vanity fair(名利场)-第97节

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done！〃　he　said　in　a　voice　of　the　deepest　pathos；　as　he
threw　the　implement　out　of　the　window。　　〃What　'ave　you
done；　sir！　　Missis　can't　abide　'em。〃
〃Missis　needn't　smoke；〃　said　James　with　a　frantic
misplaced　laugh；　and　thought　the　whole　matter　an　excellent
joke。　　But　his　feelings　were　very　different　in　the　morning；
when　Mr。　Bowls's　young　man；　who　operated　upon　Mr。
James's　boots；　and　brought　him　his　hot　water　to　shave
that　beard　which　he　was　so　anxiously　expecting；　handed
a　note　in　to　Mr。　James　in　bed；　in　the　handwriting　of
Miss　Briggs。
〃Dear　sir；〃　it　said；　〃Miss　Crawley　has　passed　an
exceedingly　disturbed　night；　owing　to　the　shocking　manner
in　which　the　house　has　been　polluted　by　tobacco；　Miss
Crawley　bids　me　say　she　regrets　that　she　is　too　unwell
to　see　you　before　you　goand　above　all　that　she　ever
induced　you　to　remove　from　the　ale…house；　where　she　is
sure　you　will　be　much　more　comfortable　during　the　rest
of　your　stay　at　Brighton。〃
And　herewith　honest　James's　career　as　a　candidate　for
his　aunt's　favour　ended。　　He　had　in　fact；　and　without
knowing　it；　done　what　he　menaced　to　do。　　He　had　fought
his　cousin　Pitt　with　the　gloves。
Where　meanwhile　was　he　who　had　been　once　first
favourite　for　this　race　for　money？　Becky　and　Rawdon；
as　we　have　seen；　were　come　together　after　Waterloo；
and　were　passing　the　winter　of　1815　at　Paris　in　great
splendour　and　gaiety。　　Rebecca　was　a　good　economist；
and　the　price　poor　Jos　Sedley　had　paid　for　her　two
horses　was　in　itself　sufficient　to　keep　their　little
establishment　afloat　for　a　year；　at　the　least；　there　was　no
occasion　to　turn　into　money　〃my　pistols；　the　same　which
I　shot　Captain　Marker；〃　or　the　gold　dressing…case；　or
the　cloak　lined　with　sable。　　Becky　had　it　made　into　a
pelisse　for　herself；　in　which　she　rode　in　the　Bois　de
Boulogne　to　the　admiration　of　all：　　and　you　should　have
seen　the　scene　between　her　and　her　delighted　husband；
whom　she　rejoined　after　the　army　had　entered　Cambray；
and　when　she　unsewed　herself；　and　let　out　of　her　dress
all　those　watches；　knick…knacks；　bank…notes；　cheques；　and
valuables；　which　she　had　secreted　in　the　wadding；　previous
to　her　meditated　flight　from　Brussels！　　Tufto　was　charmed；
and　Rawdon　roared　with　delighted　laughter；　and　swore
that　she　was　better　than　any　play　he　ever　saw；　by　Jove。
And　the　way　in　which　she　jockeyed　Jos；　and　which
she　described　with　infinite　fun；　carried　up　his　delight　to
a　pitch　of　quite　insane　enthusiasm。　　He　believed　in　his
wife　as　much　as　the　French　soldiers　in　Napoleon。
Her　success　in　Paris　was　remarkable。　　All　the　French
ladies　voted　her　charming。　　She　spoke　their　language
admirably。　　She　adopted　at　once　their　grace；　their　liveliness；
their　manner。　　Her　husband　was　stupid　certainlyall
English　are　stupidand；　besides；　a　dull　husband　at　Paris　is
always　a　point　in　a　lady's　favour。　　He　was　the　heir　of　the
rich　and　spirituelle　Miss　Crawley；　whose　house　had　been
open　to　so　many　of　the　French　noblesse　during　the
emigration。　　They　received　the　colonel's　wife　in　their　own
hotels〃Why；〃　wrote　a　great　lady　to　Miss　Crawley；　who
