vanity fair(名利场)-第49章

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said　to　her　friend；
〃Why；　Rawdon；　it's　Captain　Dobbin。〃
　　
I　suppose　Becky　was　discontented　with　the　new　piano
her　husband　had　hired　for　her；　or　perhaps　the
proprietors　of　that　instrument　had　fetched　it　away；
declining　farther　credit；　or　perhaps　she　had　a　particular
attachment　for　the　one　which　she　had　just　tried　to　purchase；
recollecting　it　in　old　days；　when　she　used　to　play　upon
it；　in　the　little　sitting…room　of　our　dear　Amelia　Sedley。
The　sale　was　at　the　old　house　in　Russell　Square；　where
we　passed　some　evenings　together　at　the　beginning　of
this　story。　　Good　old　John　Sedley　was　a　ruined　man。　　His
name　had　been　proclaimed　as　a　defaulter　on　the　Stock
Exchange；　and　his　bankruptcy　and　commercial　extermination
had　followed。　　Mr。　Osborne's　butler　came　to　buy　some　of　the
famous　port　wine　to　transfer　to　the　cellars　over　the　way。
As　for　one　dozen　well…manufactured　silver　spoons　and
forks　at　per　oz。；　and　one　dozen　dessert　ditto　ditto；
there　were　three　young　stockbrokers　（Messrs。　Dale；
Spiggot；　and　Dale；　of　Threadneedle　Street；　indeed）；
who；　having　had　dealings　with　the　old　man；　and
kindnesses　from　him　in　days　when　he　was　kind　to
everybody　with　whom　he　dealt；　sent　this　little　spar　out
of　the　wreck　with　their　love　to　good　Mrs。　Sedley；　and　with
respect　to　the　piano；　as　it　had　been　Amelia's；　and　as　she
might　miss　it　and　want　one　now；　and　as　Captain　William
Dobbin　could　no　more　play　upon　it　than　he　could　dance
on　the　tight　rope；　it　is　probable　that　he　did　not　purchase
the　instrument　for　his　own　use。
　　
In　a　word；　it　arrived　that　evening　at　a　wonderful　small
cottage　in　a　street　leading　from　the　Fulham　Roadone
of　those　streets　which　have　the　finest　romantic　names
（this　was　called　St。　Adelaide　Villas；　Anna…Maria　Road
West）；　where　the　houses　look　like　baby…houses；　where
the　people；　looking　out　of　the　first…floor　windows；　must
infallibly；　as　you　think；　sit　with　their　feet　in　the　parlours；
where　the　shrubs　in　the　little　gardens　in　front　bloom　with
a　perennial　display　of　little　children's　pinafores；　little　red
socks；　caps；　&c。　（polyandria　polygynia）；　whence　you
hear　the　sound　of　jingling　spinets　and　women　singing；
where　little　porter　pots　hang　on　the　railings　sunning
themselves；　whither　of　evenings　you　see　City　clerks
padding　wearily：　here　it　was　that　Mr。　Clapp；　the　clerk　of
Mr。　Sedley；　had　his　domicile；　and　in　this　asylum　the　good
old　gentleman　hid　his　head　with　his　wife　and　daughter
when　the　crash　came。
　　
Jos　Sedley　had　acted　as　a　man　of　his　disposition
would；　when　the　announcement　of　the　family　misfortune
reached　him。　　He　did　not　come　to　London；　but　he　wrote
to　his　mother　to　draw　upon　his　agents　for　whatever
money　was　wanted；　so　that　his　kind　broken…spirited　old
parents　had　no　present　poverty　to　fear。　　This　done；　Jos
went　on　at　the　boarding…house　at　Cheltenham　pretty
much　as　before。　　He　drove　his　curricle；　he　drank　his
claret；　he　played　his　rubber；　he　told　his　Indian　stories；
and　the　Irish　widow　consoled　and　flattered　him　as　usual。
His　present　of　money；　needful　as　it　was；　made　little
impression　on　his　parents；　and　I　have　heard　Amelia　say
that　the　first　day　on　which　she　saw　her　father　lift　up　his
head　after　the　failure　was　on　the　receipt　of　the　packet
of　forks　and　spoons　with　the　young　stockbrokers'　love；
over　which　he　burst　out　crying　like　a　child；　being　greatly
more　affected　than　even　his　wife；　to　whom　the　present
was　addressed。　　Edward　Dale；　the　junior　of　the　house；
who　purchased　the　spoons　for　the　firm；　was；　in　fact；　very
sweet　upon　Amelia；　and　offered　for　her　in　spite　of　all。
He　married　Miss　Louisa　Cutts　（daughter　of　Higham　and
Cutts；　the　eminent　cornfactors）　with　a　handsome　fortune
in　1820；　and　is　now　living　in　splendour；　and　with　a
numerous　family；　at　his　elegant　villa；　Muswell　Hill。　　But
we　must　not　let　the　recollections　of　this　good　fellow
cause　us　to　diverge　from　the　principal　history。
I　hope　the　reader　has　much　too　good　an　opinion　of
Captain　and　Mrs。　Crawley　to　suppose　that　they　ever
would　have　dreamed　of　paying　a　visit　to　so　remote　a
district　as　Bloomsbury；　if　they　thought　the　family　whom
