vanity fair(名利场)-第22节

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was　induced　to　go　himself　once　or　twice；　which　occasioned
some　violent　sermons　at　Crawley　parish　church；　directed
point…blank　at　the　Baronet's　old　Gothic　pew　there。　　Honest
Sir　Pitt；　however；　did　not　feel　the　force　of　these
discourses；　as　he　always　took　his　nap　during　sermon…time。
Mr。　Crawley　was　very　earnest；　for　the　good　of　the
nation　and　of　the　Christian　world；　that　the　old　gentleman
should　yield　him　up　his　place　in　Parliament；　but　this　the
elder　constantly　refused　to　do。　　Both　were　of　course　too
prudent　to　give　up　the　fifteen　hundred　a　year　which　was
brought　in　by　the　second　seat　（at　this　period　filled　by
Mr。　Quadroon；　with　carte　blanche　on　the　Slave　question）；
indeed　the　family　estate　was　much　embarrassed；　and　the
income　drawn　from　the　borough　was　of　great　use　to　the
house　of　Queen's　Crawley。
It　had　never　recovered　the　heavy　fine　imposed　upon
Walpole　Crawley；　first　baronet；　for　peculation　in　the　Tape
and　Sealing　Wax　Office。　　Sir　Walpole　was　a　jolly　fellow；
eager　to　seize　and　to　spend　money　（alieni　appetens；　sui
profusus；　as　Mr。　Crawley　would　remark　with　a　sigh）；
and　in　his　day　beloved　by　all　the　county　for　the
constant　drunkenness　and　hospitality　which　was　maintained
at　Queen's　Crawley。　　The　cellars　were　filled　with　burgundy
then；　the　kennels　with　hounds；　and　the　stables　with
gallant　hunters；　now；　such　horses　as　Queen's　Crawley
possessed　went　to　plough；　or　ran　in　the　Trafalgar　Coach；
and　it　was　with　a　team　of　these　very　horses；　on　an　off…
day；　that　Miss　Sharp　was　brought　to　the　Hall；　for　boor
as　he　was；　Sir　Pitt　was　a　stickler　for　his　dignity　while
at　home；　and　seldom　drove　out　but　with　four　horses；
and　though　he　dined　off　boiled　mutton；　had　always　three
footmen　to　serve　it。
If　mere　parsimony　could　have　made　a　man　rich；　Sir
Pitt　Crawley　might　have　become　very　wealthyif　he
had　been　an　attorney　in　a　country　town；　with　no　capital
but　his　brains；　it　is　very　possible　that　he　would　have
turned　them　to　good　account；　and　might　have　achieved
for　himself　a　very　considerable　influence　and　competency。
But　he　was　unluckily　endowed　with　a　good　name
and　a　large　though　encumbered　estate；　both　of　which
went　rather　to　injure　than　to　advance　him。　　He　had　a
taste　for　law；　which　cost　him　many　thousands　yearly；
and　being　a　great　deal　too　clever　to　be　robbed；　as　he
said；　by　any　single　agent；　allowed　his　affairs　to　be
mismanaged　by　a　dozen；　whom　he　all　equally　mistrusted。
He　was　such　a　sharp　landlord；　that　he　could　hardly　find
any　but　bankrupt　tenants；　and　such　a　close　farmer；　as
to　grudge　almost　the　seed　to　the　ground；　whereupon
revengeful　Nature　grudged　him　the　crops　which　she
granted　to　more　liberal　husbandmen。　　He　speculated　in
every　possible　way；　he　worked　mines；　bought　canal…shares；
horsed　coaches；　took　government　contracts；　and　was
the　busiest　man　and　magistrate　of　his　county。　　As　he
would　not　pay　honest　agents　at　his　granite　quarry；　he
had　the　satisfaction　of　finding　that　four　overseers　ran
away；　and　took　fortunes　with　them　to　America。　　For　want
