vanity fair(名利场)-第100章

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He　did　not　think　it　was　necessary　to　tell　them　how　he
had　intended　to　take　leave　of　them；　how　he　had　bought
horses；　and　what　a　price　he　had　paid　for　them。
But　success　or　defeat　was　a　minor　matter　to　them；　who
had　only　thought　for　the　safety　of　those　they　loved。
Amelia；　at　the　news　of　the　victory；　became　still　more
agitated　even　than　before。　　She　was　for　going　that
moment　to　the　army。　　She　besought　her　brother　with　tears　to
conduct　her　thither。　　Her　doubts　and　terrors　reached　their
paroxysm；　and　the　poor　girl；　who　for　many　hours　had
been　plunged　into　stupor；　raved　and　ran　hither　and
thither　in　hysteric　insanitya　piteous　sight。　　No　man
writhing　in　pain　on　the　hard…fought　field　fifteen　miles
off；　where　lay；　after　their　struggles；　so　many　of　the　brave
no　man　suffered　more　keenly　than　this　poor　harmless
victim　of　the　war。　　Jos　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　her
pain。　　He　left　his　sister　in　the　charge　of　her　stouter　female
companion；　and　descended　once　more　to　the　threshold
of　the　hotel；　where　everybody　still　lingered；　and　talked；
and　waited　for　more　news。
It　grew　to　be　broad　daylight　as　they　stood　here；　and
fresh　news　began　to　arrive　from　the　war；　brought　by
men　who　had　been　actors　in　the　scene。　　Wagons　and　long
country　carts　laden　with　wounded　came　rolling　into　the
town；　ghastly　groans　came　from　within　them；　and
haggard　faces　looked　up　sadly　from　out　of　the　straw。　　Jos
Sedley　was　looking　at　one　of　these　carriages　with　a
painful　curiositythe　moans　of　the　people　within　were
frightfulthe　wearied　horses　could　hardly　pull　the　cart。
〃Stop！　　stop！〃　a　feeble　voice　cried　from　the　straw；　and　the
carriage　stopped　opposite　Mr。　Sedley's　hotel。
〃It　is　George；　I　know　it　is！〃　cried　Amelia；　rushing　in　a
moment　to　the　balcony；　with　a　pallid　face　and　loose
flowing　hair。　　It　was　not　George；　however；　but　it　was　the
next　best　thing：　　it　was　news　of　him。
It　was　poor　Tom　Stubble；　who　had　marched　out　of
Brussels　so　gallantly　twenty…four　hours　before；　bearing
the　colours　of　the　regiment；　which　he　had　defended　very
gallantly　upon　the　field。　　A　French　lancer　had　speared　the
young　ensign　in　the　leg；　who　fell；　still　bravely　holding　to
his　flag。　　At　the　conclusion　of　the　engagement；　a　place
had　been　found　for　the　poor　boy　in　a　cart；　and　he　had
been　brought　back　to　Brussels。
〃Mr。　Sedley；　Mr。　Sedley！〃　cried　the　boy；　faintly；　and
Jos　came　up　almost　frightened　at　the　appeal。　　He　had　not
at　first　distinguished　who　it　was　that　called　him。
Little　Tom　Stubble　held　out　his　hot　and　feeble　hand。
〃I'm　to　be　taken　in　here；〃　he　said。　　〃Osborneandand
Dobbin　said　I　was；　and　you　are　to　give　the　man　two
napoleons：　my　mother　will　pay　you。〃　This　young　fellow's
thoughts；　during　the　long　feverish　hours　passed　in　the
cart；　had　been　wandering　to　his　father's　parsonage　which
he　had　quitted　only　a　few　months　before；　and　he　had
sometimes　forgotten　his　pain　in　that　delirium。
The　hotel　was　large；　and　the　people　kind；　and　all　the
inmates　of　the　cart　were　taken　in　and　placed　on　various
couches。　　The　young　ensign　was　conveyed　upstairs　to
Osborne's　quarters。　　Amelia　and　the　Major's　wife　had
rushed　down　to　him；　when　the　latter　had　recognised　him
from　the　balcony。　　You　may　fancy　the　feelings　of　these
women　when　they　were　told　that　the　day　was　over；　and
both　their　husbands　were　safe；　in　what　mute　rapture
Amelia　fell　on　her　good　friend's　neck；　and　embraced
her；　in　what　a　grateful　passion　of　prayer　she　fell　on　her
knees；　and　thanked　the　Power　which　had　saved　her
husband。
Our　young　lady；　in　her　fevered　and　nervous　condition；
could　have　had　no　more　salutary　medicine　prescribed　for
her　by　any　physician　than　that　which　chance　put　in　her
way。　　She　and　Mrs。　O'Dowd　watched　incessantly　by　the
wounded　lad；　whose　pains　were　very　severe；　and　in　the
duty　thus　forced　upon　her；　Amelia　had　not　time　to　brood
over　her　personal　anxieties；　or　to　give　herself　up　to　her
own　fears　and　forebodings　after　her　wont。　　The　young
patient　told　in　his　simple　fashion　the　events　of　the　day；　and
the　actions　of　our　friends　of　the　gallant　th。　　They　had
