vanity fair(名利场)-第129章
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Secretary; or a West Indian Governor: or a Treasurer;
or a Consul; or some such thing。〃
〃Posting will cost a dooce of a lot of money;〃 grumbled
Rawdon。
〃We might take Southdown's carriage; which ought to
be present at the funeral; as he is a relation of the
family: but; noI intend that we shall go by the coach。
They'll like it better。 It seems more humble〃
〃Rawdy goes; of course?〃 the Colonel asked。
〃No such thing; why pay an extra place? He's too big to
travel bodkin between you and me。 Let him stay here in
the nursery; and Briggs can make him a black frock。 Go
you; and do as I bid you。 And you had best tell Sparks;
your man; that old Sir Pitt is dead and that you will
come in for something considerable when the affairs are
arranged。 He'll tell this to Raggles; who has been pressing
for money; and it will console poor Raggles。〃 And so
Becky began sipping her chocolate。
When the faithful Lord Steyne arrived in the evening;
he found Becky and her companion; who was no other
than our friend Briggs; busy cutting; ripping; snipping;
and tearing all sorts of black stuffs available for the
melancholy occasion。
〃Miss Briggs and I are plunged in grief and despondency
for the death of our Papa;〃 Rebecca said。 〃Sir Pitt
Crawley is dead; my lord。 We have been tearing our hair
all the morning; and now we are tearing up our old
clothes。〃
〃Oh; Rebecca; how can you〃 was all that Briggs could
say as she turned up her eyes。
〃Oh; Rebecca; how can you〃 echoed my Lord。 〃So
that old scoundrel's dead; is he? He might have been a
Peer if he had played his cards better。 Mr。 Pitt had very
nearly made him; but he ratted always at the wrong
time。 What an old Silenus it was!〃
〃I might have been Silenus's widow;〃 said Rebecca。
〃Don't you remember; Miss Briggs; how you peeped in
at the door and saw old Sir Pitt on his knees to me?〃
Miss Briggs; our old friend; blushed very much at this
reminiscence; and was glad when Lord Steyne ordered
her to go downstairs and make him a cup of tea。
Briggs was the house…dog whom Rebecca had provided
as guardian of her innocence and reputation。 Miss Crawley
had left her a little annuity。 She would have been
content to remain in the Crawley family with Lady Jane;
who was good to her and to everybody; but Lady
Southdown dismissed poor Briggs as quickly as decency
permitted; and Mr。 Pitt (who thought himself much injured
by the uncalled…for generosity of his deceased relative
towards a lady who had only been Miss Crawley's
faithful retainer a score of years) made no objection to that
exercise of the dowager's authority。 Bowls and Firkin
likewise received their legacies and their dismissals; and
married and set up a lodging…house; according to the
custom of their kind。
Briggs tried to live with her relations in the country;
but found that attempt was vain after the better society
to which she had been accustomed。 Briggs's friends; small
tradesmen; in a country town; quarrelled over Miss
Briggs's forty pounds a year as eagerly and more openly
than Miss Crawley's kinsfolk had for that lady's
inheritance。 Briggs's brother; a radical hatter and grocer; called
his sister a purse…proud aristocrat; because she would not
advance a part of her capital to stock his shop; and she
would have done so most likely; but that their sister; a
dissenting shoemaker's lady; at variance with the hatter
and grocer; who went to another chapel; showed how
their brother was on the verge of bankruptcy; and took
possession of Briggs for a while。 The dissenting
shoemaker wanted Miss Briggs to send his son to college
and make a gentleman of him。 Between them the two
families got a great portion of her private savings out of
her; and finally she fled to London followed by the
anathemas of both; and determined to seek for servitude
again as infinitely less onerous than liberty。 And advertising
in the papers that a 〃Gentlewoman of agreeable
manners; and accustomed to the best society; was anxious
to;〃 &c。; she took up her residence with Mr。 Bowls
in Half Moon Street; and waited the result of the
advertisement。
So it was that she fell in with Rebecca。 Mrs。 Rawdon's
dashing little carriage and ponies was whirling down the
street one day; just as Miss Briggs; fatigued; had
reached Mr。 Bowls's door; after a weary walk to the
Times Office in the City to insert her advertisement for
the sixth time。 Rebecca was driving; and at once
recognized the gentlewoman with agreeable manners; and
being a perfectly good…humoured woman; as we have
seen; and having a regard for Briggs; she pulled up the
ponies at the doorsteps; gave the reins to the groom;
and jumping out; had hold of both Briggs's hands; before
she of the agreeable manners had recovered from the
shock of seeing an old friend。
Briggs cried; and Becky laughed a great deal and
kissed the gentlewoman as soon as they got into the
passage; and thence into Mrs。 Bowls's front parlour; with
the red moreen curtains; and the round looking…glass;
with the chained eagle above; gazing upon the back of
the ticket in the window which announced 〃Apartments
to Let。〃
Briggs told all her history amidst those perfectly
uncalled…for sobs and ejaculations of wonder with which
women of her soft nature salute an old acquaintance; or
regard a rencontre in the street; for though people meet
other people every day; yet some there are who insist
upon discovering miracles; and women; even though they
have disliked each other; begin to cry when they meet;
deploring and remembering the time when they last
quarrelled。 So; in a word; Briggs told all her history; and
Becky gave a narrative of her own life; with her usual
artlessness and candour。
Mrs。 Bowls; late Firkin; came and listened grimly in
the passage to the hysterical sniffling and giggling which
went on in the front parlour。 Becky had never been a
favourite of hers。 Since the establishment of the married
couple in London they had frequented their former
friends of the house of Raggles; and did not like the
latter's account of the Colonel's menage。 〃I wouldn't trust
him; Ragg; my boy;〃 Bowls remarked; and his wife;
when Mrs。 Rawdon issued from the parlour; only saluted
the lady with a very sour curtsey; and her fingers
were like so many sausages; cold and lifeless; when she
held them out in deference to Mrs。 Rawdon; who persisted
in shaking hands with the retired lady's maid。 She whirled
away into Piccadilly; nodding with the sweetest of smiles
towards Miss Briggs; who hung nodding at the window
close under the advertisement…card; and at the next
moment was in the park with a half…dozen of dandies
cantering after her carriage。
When she found how her friend was situated; and how
having a snug legacy from Miss Crawley; salary was no
object to our gentlewoman; Becky instantly formed some
benevolent little domestic plans concerning her。 This
was just such a companion as would suit her establishment;
and she invited Briggs to come to dinner with her
that very evening; when she should see Becky's dear little
darling Rawdon。
Mrs。 Bowls cautioned her lodger against venturing into
the lion's den; 〃wherein you will rue it; Miss B。; mark my
words; and as sure as my name is Bowls。〃 And Briggs
promised to be very cautious。 The upshot of which
caution was that she went to live with Mrs。 Rawdon the next
week; and had lent Rawdon Crawley six hundred pounds
upon annuity before six months were over。
CHAPTER XLI
In Which Becky Revisits the Halls of Her Ancestors
So the mourning being ready; and Sir Pitt Crawley warned
of their arrival; Colonel Crawley and his wife took a
couple of places in the same old High…flyer coach by
which Rebecca had travelled in the defunct Baronet's
company; on her first journey into the world some nine
years before。 How well she remembered the Inn Yard;
and the ostler to whom she refused money; and the
insinuating Cambridge lad who wrapped her in his coat on
the journey! Rawdon took his place outside; and would
have liked to drive; but his grief forbade him。 He sat by
the coachman and talked about horses and the road the
whole way; and who kept the inns; and who horsed the
coach by which he had trav