vanity fair(名利场)-第53节

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Binkie；　the　Haggistoun's　kinswoman。　　She's　related　to　every
one；　that　Haggistoun。　　Her　diamonds　blazed　out　like
Vauxhall　on　the　night　we　were　there。　　（Do　you　remember
Vauxhall；　Emmy；　and　Jos　singing　to　his　dearest　diddle
diddle　darling？）　　Diamonds　and　mahogany；　my　dear！
think　what　an　advantageous　contrastand　the　white
feathers　in　her　hairI　mean　in　her　wool。　　She　had
earrings　like　chandeliers；　you　might　have　lighted　'em
up；　by　Joveand　a　yellow　satin　train　that　streeled　after
her　like　the　tail　of　a　cornet。〃
〃How　old　is　she？〃　asked　Emmy；　to　whom　George　was
rattling　away　regarding　this　dark　paragon；　on　the　morning
of　their　reunionrattling　away　as　no　other　man　in　the
world　surely　could。
〃Why　the　Black　Princess；　though　she　has　only　just　left
school；　must　be　two　or　three　and　twenty。　　And　you　should
see　the　hand　she　writes！　　Mrs。　Colonel　Haggistoun　usually
writes　her　letters；　but　in　a　moment　of　confidence；　she　put
pen　to　paper　for　my　sisters；　she　spelt　satin　satting；　and
Saint　James's；　Saint　Jams。〃
〃Why；　surely　it　must　be　Miss　Swartz；　the　parlour
boarder；〃　Emmy　said；　remembering　that　good…natured
young　mulatto　girl；　who　had　been　so　hysterically　affected
when　Amelia　left　Miss　Pinkerton's　academy
〃The　very　name；〃　George　said。　　〃Her　father　was　a　German
Jewa　slave…owner　they　sayconnected　with　the
Cannibal　Islands　in　some　way　or　other。　　He　died　last　year；
and　Miss　Pinkerton　has　finished　her　education。　　She　can
play　two　pieces　on　the　piano；　she　knows　three　songs；
she　can　write　when　Mrs。　Haggistoun　is　by　to　spell　for　her；
and　Jane　and　Maria　already　have　got　to　love　her　as　a
sister。〃
〃I　wish　they　would　have　loved　me；〃　said　Emmy；　wistfully。
〃They　were　always　very　cold　to　me。〃
〃My　dear　child；　they　would　have　loved　you　if　you　had
had　two　hundred　thousand　pounds；〃　George　replied。　　〃That
is　the　way　in　which　they　have　been　brought　up。　　Ours　is
a　ready…money　society。　　We　live　among　bankers　and　City
big…wigs；　and　be　hanged　to　them；　and　every　man；　as　he
talks　to　you；　is　jingling　his　guineas　in　his　pocket。　　There　is
that　jackass　Fred　Bullock　is　going　to　marry　Maria
there's　Goldmore；　the　East　India　Director；　there's　Dipley；
in　the　tallow　tradeOUR　trade；〃　George　said；　with　an
uneasy　laugh　and　a　blush。　　〃Curse　the　whole　pack　of　money…
grubbing　vulgarians！　　I　fall　asleep　at　their　great　heavy
dinners。　　I　feel　ashamed　in　my　father's　great　stupid
parties。　　I've　been　accustomed　to　live　with　gentlemen；　and
men　of　the　world　and　fashion；　Emmy；　not　with　a　parcel
of　turtle…fed　tradesmen。　　Dear　little　woman；　you　are　the　only
person　of　our　set　who　ever　looked；　or　thought；　or　spoke
like　a　lady：　and　you　do　it　because　you're　an　angel　and
can't　help　it。　　Don't　remonstrate。　　You　are　the　only　lady。
Didn't　Miss　Crawley　remark　it；　who　has　lived　in　the
best　company　in　Europe？　　And　as　for　Crawley；　of　the　Life
Guards；　hang　it；　he's　a　fine　fellow：　and　I　like　him　for
marrying　the　girl　he　had　chosen。〃
Amelia　admired　Mr。　Crawley　very　much；　too；　for　this；
and　trusted　Rebecca　would　be　happy　with　him；　and　hoped
