vanity fair(名利场)-第190节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


exile's　best　friend）　through　every　day；　used　to　favour　the
ladies　with　extracts　from　his　paper　during　their
breakfast。　　Every　week　in　this　paper　there　is　a　full　account　of
military　movements；　in　which　Jos；　as　a　man　who　had
seen　service；　was　especially　interested。　　On　one　occasion
he　read　out〃Arrival　of　the　th　regiment。　　Gravesend；
June　20。The　Ramchunder；　East　Indiaman；　came　into　the
river　this　morning；　having　on　board　14　officers；　and　132
rank　and　file　of　this　gallant　corps。　　They　have　been
absent　from　England　fourteen　years；　having　been　embarked
the　year　after　Waterloo；　in　which　glorious　conflict　they
took　an　active　part；　and　having　subsequently　distinguished
themselves　in　the　Burmese　war。　　The　veteran　colonel；　Sir
Michael　O'Dowd；　K。C。B。；　with　his　lady　and　sister；　landed
here　yesterday；　with　Captains　Posky；　Stubble；　Macraw；
Malony；　Lieutenants　Smith；　Jones；　Thompson；　F。　　Thomson；
Ensigns　Hicks　and　Grady；　the　band　on　the　pier
playing　the　national　anthem；　and　the　crowd　loudly　cheering
the　gallant　veterans　as　they　went　into　Wayte's　hotel；
where　a　sumptuous　banquet　was　provided　for　the　defenders
of　Old　England。　　During　the　repast；　which　we　need　not
say　was　served　up　in　Wayte's　best　style；　the　cheering
continued　so　enthusiastically　that　Lady　O'Dowd　and　the
Colonel　came　forward　to　the　balcony　and　drank　the
healths　of　their　fellow…countrymen　in　a　bumper　of　Wayte's
best　claret。〃
On　a　second　occasion　Jos　read　a　brief　announcement
Major　Dobbin　had　joined　the　th　regiment　at　Chatham；
and　subsequently　he　promulgated　accounts　of　the
presentations　at　the　Drawing…room　of　Colonel　Sir
Michael　O'Dowd；　K。C。B。；　Lady　O'Dowd　（by　Mrs。　Malloy
Malony　of　Ballymalony）；　and　Miss　Glorvina　O'Dowd　（by
Lady　O'Dowd）。　　Almost　directly　after　this；　Dobbin's　name
appeared　among　the　Lieutenant…Colonels：　　for　old　Marshal
Tiptoff　had　died　during　the　passage　of　the　th　from
Madras；　and　the　Sovereign　was　pleased　to　advance
Colonel　Sir　Michael　O'Dowd　to　the　rank　of　Major…General　on
his　return　to　England；　with　an　intimation　that　he　should
be　Colonel　of　the　distinguished　regiment　which　he　had　so
long　commanded。
Amelia　had　been　made　aware　of　some　of　these
movements。　　The　correspondence　between　George　and　his
guardian　had　not　ceased　by　any　means：　　William　had　even
written　once　or　twice　to　her　since　his　departure；　but　in　a
manner　so　unconstrainedly　cold　that　the　poor　woman　felt
now　in　her　turn　that　she　had　lost　her　power　over　him
and　that；　as　he　had　said；　he　was　free。　　He　had　left　her；
and　she　was　wretched。　　The　memory　of　his　almost　countless
services；　and　lofty　and　affectionate　regard；　now
presented　itself　to　her　and　rebuked　her　day　and　night。　　She
brooded　over　those　recollections　according　to　her　wont；
saw　the　purity　and　beauty　of　the　affection　with　which　she
had　trifled；　and　reproached　herself　for　having　flung　away
such　a　treasure。
It　was　gone　indeed。　　William　had　spent　it　all　out。　　He
loved　her　no　more；　he　thought；　as　he　had　loved　her。
He　never　could　again。　　That　sort　of　regard；　which　he　had
