vanity fair(名利场)-第92节

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threatening　the　old　gentleman；　forced　the　latter　to　send
them　to　school。
Meanwhile；　as　we　have　said；　whatever　individual
differences　there　might　be　between　them　all；　Miss　Crawley's
dear　nephews　and　nieces　were　unanimous　in　loving　her
and　sending　her　tokens　of　affection。　　Thus　Mrs。　Bute　sent
guinea…fowls；　and　some　remarkably　fine　cauliflowers；　and
a　pretty　purse　or　pincushion　worked　by　her　darling　girls；
who　begged　to　keep　a　LITTLE　place　in　the　recollection　of
their　dear　aunt；　while　Mr。　Pitt　sent　peaches　and　grapes
and　venison　from　the　Hall。　　The　Southampton　coach　used
to　carry　these　tokens　of　affection　to　Miss　Crawley　at
Brighton：　　it　used　sometimes　to　convey　Mr。　Pitt　thither
too：　　for　his　differences　with　Sir　Pitt　caused　Mr。　Crawley
to　absent　himself　a　good　deal　from　home　now：　　and
besides；　he　had　an　attraction　at　Brighton　in　the　person　of
the　Lady　Jane　Sheepshanks；　whose　engagement　to　Mr。
Crawley　has　been　formerly　mentioned　in　this　history。
Her　Ladyship　and　her　sisters　lived　at　Brighton　with　their
mamma；　the　Countess　Southdown；　that　strong…minded
woman　so　favourably　known　in　the　serious　world。
A　few　words　ought　to　be　said　regarding　her　Ladyship
and　her　noble　family；　who　are　bound　by　ties　of　present
and　future　relationship　to　the　house　of　Crawley。
Respecting　the　chief　of　the　Southdown　family；　Clement
William；　fourth　Earl　of　Southdown；　little　need　be　told；
except　that　his　Lordship　came　into　Parliament　（as　Lord
Wolsey）　under　the　auspices　of　Mr。　Wilberforce；　and　for
a　time　was　a　credit　to　his　political　sponsor；　and　decidedly
a　serious　young　man。　　But　words　cannot　describe　the
feelings　of　his　admirable　mother；　when　she　learned；　very
shortly　after　her　noble　husband's　demise；　that　her　son
was　a　member　of　several　worldly　clubs；　had　lost　largely
at　play　at　Wattier's　and　the　Cocoa　Tree；　that　he　had
raised　money　on　post…obits；　and　encumbered　the　family
estate；　that　he　drove　four…in…hand；　and　patronised　the
ring；　and　that　he　actually　had　an　opera…box；　where　he
entertained　the　most　dangerous　bachelor　company。　　His
name　was　only　mentioned　with　groans　in　the　dowager's
circle。
The　Lady　Emily　was　her　brother's　senior　by　many
years；　and　took　considerable　rank　in　the　serious　world　as
author　of　some　of　the　delightful　tracts　before　mentioned；
and　of　many　hymns　and　spiritual　pieces。　　A　mature
spinster；　and　having　but　faint　ideas　of　marriage；　her　love　for
the　blacks　occupied　almost　all　her　feelings。　　It　is　to　her；　I
believe；　we　owe　that　beautiful　poem
Lead　us　to　some　sunny　isle；
Yonder　in　the　western　deep；
Where　the　skies　for　ever　smile；
And　the　blacks　for　ever　weep；　&c。
She　had　correspondences　with　clerical　gentlemen　in
most　of　our　East　and　West　India　possessions；　and　was
secretly　attached　to　the　Reverend　Silas　Hornblower；　who
was　tattooed　in　the　South　Sea　Islands。
As　for　the　Lady　Jane；　on　whom；　as　it　has　been　said；　Mr。
Pitt　Crawley's　affection　had　been　placed；　she　was　gentle；
blushing；　silent；　and　timid。　　In　spite　of　his　falling　away；
she　wept　for　her　brother；　and　was　quite　ashamed　of
