vanity fair(名利场)-第28节

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made　him　a　very　low　curtsey；　and　went　back　to　her
place；　and　began　to　sing　away　again　more　merrily　than
ever。
　　
〃What's　that？〃　said　Miss　Crawley；　interrupted　in　her
after…dinner　doze　by　the　stoppage　of　the　music。
　　
〃It's　a　false　note；〃　Miss　Sharp　said　with　a　laugh；　and
Rawdon　Crawley　fumed　with　rage　and　mortification。
　　
Seeing　the　evident　partiality　of　Miss　Crawley　for　the
new　governess；　how　good　it　was　of　Mrs。　Bute　Crawley　not
to　be　jealous；　and　to　welcome　the　young　lady　to　the
Rectory；　and　not　only　her；　but　Rawdon　Crawley；　her
husband's　rival　in　the　Old　Maid's　five　per　cents！　They
became　very　fond　of　each　other's　society；　Mrs。　Crawley
and　her　nephew。　　He　gave　up　hunting；　he　declined
entertainments　at　Fuddleston：　he　would　not　dine　with　the
mess　of　the　depot　at　Mudbury：　his　great　pleasure　was　to　stroll
over　to　Crawley　parsonagewhither　Miss　Crawley　came
too；　and　as　their　mamma　was　ill；　why　not　the　children
with　Miss　Sharp？　So　the　children　（little　dears！）　came　with
Miss　Sharp；　and　of　an　evening　some　of　the　party　would
walk　back　together。　　Not　Miss　Crawleyshe　preferred　her
carriagebut　the　walk　over　the　Rectory　fields；　and　in　at
the　little　park　wicket；　and　through　the　dark　plantation；
and　up　the　checkered　avenue　to　Queen's　Crawley；　was
charming　in　the　moonlight　to　two　such　lovers　of　the
picturesque　as　the　Captain　and　Miss　Rebecca。
　　
〃O　those　stars；　those　stars！〃　Miss　Rebecca　would　say；
turning　her　twinkling　green　eyes　up　towards　them。　　〃I
feel　myself　almost　a　spirit　when　I　gaze　upon　them。〃
　　
〃OahGadyes；　so　do　I　exactly；　Miss　Sharp；〃　the
other　enthusiast　replied。　　〃You　don't　mind　my　cigar；　do
you；　Miss　Sharp？〃　　Miss　Sharp　loved　the　smell　of　a　cigar
out　of　doors　beyond　everything　in　the　worldand　she　just
tasted　one　too；　in　the　prettiest　way　possible；　and　gave　a
little　puff；　and　a　little　scream；　and　a　little　giggle；　and
restored　the　delicacy　to　the　Captain；　who　twirled　his
moustache；　and　straightway　puffed　it　into　a　blaze　that
glowed　quite　red　in　the　dark　plantation；　and　swore〃Jove
awGadawit's　the　finest　segaw　I　ever　smoked　in
the　world　aw；〃　for　his　intellect　and　conversation　were
alike　brilliant　and　becoming　to　a　heavy　young　dragoon。
　　
Old　Sir　Pitt；　who　was　taking　his　pipe　and　beer；　and
talking　to　John　Horrocks　about　a　〃ship〃　that　was　to　be　killed；
espied　the　pair　so　occupied　from　his　study…window；　and
with　dreadful　oaths　swore　that　if　it　wasn't　for　Miss
Crawley；　he'd　take　Rawdon　and　bundle　un　out　of　doors；　like　a
rogue　as　he　was。
　　
〃He　be　a　bad'n；　sure　enough；〃　Mr。　Horrocks　remarked；
〃and　his　man　Flethers　is　wuss；　and　have　made　such　a　row
in　the　housekeeper's　room　about　the　dinners　and　hale；　as
no　lord　would　makebut　I　think　Miss　Sharp's　a　match
for'n；　Sir　Pitt；〃　he　added；　after　a　pause。
And　so；　in　truth；　she　wasfor　father　and　son　too。

CHAPTER　XII
Quite　a　Sentimental　Chapter
We　must　now　take　leave　of　Arcadia；　and　those　amiable
people　practising　the　rural　virtues　there；　and　travel　back
to　London；　to　inquire　what　has　become　of　Miss　Amelia
