vanity fair(名利场)-第113章

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here。　　This　child　was　her　being。　　Her　existence　was　a
maternal　caress。　　She　enveloped　the　feeble　and　unconscious
creature　with　love　and　worship。　　It　was　her　life
which　the　baby　drank　in　from　her　bosom。　　Of　nights；　and
when　alone；　she　had　stealthy　and　intense　raptures　of
motherly　love；　such　as　God's　marvellous　care　has　awarded
to　the　female　instinctjoys　how　far　higher　and　lower
than　reasonblind　beautiful　devotions　which　only　women's
hearts　know。　　It　was　William　Dobbin's　task　to　muse
upon　these　movements　of　Amelia's；　and　to　watch　her
heart；　and　if　his　love　made　him　divine　almost　all　the　feelings
which　agitated　it；　alas！　he　could　see　with　a　fatal
perspicuity　that　there　was　no　place　there　for　him。　　And
so；　gently；　he　bore　his　fate；　knowing　it；　and　content　to
bear　it。
I　suppose　Amelia's　father　and　mother　saw　through　the
intentions　of　the　Major；　and　were　not　ill…disposed　to
encourage　him；　for　Dobbin　visited　their　house　daily；　and
stayed　for　hours　with　them；　or　with　Amelia；　or　with　the
honest　landlord；　Mr。　Clapp；　and　his　family。　　He　brought；
on　one　pretext　or　another；　presents　to　everybody；　and
almost　every　day；　and　went；　with　the　landlord's　little　girl；
who　was　rather　a　favourite　with　Amelia；　by　the　name　of
Major　Sugarplums。　　It　was　this　little　child　who　commonly
acted　as　mistress　of　the　ceremonies　to　introduce　him
to　Mrs。　Osborne。　　She　laughed　one　day　when　Major　Sugarplums'
cab　drove　up　to　Fulham；　and　he　descended　from
it；　bringing　out　a　wooden　horse；　a　drum；　a　trumpet；　and
other　warlike　toys；　for　little　Georgy；　who　was　scarcely
six　months　old；　and　for　whom　the　articles　in　question　were
entirely　premature。
The　child　was　asleep。　　〃Hush；〃　said　Amelia；　annoyed；
perhaps；　at　the　creaking　of　the　Major's　boots；　and　she
held　out　her　hand；　smiling　because　William　could　not
take　it　until　he　had　rid　himself　of　his　cargo　of　toys。　　〃Go
downstairs；　little　Mary；〃　said　he　presently　to　the　child；
〃I　want　to　speak　to　Mrs。　Osborne。〃　She　looked　up　rather
astonished；　and　laid　down　the　infant　on　its　bed。
〃I　am　come　to　say　good…bye；　Amelia；〃　said　he；　taking
her　slender　little　white　hand　gently。
〃Good…bye？　and　where　are　you　going？〃　she　said；　with
a　smile。
〃Send　the　letters　to　the　agents；〃　he　said；　〃they　will
forward　them；　for　you　will　write　to　me；　won't　you？　I
shall　be　away　a　long　time。〃
〃I'll　write　to　you　about　Georgy；〃　she　said。　　〃Dear'　William；
how　good　you　have　been　to　him　and　to　me。　　Look　at
him。　　Isn't　he　like　an　angel？〃
The　little　pink　hands　of　the　child　closed　mechanically
round　the　honest　soldier's　finger；　and　Amelia　looked　up
in　his　face　with　bright　maternal　pleasure。　　The　cruellest
looks　could　not　have　wounded　him　more　than　that　glance
of　hopeless　kindness。　　He　bent　over　the　child　and　mother。
He　could　not　speak　for　a　moment。　　And　it　was　only　with
all　his　strength　that　he　could　force　himself　to　say　a　God
bless　you。　　〃God　bless　you；〃　said　Amelia；　and　held　up　her
face　and　kissed　him。
〃Hush！　　Don't　wake　Georgy！〃　she　added；　as　William
Dobbin　went　to　the　door　with　heavy　steps。　　She　did　not
hear　the　noise　of　his　cab…wheels　as　he　drove　away：　　she
was　looking　at　the　child；　who　was　laughing　in　his　sleep。

CHAPTER　XXXVI
How　to　Live　Well　on　Nothing　a　Year
I　suppose　there　is　no　man　in　this　Vanity　Fair　of　ours　so
little　observant　as　not　to　think　sometimes　about　the
worldly　affairs　of　his　acquaintances；　or　so　extremely
charitable　as　not　to　wonder　how　his　neighbour　Jones；
or　his　neighbour　Smith；　can　make　both　ends　meet　at　the
end　of　the　year。　　With　the　utmost　regard　for　the　family；
for　instance　（for　I　dine　with　them　twice　or　thrice　in　the
season）；　I　cannot　but　own　that　the　appearance　of　the
Jenkinses　in　the　park；　in　the　large　barouche　with　the
grenadier…footmen；　will　surprise　and　mystify　me　to　my
dying　day：　　for　though　I　know　the　equipage　is　only
jobbed；　and　all　the　Jenkins　people　are　on　board　wages；
yet　those　three　men　and　the　carriage　must　represent　an
expense　of　six　hundred　a　year　at　the　very　leastand　then
there　are　the　splendid　dinners；　the　two　boys　at　Eton；　the