loving　him　still。　　Even　yet　she　used　to　send　him　little　hurried
smuggled　notes；　and　pop　them　into　the　post　in　private。
The　one　dreadful　secret　which　weighed　upon　her　life　was；
that　she　and　the　old　housekeeper　had　been　to　pay
Southdown　a　furtive　visit　at　his　chambers　in　the　Albany；　and
found　himO　the　naughty　dear　abandoned　wretch！
smoking　a　cigar　with　a　bottle　of　Curacao　before　him。　　She
admired　her　sister；　she　adored　her　mother；　she　thought
Mr。　Crawley　the　most　delightful　and　accomplished　of
men；　after　Southdown；　that　fallen　angel：　　and　her　mamma
and　sister；　who　were　ladies　of　the　most　superior　sort；
managed　everything　for　her；　and　regarded　her　with　that
amiable　pity；　of　which　your　really　superior　woman　always
has　such　a　share　to　give　away。　　Her　mamma　ordered　her
dresses；　her　books；　her　bonnets；　and　her　ideas　for　her。
She　was　made　to　take　pony…riding；　or　piano…exercise；　or
any　other　sort　of　bodily　medicament；　according　as　my
Lady　Southdown　saw　meet；　and　her　ladyship　would　have
kept　her　daughter　in　pinafores　up　to　her　present　age　of
six…and…twenty；　but　that　they　were　thrown　off　when　Lady
Jane　was　presented　to　Queen　Charlotte。
When　these　ladies　first　came　to　their　house　at　Brighton；
it　was　to　them　alone　that　Mr。　Crawley　paid　his　personal
visits；　contenting　himself　by　leaving　a　card　at　his　aunt's
house；　and　making　a　modest　inquiry　of　Mr。　Bowls　or　his
assistant　footman；　with　respect　to　the　health　of　the
invalid。　　When　he　met　Miss　Briggs　coming　home　from　the
library　with　a　cargo　of　novels　under　her　arm；　Mr。　Crawley
blushed　in　a　manner　quite　unusual　to　him；　as　he
stepped　forward　and　shook　Miss　Crawley's　companion　by
the　hand。　　He　introduced　Miss　Briggs　to　the　lady　with
whom　he　happened　to　be　walking；　the　Lady　Jane
Sheepshanks；　saying；　〃Lady　Jane；　permit　me　to　introduce　to
you　my　aunt's　kindest　friend　and　most　affectionate
companion；　Miss　Briggs；　whom　you　know　under　another　title；
as　authoress　of　the　delightful　'Lyrics　of　the　Heart；'　of
which　you　are　so　fond。〃　　Lady　Jane　blushed　too　as　she
held　out　a　kind　little　hand　to　Miss　Briggs；　and　said
something　very　civil　and　incoherent　about　mamma；　and
proposing　to　call　on　Miss　Crawley；　and　being　glad　to　be
made　known　to　the　friends　and　relatives　of　Mr。　Crawley；
and　with　soft　dove…like　eyes　saluted　Miss　Briggs　as
they　separated；　while　Pitt　Crawley　treated　her　to　a
profound　courtly　bow；　such　as　he　had　used　to　H。H。　the
Duchess　of　Pumpernickel；　when　he　was　attache　at　that　court。
The　artful　diplomatist　and　disciple　of　the　Machiavellian
Binkie！　　It　was　he　who　had　given　Lady　Jane　that　copy　of
poor　Briggs's　early　poems；　which　he　remembered　to　have
seen　at　Queen's　Crawley；　with　a　dedication　from　the
poetess　to　his　father's　late　wife；　and　he　brought　the
volume　with　him　to　Brighton；　reading　it　in　the　Southampton
coach　and　marking　it　with　his　own　pencil；　before　he
presented　it　to　the　gentle　Lady　Jane。
It　was　he；　too；　who　laid　before　Lady　Southdown　the
great　advantages　which　might　occur　from　an　intimacy
between　her　family　and　Miss　Crawleyadvantages　both
