vanity fair(名利场)-第26章

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of　books；　and　as　there　was　in　the　old　library　at　Queen's
Crawley　a　considerable　provision　of　works　of　light
literature　of　the　last　century；　both　in　the　French　and　English
languages　（they　had　been　purchased　by　the　Secretary
of　the　Tape　and　Sealing　Wax　Office　at　the　period　of　his
disgrace）；　and　as　nobody　ever　troubled　the　book…shelves
but　herself；　Rebecca　was　enabled　agreeably；　and；　as
it　were；　in　playing；　to　impart　a　great　deal　of　instruction
to　Miss　Rose　Crawley。
She　and　Miss　Rose　thus　read　together　many　delightful
French　and　English　works；　among　which　may　be
mentioned　those　of　the　learned　Dr。　Smollett；　of　the　ingenious
Mr。　Henry　Fielding；　of　the　graceful　and　fantastic
Monsieur　Crebillon　the　younger；　whom　our　immortal　poet
Gray　so　much　admired；　and　of　the　universal　Monsieur　de
Voltaire。　　Once；　when　Mr。　Crawley　asked　what　the　young
people　were　reading；　the　governess　replied　〃Smollett。〃
〃Oh；　Smollett；〃　said　Mr。　Crawley；　quite　satisfied。　　〃His
history　is　more　dull；　but　by　no　means　so　dangerous　as
that　of　Mr。　Hume。　　It　is　history　you　are　reading？〃　〃Yes；〃
said　Miss　Rose；　without；　however；　adding　that　it　was　the
history　of　Mr。　Humphrey　Clinker。　　On　another　occasion
he　was　rather　scandalised　at　finding　his　sister　with　a
book　of　French　plays；　but　as　the　governess　remarked
that　it　was　for　the　purpose　of　acquiring　the　French　idiom
in　conversation；　he　was　fain　to　be　content。　　Mr。　Crawley；
as　a　diplomatist；　was　exceedingly　proud　of　his　own　skill
in　speaking　the　French　language　（for　he　was　of　the　world
still）；　and　not　a　little　pleased　with　the　compliments　which
the　governess　continually　paid　him　upon　his　proficiency。
Miss　Violet's　tastes　were；　on　the　contrary；　more　rude
and　boisterous　than　those　of　her　sister。　　She　knew　the
sequestered　spots　where　the　hens　laid　their　eggs。　　She
could　climb　a　tree　to　rob　the　nests　of　the　feathered
songsters　of　their　speckled　spoils。　　And　her　pleasure　was　to
ride　the　young　colts；　and　to　scour　the　plains　like　Camilla。
She　was　the　favourite　of　her　father　and　of　the　stablemen。
She　was　the　darling；　and　withal　the　terror　of　the
cook；　for　she　discovered　the　haunts　of　the　jam…pots；　and
would　attack　them　when　they　were　within　her　reach。
She　and　her　sister　were　engaged　in　constant　battles。　　Any
of　which　peccadilloes；　if　Miss　Sharp　discovered；　she　did
not　tell　them　to　Lady　Crawley；　who　would　have　told
them　to　the　father；　or　worse；　to　Mr。　Crawley；　but
promised　not　to　tell　if　Miss　Violet　would　be　a　good　girl
and　love　her　governess。
With　Mr。　Crawley　Miss　Sharp　was　respectful　and
obedient。　　She　used　to　consult　him　on　passages　of　French
which　she　could　not　understand；　though　her　mother　was
a　Frenchwoman；　and　which　he　would　construe　to　her
satisfaction：　and；　besides　giving　her　his　aid　in　profane
literature；　he　was　kind　enough　to　select　for　her　books
of　a　more　serious　tendency；　and　address　to　her　much　of
his　conversation。　　She　admired；　beyond　measure；　his
speech　at　the　Quashimaboo…Aid　Society；　took　an
interest　in　his　pamphlet　on　malt：　was　often　affected；　even
to　tears；　by　his　discourses　of　an　evening；　and　would
say〃Oh；　thank　you；　sir；〃　with　a　sigh；　and　a　look　up
to　heaven；　that　made　him　occasionally　condescend　to
shake　hands　with　her。　　〃Blood　is　everything；　after　all；〃
would　that　aristocratic　religionist　say。　　〃How　Miss　Sharp
is　awakened　by　my　words；　when　not　one　of　the　people
here　is　touched。　　I　am　too　fine　for　themtoo　delicate。
I　must　familiarise　my　stylebut　she　understands　it。　　Her
mother　was　a　Montmorency。〃
Indeed　it　was　from　this　famous　family；　as　it　appears；
that　Miss　Sharp；　by　the　mother's　side；　was　descended。
Of　course　she　did　not　say　that　her　mother　had　been　on
the　stage；　it　would　have　shocked　Mr。　Crawley's　religious
scruples。　　How　many　noble　emigres　had　this　horrid
revolution　plunged　in　poverty！　　She　had　several　stories
about　her　ancestors　ere　she　had　been　many　months　in
the　house；　some　of　which　Mr。　Crawley　happened　to　find
in　D'Hozier's　dictionary；　which　was　in　the　library；　and
which　strengthened　his　belief　in　their　truth；　and　in　the
