the　summer　evenings　was　to
take　long　walks　with　Georgy　（during　which　Rebecca
was　left　to　the　society　of　Mr。　Joseph）；　and　then　the
mother　and　son　used　to　talk　about　the　Major　in　a　way
which　even　made　the　boy　smile。　　She　told　him　that　she
thought　Major　William　was　the　best　man　in　all　the　world
the　gentlest　and　the　kindest；　the　bravest　and　the
humblest。　　Over　and　over　again　she　told　him　how　they　owed
everything　which　they　possessed　in　the　world　to　that
kind　friend's　benevolent　care　of　them；　how　he　had
befriended　them　all　through　their　poverty　and　misfortunes；
watched　over　them　when　nobody　cared　for　them；　how　all
his　comrades　admired　him　though　he　never　spoke　of　his
own　gallant　actions；　how　Georgy's　father　trusted　him
beyond　all　other　men；　and　had　been　constantly　befriended
by　the　good　William。　　〃Why；　when　your　papa　was　a　little
boy；〃　she　said；　〃he　often　told　me　that　it　was　William
who　defended　him　against　a　tyrant　at　the　school　where
they　were；　and　their　friendship　never　ceased　from　that
day　until　the　last；　when　your　dear　father　fell。〃
〃Did　Dobbin　kill　the　man　who　killed　Papa？〃　Georgy
said。　　〃I'm　sure　he　did；　or　he　would　if　he　could　have
caught　him；　wouldn't　he；　Mother？　When　I'm　in　the　Army；
won't　I　hate　the　French？that's　all。〃
In　such　colloquies　the　mother　and　the　child　passed　a
great　deal　of　their　time　together。　　The　artless　woman　had
made　a　confidant　of　the　boy。　　He　was　as　much　William's
friend　as　everybody　else　who　knew　him　well。
By　the　way；　Mrs。　Becky；　not　to　be　behind　hand　in
sentiment；　had　got　a　miniature　too　hanging　up　in　her
room；　to　the　surprise　and　amusement　of　most　people；
and　the　delight　of　the　original；　who　was　no　other　than
our　friend　Jos。　　On　her　first　coming　to　favour　the　Sedleys
with　a　visit；　the　little　woman；　who　had　arrived　with　a
remarkably　small　shabby　kit；　was　perhaps　ashamed　of　the
meanness　of　her　trunks　and　bandboxes；　and　often　spoke
with　great　respect　about　her　baggage　left　behind　at
Leipzig；　which　she　must　have　from　that　city。　　When　a　traveller
talks　to　you　perpetually　about　the　splendour　of　his
luggage；　which　he　does　not　happen　to　have　with　him；　my
son；　beware　of　that　traveller！　　He　is；　ten　to　one；　an
impostor。
Neither　Jos　nor　Emmy　knew　this　important　maxim。　　It
seemed　to　them　of　no　consequence　whether　Becky　had　a
quantity　of　very　fine　clothes　in　invisible　trunks；　but
as　her　present　supply　was　exceedingly　shabby；　Emmy
supplied　her　out　of　her　own　stores；　or　took　her　to　the
best　milliner　in　the　town　and　there　fitted　her　out。　　It　was
no　more　torn　collars　now；　I　promise　you；　and　faded　silks
trailing　off　at　the　shoulder。　　Becky　changed　her　habits
with　her　situation　in　lifethe　rouge…pot　was　suspended
another　excitement　to　which　she　had　accustomed
herself　was　also　put　aside；　or　at　least　only　indulged　in　in
privacy；　as　when　she　was　prevailed　on　by　Jos　of　a
summer　evening；　Emmy　and　the　boy　being　absent　on　their
walks；　to　take　a　little　spirit…and…water。　　But　if　she　did　not
indulgethe　courier　did：　　that　rascal　Kirsch　could　not
be　kept　from　the　bottle；　nor　could　he　tell　how　much
he　took　when　he　applied　to　it。　　He　was　sometimes
surprised　himself　at　the　way　in　which　Mr。　Sedley's　Cognac
diminished。　　Well；　well；　this　is　a　painful　subject。　　Becky
did　not　very　likely　indulge　so　much　as　she　used　before
she　entered　a　decorous　family。
At　last　the　much…bragged…about　boxes　arrived　from
Leipzig；　three　of　them　not　by　any　means　large　or　splendid；
nor　did　Becky　appear　to　take　out　any　sort　of　dresses
or　ornaments　from　the　boxes　when　they　did　arrive。　　But
out　of　one；　which　contained　a　mass　of　her　papers　（it
was　that　very　box　which　Rawdon　Crawley　had
ransacked　in　his　furious　hunt　for　Becky's　concealed　money）；
she　took　a　picture　with　great　glee；　which　she　pinned　up
in　her　room；　and　to　which　she　introduced　Jos。　　It　was
the　portrait　of　a　gentleman　in　pencil；　his　face　having　the
advantage　of　being　painted　up　in　pink。　　He　was　riding
on　an　elephant　away　from　some　cocoa…nut　trees　and　a
pagoda：　　it　was　an　Eastern　scene。
〃God　bless　my　soul；　it　is　my　portrait；〃　Jos　cried　out。
It　was　he　indeed；　blooming　in　youth　and　beauty；　in　a
nankeen　jacket　of　the　cut　of　1804。　　It　was　the　old　picture
that　used　to　hang　up　in　Russell　Square。
〃I　bought　it；〃　said　Becky　in　a　voice　trembling　with
emotion；　〃I　went　to　see　if　I　could　be　of　any　use　to　my　kind
friends。　　I　have　never　parted　with　that　pictureI　never
will。〃
〃Won't　you？〃　Jos　cried　with　a　look　of　unutterable
rapture　and　satisfaction。　　〃Did　you　really　now　value　it
for　my　sake？〃
〃You　know　I　did；　well　enough；〃　said　Becky；　〃but
why　speakwhy　thinkwhy　look　back！　　It　is　too　late
now！〃
That　evening's　conversation　was　delicious　for　Jos。
Emmy　only　came　in　to　go　to　bed　very　tired　and　unwell。
Jos　and　his　fair　guest　had　a　charming　tete…a…tete；　and
his　sister　could　hear；　as　she　lay　awake　in　her　adjoining
chamber；　Rebecca　singing　over　to　Jos　the　old　songs　of
1815。　　He　did　not　sleep；　for　a　wonder；　that　night；　any
more　than　Amelia。
It　was　June；　and；　by　consequence；　high　season　in
London；　Jos；　who　read　the　incomparable　Galignani　（the
exile's　best　friend）　through　every　day；　used　to　favour　the
ladies　with　extracts　from　his