〃We　don't　care　a　fig　for　her；〃　writes　some　unknown
correspondent　with　a　pretty　little　handwriting　and　a　pink　seal
to　her　note。　　〃She　is　fade　and　insipid；〃　and　adds　some　more
kind　remarks　in　this　strain；　which　I　should　never　have
repeated　at　all；　but　that　they　are　in　truth　prodigiously
complimentary　to　the　young　lady　whom　they　concern。
　　
Has　the　beloved　reader；　in　his　experience　of　society；
never　heard　similar　remarks　by　good…natured　female
friends；　who　always　wonder　what　you　CAN　see　in　Miss
Smith　that　is　so　fascinating；　or　what　COULD　induce　Major
Jones　to　propose　for　that　silly　insignificant　simpering　Miss
Thompson；　who　has　nothing　but　her　wax…doll　face　to
recommend　her？　What　is　there　in　a　pair　of　pink　cheeks
and　blue　eyes　forsooth？　these　dear　Moralists　ask；　and　hint
wisely　that　the　gifts　of　genius；　the　accomplishments　of　the
mind；　the　mastery　of　Mangnall's　Questions；　and　a　ladylike
knowledge　of　botany　and　geology；　the　knack　of　making
poetry；　the　power　of　rattling　sonatas　in　the　Herz…manner；
and　so　forth；　are　far　more　valuable　endowments　for　a
female；　than　those　fugitive　charms　which　a　few　years　will
inevitably　tarnish。　　It　is　quite　edifying　to　hear　women
speculate　upon　the　worthlessness　and　the　duration　of
beauty。
　　
But　though　virtue　is　a　much　finer　thing；　and　those
hapless　creatures　who　suffer　under　the　misfortune　of　good
looks　ought　to　be　continually　put　in　mind　of　the　fate
which　awaits　them；　and　though；　very　likely；　the　heroic
female　character　which　ladies　admire　is　a　more　glorious
and　beautiful　object　than　the　kind；　fresh；　smiling；　artless；
tender　little　domestic　goddess；　whom　men　are　inclined
to　worshipyet　the　latter　and　inferior　sort　of　women
must　have　this　consolationthat　the　men　do　admire　them
after　all；　and　that；　in　spite　of　all　our　kind　friends'　warnings
and　protests；　we　go　on　in　our　desperate　error　and
folly；　and　shall　to　the　end　of　the　chapter。　　Indeed；　for　my
own　part；　though　I　have　been　repeatedly　told　by　persons
for　whom　I　have　the　greatest　respect；　that　Miss　Brown　is
an　insignificant　chit；　and　Mrs。　White　has　nothing　but　her
petit　minois　chiffonne；　and　Mrs。　Black　has　not　a　word　to
say　for　herself；　yet　I　know　that　I　have　had　the　most
delightful　conversations　with　Mrs。　Black　（of　course；　my
dear　Madam；　they　are　inviolable）：　I　see　all　the　men　in　a
cluster　round　Mrs。　White's　chair：　all　the　young　fellows
battling　to　dance　with　Miss　Brown；　and　so　I　am　tempted
to　think　that　to　be　despised　by　her　sex　is　a　very　great
compliment　to　a　woman。
　　
The　young　ladies　in　Amelia's　society　did　this　for　her
very　satisfactorily。　　For　instance；　there　was　scarcely　any
point　upon　which　the　Misses　Osborne；　George's　sisters；
and　the　Mesdemoiselles　Dobbin　agreed　so　well　as　in　their
estimate　of　her　very　trifling　merits：　and　their　wonder　that
their　brothers　could　find　any　charms　in　her。　　〃We　are　kind
to　her；〃　the　Misses　Osborne　said；　a　pair　of　fine　black…
browed　young　ladies　who　had　had　the　best　of　governesses；
masters；　and　milliners；　and　they　treated　her　with
such　extreme　kindness　and　condescension；　and　patronised