high…breeding　of　Rebecca。　　Are　we　to　suppose　from　this
curiosity　and　prying　into　dictionaries；　could　our　heroine
suppose　that　Mr。　Crawley　was　interested　in　her？no；
only　in　a　friendly　way。　　Have　we　not　stated　that　he　was
attached　to　Lady　Jane　Sheepshanks？
He　took　Rebecca　to　task　once　or　twice　about　the
propriety　of　playing　at　backgammon　with　Sir　Pitt；　saying
that　it　was　a　godless　amusement；　and　that　she　would　be
much　better　engaged　in　reading　〃Thrump's　Legacy；〃　or
〃The　Blind　Washerwoman　of　Moorfields；〃　or　any　work
of　a　more　serious　nature；　but　Miss　Sharp　said　her　dear
mother　used　often　to　play　the　same　game　with　the　old
Count　de　Trictrac　and　the　venerable　Abbe　du　Cornet；
and　so　found　an　excuse　for　this　and　other　worldly
amusements。
But　it　was　not　only　by　playing　at　backgammon　with
the　Baronet；　that　the　little　governess　rendered　herself
agreeable　to　her　employer。　　She　found　many　different
ways　of　being　useful　to　him。　　She　read　over；　with
indefatigable　patience；　all　those　law　papers；　with　which；
before　she　came　to　Queen's　Crawley；　he　had　promised
to　entertain　her。　　She　volunteered　to　copy　many　of　his
letters；　and　adroitly　altered　the　spelling　of　them　so　as
to　suit　the　usages　of　the　present　day。　　She　became
interested　in　everything　appertaining　to　the　estate；　to　the
farm；　the　park；　the　garden；　and　the　stables；　and　so　delightful
a　companion　was　she；　that　the　Baronet　would　seldom
take　his　after…breakfast　walk　without　her　（and　the
children　of　course）；　when　she　would　give　her　advice　as　to
the　trees　which　were　to　be　lopped　in　the　shrubberies；　the
garden…beds　to　be　dug；　the　crops　which　were　to　be　cut；
the　horses　which　were　to　go　to　cart　or　plough。　　Before
she　had　been　a　year　at　Queen's　Crawley　she　had　quite
won　the　Baronet's　confidence；　and　the　conversation　at　the
dinner…table；　which　before　used　to　be　held　between　him
and　Mr。　Horrocks　the　butler；　was　now　almost　exclusively
between　Sir　Pitt　and　Miss　Sharp。　　She　was　almost
mistress　of　the　house　when　Mr。　Crawley　was　absent；　but
conducted　herself　in　her　new　and　exalted　situation　with
such　circumspection　and　modesty　as　not　to　offend　the
authorities　of　the　kitchen　and　stable；　among　whom　her
behaviour　was　always　exceedingly　modest　and　affable。　　She
was　quite　a　different　person　from　the　haughty；　shy；
dissatisfied　little　girl　whom　we　have　known　previously；　and
this　change　of　temper　proved　great　prudence；　a　sincere
desire　of　amendment；　or　at　any　rate　great　moral　courage
on　her　part。　　Whether　it　was　the　heart　which　dictated　this
new　system　of　complaisance　and　humility　adopted　by　our
Rebecca；　is　to　be　proved　by　her　after…history。　　A　system
of　hypocrisy；　which　lasts　through　whole　years；　is　one
seldom　satisfactorily　practised　by　a　person　of　one…and…
twenty；　however；　our　readers　will　recollect；　that；　though
young　in　years；　our　heroine　was　old　in　life　and　experience；
and　we　have　written　to　no　purpose　if　they　have　not
discovered　that　she　was　a　very　clever　woman。
　　
The　elder　and　younger　son　of　the　house　of　Crawley
were；　like　the　gentleman　and　lady　in　the　weather…box；
never　at　home　togetherthey　hated　each　other　cordially：
indeed；　Rawdon　Crawley；　the　dragoon；　had　a　great
contempt　for　the　establishment　altogether；　and　seldom　came
thither　except　when　his　aunt　paid　her　annual　visit。
　　
The　great　good　quality　of　this　old　lady　has　been
mentioned。　　She　possessed　seventy　thousand　pounds；　and
had　almost　adopted　Rawdon。　　She　disliked　her　elder　nephew
exceedingly；　and　despised　him　as　a　milksop。　　In　return
he　did　not　hesitate　to　state　that　her　soul　was　irretrievably
lost；　and　was　of　opinion　that　his　brother's　chance
in　the　next　world　was　not　a　whit　better。　　〃She　is　a
godless　woman　of　the　world；〃　would　Mr。　Crawley　say；　〃she
lives　with　atheists　and　Frenchmen。　　My　mind　shudders
when　I　think　of　her　awful；　awful　situation；　and　that；
near　as　she　is　to　the　grave；　she　should　be　so　given　up
to　vanity；　licentiousness；　profaneness；　and　folly。〃　In　fact；
the　old　lady　declined　altogether　to　hear　his　hour's　lecture
of　an　evening；　and　when　she　came　to　Queen's　Crawley
alone；　he　was　obliged　to　pretermit　his　usual　devotional
exercises。
　　
〃Shut　up