had　bought　her　lace　and　trinkets　at　the　Duchess's　own
price；　and　given　her　many　a　dinner　during　the　pinching
times　after　the　Revolution〃Why　does　not　our　dear　Miss
come　to　her　nephew　and　niece；　and　her　attached　friends
in　Paris？　All　the　world　raffoles　of　the　charming　Mistress
and　her　espiegle　beauty。　　Yes；　we　see　in　her　the　grace；
the　charm；　the　wit　of　our　dear　friend　Miss　Crawley！
The　King　took　notice　of　her　yesterday　at　the　Tuileries；
and　we　are　all　jealous　of　the　attention　which　Monsieur
pays　her。　　If　you　could　have　seen　the　spite　of　a　certain
stupid　Miladi　Bareacres　（whose　eagle…beak　and　toque
and　feat；hers　may　be　seen　peering　over　the　heads　of　all
assemblies）　when　Madame；　the　Duchess　of　Angouleme；
the　august　daughter　and　companion　of　kings；　desired
especially　to　be　presented　to　Mrs。　Crawley；　as　your　dear
daughter　and　protegee；　and　thanked　her　in　the　name
of　France；　for　all　your　benevolence　towards　our
unfortunates　during　their　exile！　　She　is　of　all　the　societies；
of　all　the　ballsof　the　ballsyesof　the　dances；　no；
and　yet　how　interesting　and　pretty　this　fair　creature　looks
surrounded　by　the　homage　of　the　men；　and　so　soon　to
be　a　mother！　　To　hear　her　speak　of　you；　her　protectress；
her　mother；　would　bring　tears　to　the　eyes　of　ogres。　　How
she　loves　you！　how　we　all　love　our　admirable；　our
respectable　Miss　Crawley！〃
It　is　to　be　feared　that　this　letter　of　the　Parisian　great
lady　did　not　by　any　means　advance　Mrs。　Becky's　interest
with　her　admirable；　her　respectable；　relative。　　On　the
contrary；　the　fury　of　the　old　spinster　was　beyond　bounds；
when　she　found　what　was　Rebecca's　situation；　and　how
audaciously　she　had　made　use　of　Miss　Crawley's　name；
to　get　an　entree　into　Parisian　society。　　Too　much　shaken
in　mind　and　body　to　compose　a　letter　in　the　French
language　in　reply　to　that　of　her　correspondent；　she
dictated　to　Briggs　a　furious　answer　in　her　own　native　tongue；
repudiating　Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley　altogether；　and　warning
the　public　to　beware　of　her　as　a　most　artful　and
dangerous　person。　　But　as　Madame　the　Duchess　of　X
had　only　been　twenty　years　in　England；　she　did　not
understand　a　single　word　of　the　language；　and　contented
herself　by　informing　Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley　at　their　next
meeting；　that　she　had　received　a　charming　letter　from
that　chere　Mees；　and　that　it　was　full　of　benevolent
things　for　Mrs。　Crawley；　who　began　seriously　to　have
hopes　that　the　spinster　would　relent。
Meanwhile；　she　was　the　gayest　and　most　admired　of
Englishwomen：　　and　had　a　little　European　congress　on　her
reception…night。　　Prussians　and　Cossacks；　Spanish　and
Englishall　the　world　was　at　Paris　during　this　famous
winter：　　to　have　seen　the　stars　and　cordons　in　Rebecca's
humble　saloon　would　have　made　all　Baker　Street　pale
with　envy。　　Famous　warriors　rode　by　her　carriage　in
the　Bois；　or　crowded　her　modest　little　box　at　the　Opera。
Rawdon　was　in　the　highest　spirits。　　There　were　no　duns
in　Paris　as　yet：　　there　were　parties　every　day　at　Very's
or　Beauvilliers'；　play　was　plentiful　and　his　luck　good。