（with　a　laugh）　Jos　would　be　consoled。　　And　so　the　pair
went　on　prattling；　as　in　quite　early　days。　　Amelia's
confidence　being　perfectly　restored　to　her；　though　she
expressed　a　great　deal　of　pretty　jealousy　about　Miss　Swartz；
and　professed　to　be　dreadfully　frightenedlike　a　hypocrite
as　she　waslest　George　should　forget　her　for　the
heiress　and　her　money　and　her　estates　in　Saint　Kitt's。　　But
the　fact　is；　she　was　a　great　deal　too　happy　to　have　fears
or　doubts　or　misgivings　of　any　sort：　and　having　George
at　her　side　again；　was　not　afraid　of　any　heiress　or　beauty；
or　indeed　of　any　sort　of　danger。
When　Captain　Dobbin　came　back　in　the　afternoon　to
these　peoplewhich　he　did　with　a　great　deal　of　sympathy
for　themit　did　his　heart　good　to　see　how　Amelia　had
grown　young　againhow　she　laughed；　and　chirped；　and
sang　familiar　old　songs　at　the　piano；　which　were　only
interrupted　by　the　bell　from　without　proclaiming　Mr。
Sedley's　return　from　the　City；　before　whom　George　received　a
signal　to　retreat。
Beyond　the　first　smile　of　recognitionand　even　that　was
an　hypocrisy；　for　she　thought　his　arrival　rather　provoking
Miss　Sedley　did　not　once　notice　Dobbin　during　his
visit。　　But　he　was　content；　so　that　he　saw　her　happy；　and
thankful　to　have　been　the　means　of　making　her　so。

CHAPTER　XXI
A　Quarrel　About　an　Heiress
Love　may　be　felt　for　any　young　lady　endowed　with　such
qualities　as　Miss　Swartz　possessed；　and　a　great　dream　of
ambition　entered　into　old　Mr。　Osborne's　soul；　which　she
was　to　realize。　　He　encouraged；　with　the　utmost　enthusiasm
and　friendliness；　his　daughters'　amiable　attachment　to　the
young　heiress；　and　protested　that　it　gave　him　the　sincerest
pleasure　as　a　father　to　see　the　love　of　his　girls　so　well　disposed。
〃You　won't　find；〃　he　would　say　to　Miss　Rhoda；　〃that
splendour　and　rank　to　which　you　are　accustomed　at　the
West　End；　my　dear　Miss；　at　our　humble　mansion　in　Russell
Square。　　My　daughters　are　plain；　disinterested　girls；　but
their　hearts　are　in　the　right　place；　and　they've　conceived
an　attachment　for　you　which　does　them　honourI　say；
which　does　them　honour。　　I'm　a　plain；　simple；　humble
British　merchantan　honest　one；　as　my　respected　friends
Hulker　and　Bullock　will　vouch；　who　were　the　correspondents
of　your　late　lamented　father。　　You'll　find　us　a
united；　simple；　happy；　and　I　think　I　may　say　respected；
familya　plain　table；　a　plain　people；　but　a　warm　welcome；
my　dear　Miss　RhodaRhoda；　let　me　say；　for　my
heart　warms　to　you；　it　does　really。　　I'm　a　frank　man；　and
I　like　you。　　A　glass　of　Champagne！　　Hicks；　Champagne　to
Miss　Swartz。〃
There　is　little　doubt　that　old　Osborne　believed　all　he
said；　and　that　the　girls　were　quite　earnest　in　their
protestations　of　affection　for　Miss　Swartz。　　People　in　Vanity
Fair　fasten　on　to　rich　folks　quite　naturally。　　If　the　simplest
people　are　disposed　to　look　not　a　little　kindly　on
great　Prosperity　（for　I　defy　any　member　of　the　British
public　to　say　that　the　notion　of　Wealth　has　not　something
awful　and　pleasing　to　him；　and　you；　if　you　are　told　that
the　man　next　you　at　dinner　has　got　half　a　million；　not　to
