vanity fair(名利场)-第137章

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can　vouch　that　it　is　but　the　picture　of　a　high…waisted
gown　with　an　impossible　doll's　face　simpering　over　it
and；　perhaps；　Mr。　Dobbin's　sentimental　Amelia　was　no
more　like　the　real　one　than　this　absurd　little　print　which
he　cherished。　　But　what　man　in　love；　of　us；　is　better
informed？or　is　he　much　happier　when　he　sees　and　owns　his
delusion？　Dobbin　was　under　this　spell。　　He　did　not　bother
his　friends　and　the　public　much　about　his　feelings；　or
indeed　lose　his　natural　rest　or　appetite　on　account
of　them。　　His　head　has　grizzled　since　we　saw　him　last；　and
a　line　or　two　of　silver　may　be　seen　in　the　soft　brown　hair
likewise。　　But　his　feelings　are　not　in　the　least　changed　or
oldened；　and　his　love　remains　as　fresh　as　a　man's
recollections　of　boyhood　are。
We　have　said　how　the　two　Misses　Dobbin　and　Amelia；　the
Major's　correspondents　in　Europe；　wrote　him　letters　from
England；　Mrs。　Osborne　congratulating　him　with　great　candour
and　cordiality　upon　his　approaching　nuptials　with　Miss　O'Dowd。
〃Your　sister　has　just　kindly　visited　me；〃　Amelia　wrote
in　her　letter；　〃and　informed　me　of　an　INTERESTING　EVENT；
upon　which　I　beg　to　offer　my　MOST　SINCERE　CONGRATULATIONS。
I　hope　the　young　lady　to　whom　I　hear　you　are　to
be　UNITED　will　in　every　respect　prove　worthy　of　one　who
is　himself　all　kindness　and　goodness。　　The　poor　widow　has
only　her　prayers　to　offer　and　her　cordial　cordial　wishes
for　YOUR　PROSPERITY！　　Georgy　sends　his　love　to　HIS　DEAR　GODPAPA
and　hopes　that　you　will　not　forget　him。　　I　tell
him　that　you　are　about　to　form　OTHER　TIES；　with　one　who
I　am　sure　merits　ALL　YOUR　AFFECTION；　but　that；　although
such　ties　must　of　course　be　the　strongest　and　most
sacred；　and　supersede　ALL　OTHERS；　yet　that　I　am　sure　the
widow　and　the　child　whom　you　have　ever　protected　and
loved　will　always　HAVE　A　CORNER　IN　YOUR　HEART〃　The　letter；
which　has　been　before　alluded　to；　went　on　in　this
strain；　protesting　throughout　as　to　the　extreme　satisfaction
of　the　writer。
This　letter；　。which　arrived　by　the　very　same　ship　which
brought　out　Lady　O'Dowd's　box　of　millinery　from　London
（and　which　you　may　be　sure　Dobbin　opened　before　any
one　of　the　other　packets　which　the　mail　brought　him）；
put　the　receiver　into　such　a　state　of　mind　that　Glorvina；
and　her　pink　satin；　and　everything　belonging　to　her　became
perfectly　odious　to　him。　　The　Major　cursed　the　talk
of　women；　and　the　sex　in　general。　　Everything　annoyed
him　that　daythe　parade　was　insufferably　hot　and
wearisome。　　Good　heavens！　was　a　man　of　intellect　to　waste
his　life；　day　after　day；　inspecting　cross…belts　and　putting
fools　through　their　manoeuvres？　The　senseless　chatter
of　the　young　men　at　mess　was　more　than　ever　jarring。
What　cared　he；　a　man　on　the　high　road　to　forty；　to
know　how　many　snipes　Lieutenant　Smith　had　shot；　or
what　were　the　performances　of　Ensign　Brown's　mare？　The
jokes　about　the　table　filled　him　with　shame。　　He　was　too
old　to　listen　to　the　banter　of　the　assistant　surgeon　and
the　slang　of　the　youngsters；　at　which　old　O'Dowd；　with
his　bald　head　and　red　face；　laughed　quite　easily。　　The
old　man　had　listened　to　those　jokes　any　time　these
thirty　yearsDobbin　himself　had　been　fifteen　years　hearing
them。　　And　after　the　boisterous　dulness　of　the　mess…table；
the　quarrels　and　scandal　of　the　ladies　of　the　regiment！
It　was　unbearable；　shameful。　　〃O　Amelia；　Amelia；〃
he　thought；　〃you　to　whom　I　have　been　so　faithful
you　reproach　me！　　It　is　because　you　cannot　feel　for　me
that　I　drag　on　this　wearisome　life。　　And　you　reward　me
after　years　of　devotion　by　giving　me　your　blessing　upon
my　marriage；　forsooth；　with　this　flaunting　Irish　girl！〃
Sick　and　sorry　felt　poor　William；　more　than　ever
wretched　and　lonely。　　He　would　like　to　have　done　with
life　and　its　vanity　altogetherso　bootless　and　unsatisfactory
the　struggle；　so　cheerless　and　dreary　the　prospect
seemed　to　him。　　He　lay　all　that　night　sleepless；　and
yearning　to　go　home。　　Amelia's　letter　had　fallen　as　a
blank　upon　him。　　No　fidelity；　no　constant　truth　and　passion；
could　move　her　into　warmth。　　She　would　not　see