of　proper　precautions；　his　coal…mines　filled　with　water：
the　government　flung　his　contract　of　damaged　beef　upon
his　hands：　and　for　his　coach…horses；　every　mail　proprietor
in　the　kingdom　knew　that　he　lost　more　horses　than　any
man　in　the　country；　from　underfeeding　and　buying　cheap。
In　disposition　he　was　sociable；　and　far　from　being　proud；
nay；　he　rather　preferred　the　society　of　a　farmer　or　a
horse…dealer　to　that　of　a　gentleman；　like　my　lord；　his
son：　he　was　fond　of　drink；　of　swearing；　of　joking　with
the　farmers'　daughters：　he　was　never　known　to　give　away
a　shilling　or　to　do　a　good　action；　but　was　of　a　pleasant；
sly；　laughing　mood；　and　would　cut　his　joke　and　drink
his　glass　with　a　tenant　and　sell　him　up　the　next　day；
or　have　his　laugh　with　the　poacher　he　was　transporting
with　equal　good　humour。　　His　politeness　for　the　fair　sex
has　already　been　hinted　at　by　Miss　Rebecca　Sharpin
a　word；　the　whole　baronetage；　peerage；　commonage　of
England；　did　not　contain　a　more　cunning；　mean；　selfish；
foolish；　disreputable　old　man。　　That　blood…red　hand　of
Sir　Pitt　Crawley's　would　be　in　anybody's　pocket　except
his　own；　and　it　is　with　grief　and　pain；　that；　as　admirers
of　the　British　aristocracy；　we　find　ourselves　obliged　to
admit　the　existence　of　so　many　ill　qualities　in　a　person
whose　name　is　in　Debrett。
One　great　cause　why　Mr。　Crawley　had　such　a　hold
over　the　affections　of　his　father；　resulted　from　money
arrangements。　　The　Baronet　owed　his　son　a　sum　of　money
out　of　the　jointure　of　his　mother；　which　he　did　not　find
it　convenient　to　pay；　indeed　he　had　an　almost　invincible
repugnance　to　paying　anybody；　and　could　only　be　brought
by　force　to　discharge　his　debts。　　Miss　Sharp　calculated
（for　she　became；　as　we　shall　hear　speedily；　inducted
into　most　of　the　secrets　of　the　family）　that　the　mere
payment　of　his　creditors　cost　the　honourable　Baronet
several　hundreds　yearly；　but　this　was　a　delight　he　could
not　forego；　he　had　a　savage　pleasure　in　making　the　poor
wretches　wait；　and　in　shifting　from　court　to　court　and
from　term　to　term　the　period　of　satisfaction。　　What's　the
good　of　being　in　Parliament；　he　said；　if　you　must　pay　your
debts？　Hence；　indeed；　his　position　as　a　senator　was　not
a　little　useful　to　him。
Vanity　FairVanity　Fair！　　Here　was　a　man；　who　could
not　spell；　and　did　not　care　to　readwho　had　the　habits
and　the　cunning　of　a　boor：　whose　aim　in　life　was
pettifogging：　who　never　had　a　taste；　or　emotion；　or
enjoyment；　but　what　was　sordid　and　foul；　and　yet　he　had
rank；　and　honours；　and　power；　somehow：　and　was　a
dignitary　of　the　land；　and　a　pillar　of　the　state。　　He　was
high　sheriff；　and　rode　in　a　golden　coach。　　Great　ministers
and　statesmen　courted　him；　and　in　Vanity　Fair　he　had　a
higher　place　than　the　most　brilliant　genius　or　spotless
virtue。
Sir　Pitt　had　an　unmarried　half…sister　who　inherited　her
mother's　large　fortune；　and　though　the　Baronet　proposed
to　borrow　this　money　of　her　on　mortgage；　Miss　Crawley
declined　the　offer；　and　preferred　the　security　of　the　funds。
She　had　signified；　however；　her　intention　of　leaving　her
inheritance　between　Sir　Pitt's　second　son　and　the　family