they　proposed　to　honour　with　a　visit　were　not　merely
out　of　fashion；　but　out　of　money；　and　could　be
serviceable　to　them　in　no　possible　manner。　　Rebecca　was
entirely　surprised　at　the　sight　of　the　comfortable　old　house
where　she　had　met　with　no　small　kindness；　ransacked　by
brokers　and　bargainers；　and　its　quiet　family　treasures
given　up　to　public　desecration　and　plunder。　　A　month
after　her　flight；　she　had　bethought　her　of　Amelia；　and
Rawdon；　with　a　horse…laugh；　had　expressed　a　perfect
willingness　to　see　young　George　Osborne　again。　　〃He's　a
very　agreeable　acquaintance；　Beck；〃　the　wag　added。　　〃I'd
like　to　sell　him　another　horse；　Beck。　　I'd　like　to　play　a
few　more　games　at　billiards　with　him。　　He'd　be　what　I
call　useful　just　now；　Mrs。　C。ha；　ha！〃　by　which　sort　of
speech　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　Rawdon　Crawley　had
a　deliberate　desire　to　cheat　Mr。　Osborne　at　play；　but　only
wished　to　take　that　fair　advantage　of　him　which　almost
every　sporting　gentleman　in　Vanity　Fair　considers　to　be
his　due　from　his　neighbour。
　　
The　old　aunt　was　long　in　〃coming…to。〃　A　month　had
elapsed。　　Rawdon　was　denied　the　door　by　Mr。　Bowls；　his
servants　could　not　get　a　lodgment　in　the　house　at　Park
Lane；　his　letters　were　sent　back　unopened。　　Miss　Crawley
never　stirred　outshe　was　unwelland　Mrs。　Bute
remained　still　and　never　left　her。　　Crawley　and　his　wife　both
of　them　augured　evil　from　the　continued　presence　of
Mrs。　Bute。
　　
〃Gad；　I　begin　to　perceive　now　why　she　was　always
bringing　us　together　at　Queen's　Crawley；〃　Rawdon　said。
　　
〃What　an　artful　little　woman！〃　ejaculated　Rebecca。
　　
〃Well；　I　don't　regret　it；　if　you　don't；〃　the　Captain
cried；　still　in　an　amorous　rapture　with　his　wife；　who
rewarded　him　with　a　kiss　by　way　of　reply；　and　was
indeed　not　a　little　gratified　by　the　generous　confidence
of　her　husband。
　　
〃If　he　had　but　a　little　more　brains；〃　she　thought　to
herself；　〃I　might　make　something　of　him〃；　but　she　never
let　him　perceive　the　opinion　she　had　of　him；　listened
with　indefatigable　complacency　to　his　stories　of　the
stable　and　the　mess；　laughed　at　all　his　jokes；　felt　the
greatest　interest　in　Jack　Spatterdash；　whose　cab…horse
had　come　down；　and　Bob　Martingale；　who　had　been
taken　up　in　a　gambling…house；　and　Tom　Cinqbars；　who
was　going　to　ride　the　steeplechase。　　When　he　came　home
she　was　alert　and　happy：　when　he　went　out　she　pressed
him　to　go：　when　he　stayed　at　home；　she　played　and
sang　for　him；　made　him　good　drinks；　superintended　his
dinner；　warmed　his　slippers；　and　steeped　his　soul　in
comfort。　　The　best　of　women　（I　have　heard　my　grandmother
say）　are　hypocrites。　　We　don't　know　how　much
they　hide　from　us：　how　watchful　they　are　when　they
seem　most　artless　and　confidential：　how　often　those　frank
smiles　which　they　wear　so　easily；　are　traps　to　cajole　or
elude　or　disarmI　don't　mean　in　your　mere　coquettes；
but　your　domestic　models；　and　paragons　of　female　virtue。
Who　has　not　seen　a　woman　hide　the　dulness　of　a　stupid
husband；　or　coax　the　fury　of　a　savage　one？　　We　accept
this　amiable　slavishness；　and　praise　a　woman　for　it：　we
call　this　pretty　treachery　truth。　　A　good　housewife　is　of
necessity　a　humbug；　and　Cornelia's　husband　was
hoodwinked；　as　Potiphar　wasonly　in　a　different　way。
　　
By　these　attentions；　that　veteran　rake；　Rawdon　Crawley；
found　himself　converted　into　a　very　happy　and　submissive
married　man。　　His　former　haunts　knew　him　not。
They　asked　about　him　once　or　twice　at　his　clubs；　but　did
not　miss　him　much：　in　those　booths　of　Vanity　Fair　people
seldom　do　miss　each　other。　　His　secluded　wife　ever　smiling
and　cheerful；　his　little　comfortable　lodgings；　snug
meals；　and　homely　evenings；　had　all　the　charms　of　novelty
and　secrecy。　　The　marriage　was　not　yet　declared　to　the
world；　or　published　in　the　Morning　Post。　　All　his　creditors
would　have　come　rushing　on　him　in　a　body；　had　they
known　that　he　was　united　to　a　woman　without　fortune。
〃My　relations　won't　cry　fie　upon　me；〃　Becky　said；　with
rather　a　bitter　laugh；　and　she　was　quite　contented　to　wait
until　the　old　aunt　should　be　reconciled；　before　she　claimed
her　place　in　society。　　So　she　live