Tufto　perhaps　was　sulky。　　Mrs。　Tufto　had　come　over　to
Paris　at　her　own　invitation；　and　besides　this
contretemps；　there　were　a　score　of　generals　now　round
Becky's　chair；　and　she　might　take　her　choice　of　a　dozen
bouquets　when　she　went　to　the　play。　　Lady　Bareacres
and　the　chiefs　of　the　English　society；　stupid　and
irreproachable　females；　writhed　with　anguish　at　the
success　of　the　little　upstart　Becky；　whose　poisoned　jokes
quivered　and　rankled　in　their　chaste　breasts。　　But　she
had　all　the　men　on　her　side。　　She　fought　the　women
with　indomitable　courage；　and　they　could　not　talk
scandal　in　any　tongue　but　their　own。
So　in　fetes；　pleasures；　and　prosperity；　the　winter　of
1815…16　passed　away　with　Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley；
who　accommodated　herself　to　polite　life　as　if　her
ancestors　had　been　people　of　fashion　for　centuries　past
and　who　from　her　wit；　talent；　and　energy；　indeed　merited
a　place　of　honour　in　Vanity　Fair。　　In　the　early　spring　of
1816；　Galignani's　Journal　contained　the　following
announcement　in　an　interesting　corner　of　the　paper：　　〃On
the　26th　of　Marchthe　Lady　of　Lieutenant…Colonel
Crawley；　of　the　Life　Guards　Greenof　a　son　and　heir。〃
This　event　was　copied　into　the　London　papers；　out　of
which　Miss　Briggs　read　the　statement　to　Miss　Crawley；
at　breakfast；　at　Brighton。　　The　intelligence；　expected　as
it　might　have　been；　caused　a　crisis　in　the　affairs　of
the　Crawley　family。　　The　spinster's　rage　rose　to　its　height；
and　sending　instantly　for　Pitt；　her　nephew；　and　for　the
Lady　Southdown；　from　Brunswick　Square；　she　requested
an　immediate　celebration　of　the　marriage　which　had　been
so　long　pending　between　the　two　families。　　And　she
announced　that　it　was　her　intention　to　allow　the　young
couple　a　thousand　a　year　during　her　lifetime；　at　the
expiration　of　which　the　bulk　of　her　property　would　be
settled　upon　her　nephew　and　her　dear　niece；　Lady　Jane
Crawley。　　Waxy　came　down　to　ratify　the　deedsLord
Southdown　gave　away　his　sistershe　was　married　by　a
Bishop；　and　not　by　the　Rev。　　Bartholomew　Ironsto　the
disappointment　of　the　irregular　prelate。
When　they　were　married；　Pitt　would　have　liked　to
take　a　hymeneal　tour　with　his　bride；　as　became　people
of　their　condition。　　But　the　affection　of　the　old　lady
towards　Lady　Jane　had　grown　so　strong；　that　she　fairly
owned　she　could　not　part　with　her　favourite。　　Pitt　and
his　wife　came　therefore　and　lived　with　Miss　Crawley：
and　（greatly　to　the　annoyance　of　poor　Pitt；　who
conceived　himself　a　most　injured　characterbeing　subject
to　the　humours　of　his　aunt　on　one　side；　and　of　his
mother…in…law　on　the　other）　Lady　Southdown；　from　her
neighbouring　house；　reigned　over　the　whole　family
Pitt；　Lady　Jane；　Miss　Crawley；　Briggs；　Bowls；　Firkin；　and
all。　　She　pitilessly　dosed　them　with　her　tracts　and　her
medicine；　she　dismissed　Creamer；　she　installed　Rodgers；
and　soon　stripped　Miss　Crawley　of　even　the　semblance
of　authority。　　The　poor　soul　grew　so　timid　that　she
actually　left　off　bullying　Briggs　any　more；　and　clung　to
her　niece；　more　fond　and　terrified　every　day。　　Peace　to
thee；　kind　and　selfish；　vain　and　generous　old　heathen！
We　shall　see