her　so　insufferably；　that　the　poor　little　thing　was　in　fact
perfectly　dumb　in　their　presence；　and　to　all　outward
appearance　as　stupid　as　they　thought　her。　　She　made　efforts
to　like　them；　as　in　duty　bound；　and　as　sisters　of　her
future　husband。　　She　passed　〃long　mornings〃　with　them
the　most　dreary　and　serious　of　forenoons。　　She　drove
out　solemnly　in　their　great　family　coach　with　them；　and
Miss　Wirt　their　governess；　that　raw…boned　Vestal。　　They
took　her　to　the　ancient　concerts　by　way　of　a　treat；　and
to　the　oratorio；　and　to　St。　Paul's　to　see　the　charity
children；　where　in　such　terror　was　she　of　her　friends；　she
almost　did　not　dare　be　affected　by　the　hymn　the　children
sang。　　Their　house　was　comfortable；　their　papa's　table
rich　and　handsome；　their　society　solemn　and　genteel；
their　self…respect　prodigious；　they　had　the　best　pew　at
the　Foundling：　all　their　habits　were　pompous　and　orderly；
and　all　their　amusements　intolerably　dull　and　decorous。
After　every　one　of　her　visits　（and　oh　how　glad　she　was
when　they　were　over！）　Miss　Osborne　and　Miss　Maria
Osborne；　and　Miss　Wirt；　the　vestal　governess；　asked　each
other　with　increased　wonder；　〃What　could　George　find　in
that　creature？〃
　　
How　is　this？　some　carping　reader　exclaims。　　How　is　it
that　Amelia；　who　had　such　a　number　of　friends　at
school；　and　was　so　beloved　there；　comes　out　into　the
world　and　is　spurned　by　her　discriminating　sex？　My　dear
sir；　there　were　no　men　at　Miss　Pinkerton's　establishment
except　the　old　dancing…master；　and　you　would　not　have
had　the　girls　fall　out　about　HIM？　When　George；　their
handsome　brother；　ran　off　directly　after　breakfast；　and
dined　from　home　half…a…dozen　times　a　week；　no　wonder
the　neglected　sisters　felt　a　little　vexation。　　When　young
Bullock　（of　the　firm　of　Hulker；　Bullock　&　Co。；　Bankers；
Lombard　Street）；　who　had　been　making　up　to　Miss　Maria
the　last　two　seasons；　actually　asked　Amelia　to　dance　the
cotillon；　could　you　expect　that　the　former　young　lady
should　be　pleased？　And　yet　she　said　she　was；　like　an
artless　forgiving　creature。　　〃I'm　so　delighted　you　like　dear
Amelia；〃　she　said　quite　eagerly　to　Mr。　Bullock　after　the
dance。　　〃She's　engaged　to　my　brother　George；　there's　not
much　in　her；　but　she's　the　best…natured　and　most
unaffected　young　creature：　at　home　we're　all　so　fond　of　her。〃
Dear　girl！　who　can　calculate　the　depth　of　affection
expressed　in　that　enthusiastic　SO？
　　
Miss　Wirt　and　these　two　affectionate　young　women　so
earnestly　and　frequently　impressed　upon　George
Osborne's　mind　the　enormity　of　the　sacrifice　he　was　making；
and　his　romantic　generosity　in　throwing　himself　away
upon　Amelia；　that　I'm　not　sure　but　that　he　really　thought
he　was　one　of　the　most　deserving　characters　in　the　British
army；　and　gave　himself　up　to　be　loved　with　a　good　deal
of　easy　resignation。
　　
Somehow；　although　he　left　home　every　morning；　as　was
stated；　and　dined　abroad　six　days　in　the　week；　when　his
sisters　believed　the　infatuated　youth　to　be　at　Miss　Sedley's
apron…strings：　he　was　NOT　always　with　Amelia；　whilst　the
world　supposed　him　at　her　feet。　　Certain　it　is　that　on　more
occas