proffered　to　her　for　so　many　faithful　years；　can't　be　flung
down　and　shattered　and　mended　so　as　to　show　no　scars。
The　little　heedless　tyrant　had　so　destroyed　it。　　No；　William
thought　again　and　again；　〃It　was　myself　I　deluded
and　persisted　in　cajoling；　had　she　been　worthy　of　the
love　I　gave　her；　she　would　have　returned　it　long　ago。　　It
was　a　fond　mistake。　　Isn't　the　whole　course　of　life　made
up　of　such？　And　suppose　I　had　won　her；　should　I　not
have　been　disenchanted　the　day　after　my　victory？　Why
pine；　or　be　ashamed　of　my　defeat？〃　The　more　he　thought
of　this　long　passage　of　his　life；　the　more　clearly　he　saw
his　deception。　　〃I'll　go　into　harness　again；〃　he　said；　〃and
do　my　duty　in　that　state　of　life　in　which　it　has　pleased
Heaven　to　place　me。　　I　will　see　that　the　buttons　of　the
recruits　are　properly　bright　and　that　the　sergeants　make
no　mistakes　in　their　accounts。　　I　will　dine　at　mess　and
listen　to　the　Scotch　surgeon　telling　his　stories。　　When　I
am　old　and　broken；　I　will　go　on　half…pay；　and　my　old
sisters　shall　scold　me。　　I　have　geliebt　und　gelebet；　as　the
girl　in　'Wallenstein'　says。　　I　am　done。　　Pay　the　bills　and　get
me　a　cigar：　　find　out　what　there　is　at　the　play　to…night；
Francis；　to…morrow　we　cross　by　the　Batavier。〃　He　made
the　above　speech；　whereof　Francis　only　heard　the　last
two　lines；　pacing　up　and　down　the　Boompjes　at　Rotterdam。
The　Batavier　was　lying　in　the　basin。　　He　could　see
the　place　on　the　quarter…deck　where　he　and　Emmy　had
sat　on　the　happy　voyage　out。　　What　had　that　little　Mrs。
Crawley　to　say　to　him？　Psha；　to…morrow　we　will　put　to
sea；　and　return　to　England；　home；　and　duty！
After　June　all　the　little　Court　Society　of　Pumpernickel
used　to　separate；　according　to　the　German　plan；
and　make　for　a　hundred　watering…places；　where　they
drank　at　the　wells；　rode　upon　donkeys；　gambled　at　the
redoutes　if　they　had　money　and　a　mind；　rushed　with
hundreds　of　their　kind　to　gourmandise　at　the　tables
d'hote；　and　idled　away　the　summer。　　The　English
diplomatists　went　off　to　Teoplitz　and　Kissingen；　their　French
rivals　shut　up　their　chancellerie　and　whisked　away　to
their　darling　Boulevard　de　Gand。　　The　Transparent　reigning
family　took　too　to　the　waters；　or　retired　to　their　hunting
lodges。　　Everybody　went　away　having　any　pretensions
to　politeness；　and　of　course；　with　them；　Doctor　von
Glauber；　the　Court　Doctor；　and　his　Baroness。　　The　seasons
for　the　baths　were　the　most　productive　periods　of
the　Doctor's　practicehe　united　business　with　pleasure；
and　his　chief　place　of　resort　was　Ostend；　which　is　much
frequented　by　Germans；　and　where　the　Doctor　treated
himself　and　his　spouse　to　what　he　called　a　〃dib〃　in　the
sea。
His　interesting　patient；　Jos；　was　a　regular　milch…cow
to　the　Doctor；　and　he　easily　persuaded　the　civilian；　both
for　his　own　health's　sake　and　that　of　his　charming
sister；　which　was　really　very　much　shattered；　to　pass　the
summer　at　that　hideous　seaport　town。　　Emmy　did　not
care　where　she　went　much。　　Georgy　jumped　at　the　idea
of　a　move。　　As　for　Becky；　she　came　as　a　matter　of　course
in　the　fourth　place　inside　of　the　fine　barouche　Mr。　Jos
