vanity fair(名利场)-第153章

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give　ME　any　airs。　　As　for　Mrs。　Crawley's　character；　I
shan't　demean　myself　or　that　most　spotless　and　perfectly
irreproachable　lady　by　even　hinting　that　it　requires　a
defence。　　You　will　be　pleased　to　receive　her　with　the
utmost　cordiality；　as　you　will　receive　all　persons　whom
I　present　in　this　house。　　This　house？〃　He　broke　out　with
a　laugh。　　〃Who　is　the　master　of　it？　and　what　is　it？
This　Temple　of　Virtue　belongs　to　me。　　And　if　I　invite　all
Newgate　or　all　Bedlam　here；　by　　they　shall　be
welcome。〃
After　this　vigorous　allocution；　to　one　of　which　sort
Lord　Steyne　treated　his　〃Hareem〃　whenever　symptoms
of　insubordination　appeared　in　his　household；　the
crestfallen　women　had　nothing　for　it　but　to　obey。　　Lady　Gaunt
wrote　the　invitation　which　his　Lordship　required；　and
she　and　her　mother…in…law　drove　in　person；　and　with
bitter　and　humiliated　hearts；　to　leave　the　cards　on　Mrs。
Rawdon；　the　reception　of　which　caused　that　innocent
woman　so　much　pleasure。
There　were　families　in　London　who　would　have
sacrificed　a　year's　income　to　receive　such　an　honour　at　the
hands　of　those　great　ladies。　　Mrs。　Frederick　Bullock；　for
instance；　would　have　gone　on　her　knees　from　May　Fair
to　Lombard　Street；　if　Lady　Steyne　and　Lady　Gaunt　had
been　waiting　in　the　City　to　raise　her　up　and　say；　〃Come
to　us　next　Friday〃not　to　one　of　the　great　crushes　and
grand　balls　of　Gaunt　House；　whither　everybody　went；　but
to　the　sacred；　unapproachable；　mysterious；　delicious
entertainments；　to　be　admitted　to　one　of　which　was　a
privilege；　and　an　honour；　and　a　blessing　indeed。
Severe；　spotless；　and　beautiful；　Lady　Gaunt　held　the
very　highest　rank　in　Vanity　Fair。　　The　distinguished
courtesy　with　which　Lord　Steyne　treated　her　charmed
everybody　who　witnessed　his　behaviour；　caused　the　severest
critics　to　admit　how　perfect　a　gentleman　he　was；　and　to
own　that　his　Lordship's　heart　at　least　was　in　the　right
place。
The　ladies　of　Gaunt　House　called　Lady　Bareacres　in　to
their　aid；　in　order　to　repulse　the　common　enemy。　　One
of　Lady　Gaunt's　carriages　went　to　Hill　Street　for　her
Ladyship's　mother；　all　whose　equipages　were　in　the　hands
of　the　bailiffs；　whose　very　jewels　and　wardrobe；　it　was
said；　had　been　seized　by　those　inexorable　Israelites。
Bareacres　Castle　was　theirs；　too；　with　all　its　costly
pictures；　furniture；　and　articles　of　vertuthe　magnificent
Vandykes；　the　noble　Reynolds　pictures；　the　Lawrence
portraits；　tawdry　and　beautiful；　and；　thirty　years　ago；
deemed　as　precious　as　works　of　real　genius；　the　matchless
Dancing　Nymph　of　Canova；　for　which　Lady　Bareacres
had　sat　in　her　youthLady　Bareacres　splendid　then；
and　radiant　in　wealth；　rank；　and　beautya　toothless；
bald；　old　woman　nowa　mere　rag　of　a　former　robe　of
state。　　Her　lord；　painted　at　the　same　time　by　Lawrence；
as　waving　his　sabre　in　front　of　Bareacres　Castle；　and
clothed　in　his　uniform　as　Colonel　of　the　Thistlewood
Yeomanry；　was　a　withered；　old；　lean　man　in　a
greatcoat　and　a　Brutus　wig；　slinking　about　Gray's　Inn　of
mornings　chiefly　and　dining　alone　at　clubs。　　He　did　not
like　to　dine　with　Steyne　now。　　They　had　run　races　of
pleasure　together　in　youth　when　Bareacres　was　the
winner。　　But　Steyne　had　more　bottom　than　he　and　had　lasted
him　out。　　The　Marquis　was　ten　times　a　greater　man　now
than　the　young　Lord　Gaunt　of　'85；　and　Bareacres
nowhere　in　the　raceold；　beaten；　bankrupt；　and　broken
down。　　He　had　borrowed　too　much　money　of　Steyne　to
find　it　pleasant　to　meet　his　old　comrade　often。　　The　latter；
whenever　he　wished　to　be　merry；　used　jeeringly　to　ask
Lady　Gaunt　why　her　father　had　not　come　to　see　her。
〃He　has　not　been　here　for　four　months；〃　Lord　Steyne
would　say。　　〃I　can　always　tell　by　my　cheque…book
afterwards；　when　I　get　a　visit　from　Bareacres。　　What　a
comfort　it　is；　my　ladies；　I　bank　with　one　of　my　sons'
fathers…in…law；　and　the　other　banks　with　me！〃
Of　the　other　illustrious　persons　whom　Becky　had　the
honour　to　encounter　on　this　her　first　presentation　to　the
grand　world；　it　does　not　become　the　present　historian
to　say　much。　　There　was　his　Excellency　the　Prince　of