prize　governess　and　masters　for　the　girls；　the　trip
abroad；　or　to　Eastbourne　or　Worthing；　in　the　autumn；
the　annual　ball　with　a　supper　from　Gunter's　（who；　by　the
way；　supplies　most　of　the　first…rate　dinners　which　J。　　gives；
as　I　know　very　well；　having　been　invited　to　one　of　them　to
fill　a　vacant　place；　when　I　saw　at　once　that　these　repasts　are
very　superior　to　the　common　run　of　entertainments　for　which　the
humbler　sort　of　J。's　acquaintances　get　cards）who；　I　say；　with　the
most　good…natured　feelings　in　the　world；　can　help　wondering　how
the　Jenkinses　make　out　matters？　What　is　Jenkins？　We　all　know
Commissioner　of　the　Tape　and　Sealing　Wax　Office；　with
1200　pounds　a　year　for　a　salary。　　Had　his　wife　a　private
fortune？　Pooh！Miss　Flintone　of　eleven　children　of　a
small　squire　in　Buckinghamshire。　　All　she　ever　gets　from
her　family　is　a　turkey　at　Christmas；　in　exchange　for　which
she　has　to　board　two　or　three　of　her　sisters　in　the　off
season；　and　lodge　and　feed　her　brothers　when　they
come　to　town。　　How　does　Jenkins　balance　his　income？　I
say；　as　every　friend　of　his　must　say；　How　is　it　that　he
has　not　been　outlawed　long　since；　and　that　he　ever　came
back　（as　he　did　to　the　surprise　of　everybody）　last　year
from　Boulogne？
〃I〃　is　here　introduced　to　personify　the　world　in
generalthe　Mrs。　Grundy　of　each　respected　reader's　private
circleevery　one　of　whom　can　point　to　some　families
of　his　acquaintance　who　live　nobody　knows　how。　　Many
a　glass　of　wine　have　we　all　of　us　drunk；　I　have　very
little　doubt；　hob…and…nobbing　with　the　hospitable　giver
and　wondering　how　the　deuce　he　paid　for　it。
Some　three　or　four　years　after　his　stay　in　Paris；　when
Rawdon　Crawley　and　his　wife　were　established　in　a　very
small　comfortable　house　in　Curzon　Street；　May　Fair；　there
was　scarcely　one　of　the　numerous　friends　whom　they
entertained　at　dinner　that　did　not　ask　the　above　question
regarding　them。　　The　novelist；　it　has　been　said　before；
knows　everything；　and　as　I　am　in　a　situation　to　be
able　to　tell　the　public　how　Crawley　and　his　wife　lived
without　any　income；　may　I　entreat　the　public　newspapers
which　are　in　the　habit　of　extracting　portions　of　the
various　periodical　works　now　published　not　to　reprint
the　following　exact　narrative　and　calculationsof　which
I　ought；　as　the　discoverer　（and　at　some　expense；　too）；
to　have　the　benefit？　My　son；　I　would　say；　were　I　blessed
with　a　childyou　may　by　deep　inquiry　and　constant
intercourse　with　him　learn　how　a　man　lives　comfortably
on　nothing　a　year。　　But　it　is　best　not　to　be　intimate　with
gentlemen　of　this　profession　and　to　take　the　calculations
at　second　hand；　as　you　do　logarithms；　for　to　work
them　yourself；　depend　upon　it；　will　cost　you　something
considerable。
On　nothing　per　annum　then；　and　during　a　course　of
some　two　or　three　years；　of　which　we　can　afford　to
give　but　a　very　brief　history；　Crawley　and　his　wife　lived
very　happily　and　comfortably　at　Paris。　　It　was　in　this
period　that　he　quitted　the　Guards　and　sold　out　of　the
army。　　When　we　find　him　again；　his　mustachios　and　the
title　of　Colonel　on　his　card　are　the　only　relics　of　his
military　profession。
It　has　been　mentioned　that　Rebecca；　soon　after　her
arrival　in　Paris；　took　a　very　smart　and　leading　position　in
the　society　of　that　capital；　and　was　welcomed　at　some
of　the　most　distinguished　houses　of　the　restored　French
nobility。　　The　English　men　of　fashion　in　Paris　courted　her；
too；　to　the　disgust　of　the　ladies　their　wives；　who　could
not　bear　the　parvenue。　　For　some　months　the　salons
of　the　Faubourg　St。　　Germain；　in　which　her　place　was
secured；　and　the　splendours　of　the　new　Court；　where　she
was　received　with　much　distinction；　delighted　and
perhaps　a　little　intoxicated　Mrs。　Crawley；　who　may　have
been　disposed　during　this　period　of　elation　to　slight　the
peoplehonest　young　military　men　mostlywho　formed
her　husband's　chief　society。
But　the　Colonel　yawned　sadly　among　the　Duchesses
and　great　ladies　of　the　Court。　　The　old　women　who
played　ecarte　made　such　a　noise　about　a　five…franc
piece　that　it　was　not　worth　Colonel　Crawley's　while　to
sit　down　at　a　card…table。　　The　wit　of　their　conversation　he
could　not　appreciate；　being　i