had　bought；　the　two　domestics　being　on　the　box　in　front。
She　might　have　some　misgivings　about　the　friends　whom
she　should　meet　at　Ostend；　and　who　might　be　likely　to　tell
ugly　storiesbut　bah！　　she　was　strong　enough　to　hold
her　own。　　She　had　cast　such　an　anchor　in　Jos　now　as
would　require　a　strong　storm　to　shake。　　That　incident
of　the　picture　had　finished　him。　　Becky　took　down
her　elephant　and　put　it　into　the　little　box　which　she　had
had　from　Amelia　ever　so　many　years　ago。　　Emmy　also
came　off　with　her　Laresher　two　picturesand　the
party；　finally；　were；　lodged　in　an　exceedingly　dear　and
uncomfortable　house　at　Ostend。
There　Amelia　began　to　take　baths　and　get　what　good
she　could　from　them；　and　though　scores　of　people　of
Becky's　acquaintance　passed　her　and　cut　her；　yet　Mrs。
Osborne；　who　walked　about　with　her；　and　who　knew
nobody；　was　not　aware　of　the　treatment　experienced　by　the
friend　whom　she　had　chosen　so　judiciously　as　a
companion；　indeed；　Becky　never　thought　fit　to　tell　her　what
was　passing　under　her　innocent　eyes。
Some　of　Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley's　acquaintances；　however；
　acknowledged　her　readily　enough；perhaps　more
readily　than　she　would　have　desired。　　Among　those　were
Major　Loder　（unattached）；　and　Captain　Rook　（late　of
the　Rifles）；　who　might　be　seen　any　day　on　the　Dike；
smoking　and　staring　at　the　women；　and　who　speedily　got
an　introduction　to　the　hospitable　board　and　select　circle
of　Mr。　Joseph　Sedley。　　In　fact　they　would　take　no　denial；
they　burst　into　the　house　whether　Becky　was　at　home
or　not；　walked　into　Mrs。　Osborne's　drawing…room；　which
they　perfumed　with　their　coats　and　mustachios；　called
Jos　〃Old　buck；〃　and　invaded　his　dinner…table；　and
laughed　and　drank　for　long　hours　there。
〃What　can　they　mean？〃　asked　Georgy；　who　did　not
like　these　gentlemen。　　〃I　heard　the　Major　say　to　Mrs。
Crawley　yesterday；　'No；　no；　Becky；　you　shan't　keep　the
old　buck　to　yourself。　　We　must　have　the　bones　in；　or；
dammy；　I'll　split。'　What　could　the　Major　mean；　Mamma？〃
〃Major！　　don't　call　him　Major！〃　Emmy　said。　　〃I'm　sure
I　can't　tell　what　he　meant。〃　His　presence　and　that　of　his
friend　inspired　the　little　lady　with　intolerable　terror　and
aversion。　　They　paid　her　tipsy　compliments；　they　leered
at　her　over　the　dinner…table。　　And　the　Captain　made　her
advances　that　filled　her　with　sickening　dismay；　nor　would
she　ever　see　him　unless　she　had　George　by　her　side。
Rebecca；　to　do　her　justice；　never　would　let　either　of
these　men　remain　alone　with　Amelia；　the　Major　was
disengaged　too；　and　swore　he　would　be　the　winner　of　her。
A　couple　of　ruffians　were　fighting　for　this　innocent　creature；
　gambling　for　her　at　her　own　table；　and　though　she
was　not　aware　of　the　rascals'　designs　upon　her；　yet　she
felt　a　horror　and　uneasiness　in　their　presence　and　longed
to　fly。
She　besought；　she　entreated　Jos　to　go。　　Not　he。　　He　was
slow　of　movement；　tied　to　his　Doctor；　and　perhaps　to
some　other　leading…strings。　　At　least　Becky　was　not
anxious　to　go　to　England。
At　last　she　took　a　great　resolutionmade　the　great
plunge。　　She　wrote　off　a　letter　to　a　friend　whom　she　had