Peterwaradin；　with　his　Princessa　nobleman　tightly
girthed；　with　a　large　military　chest；　on　which　the　plaque
of　his　order　shone　magnificently；　and　wearing　the　red
collar　of　the　Golden　Fleece　round　his　neck。　　He　was　the
owner　of　countless　flocks。　　〃Look　at　his　face。　　I　think　he
must　be　descended　from　a　sheep；〃　Becky　whispered　to
Lord　Steyne。　　Indeed；　his　Excellency's　countenance；　long；
solemn；　and　white；　with　the　ornament　round　his　neck；。
bore　some　resemblance　to　that　of　a　venerable　bell…wether。
There　was　Mr。　John　Paul　Jefferson　Jones；　titularly
attached　to　the　American　Embassy　and　correspondent
of　the　New　York　Demagogue；　who；　by　way　of　making
himself　agreeable　to　the　company；　asked　Lady　Steyne；
during　a　pause　in　the　conversation　at　dinner；　how　his
dear　friend；　George　Gaunt；　liked　the　Brazils？　He　and
George　had　been　most　intimate　at　Naples　and　had　gone
up　Vesuvius　together。　　Mr。　Jones　wrote　a　full　and
particular　account　of　the　dinner；　which　appeared　duly　in
the　Demagogue。　　He　mentioned　the　names　and　titles　of
all　the　guests；　giving　biographical　sketches　of　the　principal
people。　　He　described　the　persons　of　the　ladies　with
great　eloquence；　the　service　of　the　table；　the　size　and
costume　of　the　servants；　enumerated　the　dishes　and　wines
served；　the　ornaments　of　the　sideboard；　and　the　probable
value　of　the　plate。　　Such　a　dinner　he　calculated　could　not
be　dished　up　under　fifteen　or　eighteen　dollars　per　head。
And　he　was　in　the　habit；　until　very　lately；　of　sending
over　proteges；　with　letters　of　recommendation　to　the
present　Marquis　of　Steyne；　encouraged　to　do　so　by　the
intimate　terms　on　which　he　had　lived　with　his　dear
friend；　the　late　lord。　　He　was　most　indignant　that　a
young　and　insignificant　aristocrat；　the　Earl　of　Southdown；
should　have　taken　the　pas　of　him　in　their　procession　to
the　dining…room。　　〃Just　as　I　was　stepping　up　to　offer　my
hand　to　a　very　pleasing　and　witty　fashionable；　the
brilliant　and　exclusive　Mrs。　Rawdon　Crawley；〃he　wrote
〃the　young　patrician　interposed　between　me　and　the
lady　and　whisked　my　Helen　off　without　a　word　of　apology。
I　was　fain　to　bring　up　the　rear　with　the　Colonel；　the
lady's　husband；　a　stout　red…faced　warrior　who
distinguished　himself　at　Waterloo；　where　he　had　better　luck
than　befell　some　of　his　brother　redcoats　at　New　Orleans。〃
The　Colonel's　countenance　on　coming　into　this　polite
society　wore　as　many　blushes　as　the　face　of　a　boy　of
sixteen　assumes　when　he　is　confronted　with　his　sister's
schoolfellows。　　It　has　been　told　before　that　honest　Rawdon
had　not　been　much　used　at　any　period　of　his　life　to
ladies'　company。　　With　the　men　at　the　Club　or　the　mess
room；　he　was　well　enough；　and　could　ride；　bet；　smoke；
or　play　at　billiards　with　the　boldest　of　them。　　He　had　had
his　time　for　female　friendships　too；　but　that　was　twenty
years　ago；　and　the　ladies　were　of　the　rank　of　those　with
whom　Young　Marlow　in　the　comedy　is　represented　as
having　been　familiar　before　he　became　abashed　in　the
presence　of　Miss　Hardcastle。　　The　times　are　such　that
one　scarcely　dares　to　allude　to　that　kind　of　company
which　thousands　of　our　young　men　in　Vanity　Fair　are
frequenting　every　day；　which　nightly　fills　casinos　and
dancing…rooms；　which　is　known　to　exist　as　well　as　the
Ring　in　Hyde　Park　or　the　Congregation　at　St。　　James's
but　which　the　most　squeamish　if　not　the　most　moral
of　societies　is　determined　to　ignore。　　In　a　word；　although
Colonel　Crawley　was　now　five…and…forty　years　of　age；
it　had　not　been　his　lot　in　life　to　meet　with　a　half　dozen
good　women；　besides　his　paragon　of　a　wife。　　All　except
her　and　his　kind　sister　Lady　Jane；　whose　gentle　nature
had　tamed　and　won　him；　scared　the　worthy　Colonel；
and　on　occasion　of　his　first　dinner　at　Gaunt　House　he
was　not　heard　to　make　a　single　remark　except　to　state
that　the　weather　was　very　hot。　　Indeed　Becky　would　have
left　him　at　home；　but　that　virtue　ordained　that　her　
husband　should　be　by　her　side　to　protect　the　timid　and
fluttering　little　creature　on　her　first　appearance　in　polite
society。
On　her　first　appearance　Lord　Steyne　stepped　forward；
taking　her　hand；　and　greeting　her　with　great　courtesy；
and　presenting　her