suffered　severely。　　They　had　lost　very　many　officers　and
men。　　The　Major's　horse　had　been　shot　under　him　as　the
regiment　charged；　and　they　all　thought　that　O'Dowd　was
gone；　and　that　Dobbin　had　got　his　majority；　until　on　their
return　from　the　charge　to　their　old　ground；　the　Major　was
discovered　seated　on　Pyramus's　carcase；　refreshing　him…
self　from　a　case…bottle。　　It　was　Captain　Osborne　that　cut
down　the　French　lancer　who　had　speared　the　ensign。
Amelia　turned　so　pale　at　the　notion；　that　Mrs。　O'Dowd
stopped　the　young　ensign　in　this　story。　　And　it　was
Captain　Dobbin　who　at　the　end　of　the　day；　though　wounded
himself；　took　up　the　lad　in　his　arms　and　carried　him　to
the　surgeon；　and　thence　to　the　cart　which　was　to　bring
him　back　to　Brussels。　　And　it　was　he　who　promised　the
driver　two　louis　if　he　would　make　his　way　to　Mr。　Sedley's
hotel　in　the　city；　and　tell　Mrs。　Captain　Osborne　that　the
action　was　over；　and　that　her　husband　was　unhurt　and
well。
〃Indeed；　but　he　has　a　good　heart　that　William
Dobbin；〃　Mrs。　O'Dowd　said；　〃though　he　is　always　laughing
at　me。〃
Young　Stubble　vowed　there　was　not　such　another
officer　in　the　army；　and　never　ceased　his　praises　of　the
senior　captain；　his　modesty；　his　kindness；　and　his　admirable
coolness　in　the　field。　　To　these　parts　of　the　conversation；
Amelia　lent　a　very　distracted　attention：　　it　was　only　when
George　was　spoken　of　that　she　listened；　and　when　he
was　not　mentioned；　she　thought　about　him。
In　tending　her　patient；　and　in　thinking　of　the　wonderful
escapes　of　the　day　before；　her　second　day　passed
away　not　too　slowly　with　Amelia。　　There　was　only　one
man　in　the　army　for　her：　　and　as　long　as　he　was　well；　it
must　be　owned　that　its　movements　interested　her　little。
All　the　reports　which　Jos　brought　from　the　streets　fell
very　vaguely　on　her　ears；　though　they　were　sufficient　to
give　that　timorous　gentleman；　and　many　other　people
then　in　Brussels；　every　disquiet。　　The　French　had　been
repulsed　certainly；　but　it　was　after　a　severe　and　doubtful
struggle；　and　with　only　a　division　of　the　French　army。
The　Emperor；　with　the　main　body；　was　away　at　Ligny；
where　he　had　utterly　annihilated　the　Prussians；　and　was
now　free　to　bring　his　whole　force　to　bear　upon　the　allies。
The　Duke　of　Wellington　was　retreating　upon　the　capital；
and　a　great　battle　must　be　fought　under　its　walls
probably；　of　which　the　chances　were　more　than　doubtful。
The　Duke　of　Wellington　had　but　twenty　thousand　British
troops　on　whom　he　could　rely；　for　the　Germans　were
raw　militia；　the　Belgians　disaffected；　and　with　this　handful
his　Grace　had　to　resist　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　men
that　had　broken　into　Belgium　under　Napoleon。　　Under
Napoleon！　　What　warrior　was　there；　however　famous　and
skilful；　that　could　fight　at　odds　with　him？
Jos　thought　of　all　these　things；　and　trembled。　　So　did
all　the　rest　of　Brusselswhere　people　felt　that　the　fight
of　the　day　before　was　but　the　prelude　to　the　greater
combat　which　was　imminent。　　One　of　the　armies　opposed　to
the　Emperor　was　scattered　to　the　winds　already。　　The
few　English　that　could　be　brought　to　resist　him　would
perish　at　their　posts；　and　the　conqueror　would　pass　over
their　bodies　into　the　city。　　Woe　be　to　those　whom　he
found　there！　　Addresses　were　prepared；　public　functionaries
　assembled　and　debated　secretly；　apartments　were
got　ready；　and　tricoloured　banners　and　triumphal
emblems　manufactured；　to　welcome　the　arrival　of　His
Majesty　the　Emperor　and　King。
The　emigration　still　continued；　and　wherever　families
could　find　means　of　departure；　they　fled。　　When　Jos；　on
the　afternoon　of　the　17th　of　June；　went　to　Rebecca's
hotel；　he　found　that　the　great　Bareacres'　carriage　had　at
length　rolled　away　from　the　porte…cochere。　　The　Earl
had　procured　a　pair　of　horses　somehow；　in　spite　of　Mrs。
Crawley；　and　was　rolling　on　the　road　to　Ghent。　　Louis　the
Desired　was　getting　ready　his　portmanteau　in　that　city；
too。　　It　seemed　as　if　Misfortune　was　never　tired　of
worrying　into　motion　that　unwieldy　exile。
Jos　felt　that　the　delay　of　yesterday　had　been　only　a
respite；　and　that　his　dearly　bought　horses　must　of　a
surety　be　put　into　requisition。　　His　agonies　were