that　he　loved　her。　　Tossing　in　his　bed；　he　spoke　out　to　her。
〃Good　God；　Amelia！〃　he　said；　〃don't　you　know　that　I
only　love　you　in　the　worldyou；　who　are　a　stone　to　me
you；　whom　I　tended　through　months　and　months　of
illness　and　grief；　and　who　bade　me　farewell　with　a　smile
on　your　face；　and　forgot　me　before　the　door　shut　between
us！〃　The　native　servants　lying　outside　his　verandas　beheld
with　wonder　the　Major；　so　cold　and　quiet　ordinarily；
at　present　so　passionately　moved　and　cast　down。　　Would
she　have　pitied　him　had　she　seen　him？　He　read　over　and
over　all　the　letters　which　he　ever　had　from　herletters
of　business　relative　to　the　little　property　which　he　had
made　her　believe　her　husband　had　left　to　herbrief　notes
of　invitationevery　scrap　of　writing　that　she　had　ever
sent　to　himhow　cold；　how　kind；　how　hopeless；　how
selfish　they　were！
Had　there　been　some　kind　gentle　soul　near　at　hand　who
could　read　and　appreciate　this　silent　generous　heart；　who
knows　but　that　the　reign　of　Amelia　might　have　been　over；
and　that　friend　William's　love　might　have　flowed　into　a
kinder　channel？　But　there　was　only　Glorvina　of　the　jetty
ringlets　with　whom　his　intercourse　was　familiar；　and　this
dashing　young　woman　was　not　bent　upon　loving　the
Major；　but　rather　on　making　the　Major　admire　HERa
most　vain　and　hopeless　task；　too；　at　least　considering
the　means　that　the　poor　girl　possessed　to　carry
it　out。　　She　curled　her　hair　and　showed　her　shoulders
at　him；　as　much　as　to　say；　did　ye　ever　see　such　jet
ringlets　and　such　a　complexion？　She　grinned　at　him　so
that　he　might　see　that　every　tooth　in　her　head　was
soundand　he　never　heeded　all　these　charms。　　Very　soon
after　the　arrival　of　the　box　of　millinery；　and　perhaps　indeed
in　honour　of　it；　Lady　O'Dowd　and　the　ladies　of
the　King's　Regiment　gave　a　ball　to　the　Company's
Regiments　and　the　civilians　at　the　station。　　Glorvina
sported　the　killing　pink　frock；　and　the　Major；　who　attended
the　party　and　walked　very　ruefully　up　and　down
the　rooms；　never　so　much　as　perceived　the　pink　garment。
Glorvina　danced　past　him　in　a　fury　with　all　the　young
subalterns　of　the　station；　and　the　Major　was　not　in　the
least　jealous　of　her　performance；　or　angry　because　Captain
Bangles　of　the　Cavalry　handed　her　to　supper。　　It　was
not　jealousy；　or　frocks；　or　shoulders　that　could　move　him；
and　Glorvina　had　nothing　more。
So　these　two　were　each　exemplifying　the　Vanity　of　this
life；　and　each　longing　for　what　he　or　she　could　not　get。
Glorvina　cried　with　rage　at　the　failure。　　She　had　set　her
mind　on　the　Major　〃more　than　on　any　of　the　others；〃
she　owned；　sobbing。　　〃He'll　break　my　heart；　he　will；
Peggy；〃　she　would　whimper　to　her　sister…in…law　when
they　were　good　friends；　〃sure　every　one　of　me　frocks
must　be　taken　init's　such　a　skeleton　I'm　growing。〃
Fat　or　thin；　laughing　or　melancholy；　on　horseback　or　the
music…stool；　it　was　all　the　same　to　the　Major。　　And　the
Colonel；　puffing　his　pipe　and　listening　to　these　complaints；
would　suggest　that　Glory　should　have　some　black　frocks
out　in　the　next　box　from　London；　and　told　a　mysterious
story　of　a　lady　in　Ireland　who　died　of　grief　for　the　loss　of
her　husband　before　she　got　ere　a　one。
While　the　Major　was　going　on　in　this　tantalizing　way；
not　proposing；　and　declining　to　fall　in　love；　there　came
another　ship　from　Europe　bringing　letters　on　board；　and
amongst　them　some　more　for　the　heartless　man。　　These
were　home　letters　bearing　an　earlier　postmark　than　that
of　the　former　packets；　and　as　Major　Dobbin　recognized
among　his　the　handwriting　of　his　sister；　who　always
crossed　and　recrossed　her　letters　to　her　brothergathered
together　all　the　possible　bad　news　which　she　could
collect；　abused　him　and　read　him　lectures　with　sisterly
frankness；　and　always　left　him　miserable　for　the　day　after
〃dearest　William〃　had　achieved　the　perusal　of　one　of　her
epistlesthe　truth　must　be　told　that　dearest　William　did
not　hurry　himself　to　break　the　seal　of　Miss　Dobbin's
letter；　but　waited　for　a　particularly　favourable　day　and
mood　for　doing　so。　　A　fortnight　before；　moreover；　he
had　written　to　scold　her　for　telling　those　absurd　stories
to　Mrs。　Osborne；　and　had　despatched