worldly　and　spiritual；　he　said：　　for　Miss　Crawley　was　now
quite　alone；　the　monstrous　dissipation　and　alliance　of　his
brother　Rawdon　had　estranged　her　affections　from　that
reprobate　young　man；　the　greedy　tyranny　and　avarice　of
Mrs。　Bute　Crawley　had　caused　the　old　lady　to　revolt
against　the　exorbitant　pretensions　of　that　part　of　the
family；　and　though　he　himself　had　held　off　all　his　life　from
cultivating　Miss　Crawley's　friendship；　with　perhaps　an
improper　pride；　he　thought　now　that　every　becoming
means　should　be　taken；　both　to　save　her　soul　from
perdition；　and　to　secure　her　fortune　to　himself　as　the　head　of
the　house　of　Crawley。
The　strong…minded　Lady　Southdown　quite　agreed　in
both　proposals　of　her　son…in…law；　and　was　for　converting
Miss　Crawley　off…hand。　　At　her　own　home；　both　at
Southdown　and　at　Trottermore　Castle；　this　tall　and　awful
missionary　of　the　truth　rode　about　the　country　in　her
barouche　with　outriders；　launched　packets　of　tracts　among
the　cottagers　and　tenants；　and　would　order　Gaffer　Jones
to　be　converted；　as　she　would　order　Goody　Hicks　to　take
a　James's　powder；　without　appeal；　resistance；　or　benefit　of
clergy。　　My　Lord　Southdown；　her　late　husband；　an　epileptic
and　simple…minded　nobleman；　was　in　the　habit　of
approving　of　everything　which　his　Matilda　did　and
thought。　　So　that　whatever　changes　her　own　belief　might
undergo　（and　it　accommodated　itself　to　a　prodigious
variety　of　opinion；　taken　from　all　sorts　of　doctors　among
the　Dissenters）　she　had　not　the　least　scruple　in　ordering
all　her　tenants　and　inferiors　to　follow　and　believe　after
her。　　Thus　whether　she　received　the　Reverend　Saunders
McNitre；　the　Scotch　divine；　or　the　Reverend　Luke　Waters；
the　mild　Wesleyan；　or　the　Reverend　Giles　Jowls；　the
illuminated　Cobbler；　who　dubbed　himself　Reverend　as
Napoleon　crowned　himself　Emperorthe　household；
children；　tenantry　of　my　Lady　Southdown　were　expected　to
go　down　on　their　knees　with　her　Ladyship；　and　say　Amen
to　the　prayers　of　either　Doctor。　　During　these　exercises　old
Southdown；　on　account　of　his　invalid　condition；　was
allowed　to　sit　in　his　own　room；　and　have　negus　and　the
paper　read　to　him。　　Lady　Jane　was　the　old　Earl's　favourite
daughter；　and　tended　him　and　loved　him　sincerely：　　as　for
Lady　Emily；　the　authoress　of　the　〃Washerwoman　of
Finchley　Common；〃　her　denunciations　of　future　punishment
（at　this　period；　for　her　opinions　modified　afterwards）
were　so　awful　that　they　used　to　frighten　the　timid
old　gentleman　her　father；　and　the　physicians　declared　his
fits　always　occurred　after　one　of　her　Ladyship's　sermons。
〃I　will　certainly　call；〃　said　Lady　Southdown　then；　in
reply　to　the　exhortation　of　her　daughter's　pretendu；　Mr。
Pitt　Crawley〃Who　is　Miss　Crawley's　medical　man？〃
Mr。　Crawley　mentioned　the　name　of　Mr。　Creamer。
〃A　most　dangerous　and　ignorant　practitioner；　my　dear
Pitt。　　I　have　providentially　been　the　means　of　removing
him　from　several　houses：　　though　in　one　or　two
instances　I　did　not　arrive　in　time。　　I　could　not　save　poor
dear　General　Glanders；　who　was　dying　under　the　hands　of
that　ignorant　mandying。　　He　rallied　a　little　under　the
P