at　the　Rectory；　and　had　once　or　twice　paid　the　debts　of
Rawdon　Crawley　in　his　career　at　college　and　in　the　army。
Miss　Crawley　was；　in　consequence；　an　object　of　great
respect　when　she　came　to　Queen's　Crawley；　for　she　had
a　balance　at　her　banker's　which　would　have　made　her
beloved　anywhere。
What　a　dignity　it　gives　an　old　lady；　that　balance　at
the　banker's！　　How　tenderly　we　look　at　her　faults　if　she
is　a　relative　（and　may　every　reader　have　a　score　of　such）；
what　a　kind　good…natured　old　creature　we　find　her！　　How
the　junior　partner　of　Hobbs　and　Dobbs　leads　her　smiling
to　the　carriage　with　the　lozenge　upon　it；　and　the　fat
wheezy　coachman！　How；　when　she　comes　to　pay　us　a
visit；　we　generally　find　an　opportunity　to　let　our　friends
know　her　station　in　the　world！　　We　say　（and　with　perfect
truth）　I　wish　I　had　Miss　MacWhirter's　signature　to　a
cheque　for　five　thousand　pounds。　　She　wouldn't　miss　it；
says　your　wife。　　She　is　my　aunt；　say　you；　in　an　easy
careless　way；　when　your　friend　asks　if　Miss　MacWhirter　is
any　relative。　　Your　wife　is　perpetually　sending　her　little
testimonies　of　affection；　your　little　girls　work　endless
worsted　baskets；　cushions；　and　footstools　for　her。　　What　a
good　fire　there　is　in　her　room　when　she　comes　to　pay
you　a　visit；　although　your　wife　laces　her　stays　without
one！　　The　house　during　her　stay　assumes　a　festive；　neat；
warm；　jovial；　snug　appearance　not　visible　at　other
seasons。　　You　yourself；　dear　sir；　forget　to　go　to　sleep　after
dinner；　and　find　yourself　all　of　a　sudden　（though　you
invariably　lose）　very　fond　of　a　rubber。　　What　good
dinners　you　havegame　every　day；　Malmsey…Madeira；　and
no　end　of　fish　from　London。　　Even　the　servants　in　the
kitchen　share　in　the　general　prosperity；　and；　somehow；
during　the　stay　of　Miss　MacWhirter's　fat　coachman；　the
beer　is　grown　much　stronger；　and　the　consumption　of　tea
and　sugar　in　the　nursery　（where　her　maid　takes　her
meals）　is　not　regarded　in　the　least。　　Is　it　so；　or　is　it　not
so？　　I　appeal　to　the　middle　classes。　　Ah；　gracious　powers！
I　wish　you　would　send　me　an　old　aunta　maiden　aunt
an　aunt　with　a　lozenge　on　her　carriage；　and　a　front
of　light　coffee…coloured　hairhow　my　children　should
work　workbags　for　her；　and　my　Julia　and　I　would　make
her　comfortable！　Sweetsweet　vision！　Foolishfoolish
dream！

CHAPTER　X
Miss　Sharp　Begins　to　Make　Friends
And　now；　being　received　as　a　member　of　the　amiable
family　whose　portraits　we　have　sketched　in　the　foregoing
pages；　it　became　naturally　Rebecca's　duty　to　make
herself；　as　she　said；　agreeable　to　her　benefactors；　and　to
gain　their　confidence　to　the　utmost　of　her　power。　　Who
can　but　admire　this　quality　of　gratitude　in　an　unprotected
orphan；　and；　if　there　entered　some　degree　of　selfishness
into　her　calculations；　who　can　say　but　that　her
prudence　was　perfectly　justifiable？　　〃I　am　alone　in　the
world；〃　said　the　friendless　girl。　　〃I　have　nothing　to　look
for　but　what　my　own　labour　can　bring　me；　and　while
that　little　pink…faced　chit　Amelia；　with　not　half　my　sense；
has　ten　thousand　pounds　and　an　establishment　secure；
poor　Rebecca　（an