look　at　him　with　a　certain　interest）if　the　simple　look
benevolently　on　money；　how　much　more　do　your　old
worldlings　regard　it！　　Their　affections　rush　out　to　meet　and
welcome　money。　　Their　kind　sentiments　awaken　spontaneously
　towards　the　interesting　possessors　of　it。　　I　know
some　respectable　people　who　don't　consider　themselves
at　liberty　to　indulge　in　friendship　for　any　individual　who
has　not　a　certain　competency；　or　place　in　society。　　They
give　a　loose　to　their　feelings　on　proper　occasions。　　And
the　proof　is；　that　the　major　part　of　the　Osborne　family；
who　had　not；　in　fifteen　years；　been　able　to　get　up　a
hearty　regard　for　Amelia　Sedley；　became　as　fond　of　Miss
Swartz　in　the　course　of　a　single　evening　as　the　most
romantic　advocate　of　friendship　at　first　sight　could　desire。
What　a　match　for　George　she'd　be　（the　sisters　and
Miss　Wirt　agreed）；　and　how　much　better　than　that
insignificant　little　Amelia！　　Such　a　dashing　young　fellow　as
he　is；　with　his　good　looks；　rank；　and　accomplishments；
would　be　the　very　husband　for　her。　　Visions　of　balls　in
Portland　Place；　presentations　at　Court；　and　introductions
to　half　the　peerage；　filled　the　minds　of　the　young　ladies；
who　talked　of　nothing　but　George　and　his　grand
acquaintances　to　their　beloved　new　friend。
Old　Osborne　thought　she　would　be　a　great　match；　too；
for　his　son。　　He　should　leave　the　army；　he　should　go　into
Parliament；　he　should　cut　a　figure　in　the　fashion　and　in
the　state。　　His　blood　boiled　with　honest　British　exultation；
as　he　saw　the　name　of　Osborne　ennobled　in　the　person
of　his　son；　and　thought　that　he　might　be　the　progenitor　of
a　glorious　line　of　baronets。　　He　worked　in　the　City　and　on
'Change；　until　he　knew　everything　relating　to　the　fortune
of　the　heiress；　how　her　money　was　placed；　and　where　her
estates　lay。　　Young　Fred　Bullock；　one　of　his　chief　informants；
would　have　liked　to　make　a　bid　for　her　himself
（it　was　so　the　young　banker　expressed　it）；　only　he　was
booked　to　Maria　Osborne。　　But　not　being　able　to　secure
her　as　a　wife；　the　disinterested　Fred　quite　approved　of　her
as　a　sister…in…law。　　〃Let　George　cut　in　directly　and　win
her；〃　was　his　advice。　　〃Strike　while　the　iron's　hot；　you
knowwhile　she's　fresh　to　the　town：　in　a　few　weeks
some　d　fellow　from　the　West　End　will　come　in　with　a
title　and　a　rotten　rent…roll　and　cut　all　us　City　men　out；　as
Lord　Fitzrufus　did　last　year　with　Miss　Grogram；　who　was
actually　engaged　to　Podder；　of　Podder　&　Brown's。　　The
sooner　it　is　done　the　better；　Mr。　Osborne；　them's　my
sentiments；〃　the　wag　said；　though；　when　Osborne　had　left
the　bank　parlour；　Mr。　Bullock　remembered　Amelia；　and
what　a　pretty　girl　she　was；　and　how　attached　to　George
Osborne；　and　he　gave　up　at　least　ten　seconds　of　his
valuable　time　to　regretting　the　misfortune　which　had
befallen　that　unlucky　young　woman。
While　thus　George　Osborne's　good　feelings；　and　his
good　friend　and　genius；　Dobbin；　were　carrying　back　the
truant　to　Amelia's　feet；　George's　parent　and　sisters　were
arranging　this　splendid　match　for　him；　which　they　never
dreamed　he　would　resist。
When　the　elder　Osborne　gave　what