vanity fair(名利场)-第107节

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Anti…Cinder　Coal　Association；　Bunker's　Wharf；　Thames
Street；　and　Anna…Maria　Cottages；　Fulham　Road　West。〃
Little　Georgy　went　up　and　looked　at　the　Shetland
pony。
〃Should　you　like　to　have　a　ride？〃　said　Rawdon　minor
from　the　saddle。
〃Yes；〃　said　Georgy。　　The　Colonel；　who　had　been
looking　at　him　with　some　interest；　took　up　the　child
and　put　him　on　the　pony　behind　Rawdon　minor。
〃Take　hold　of　him；　Georgy；〃　he　said〃take　my　little
boy　round　the　waisthis　name　is　Rawdon。〃　And　both　the
children　began　to　laugh。
〃You　won't　see　a　prettier　pair　I　think；　THIS　summer's
day；　sir；〃　said　the　good…natured　Corporal；　and　the
Colonel；　the　Corporal；　and　old　Mr。　Sedley　with　his　umbrella；
walked　by　the　side　of　the　children。

CHAPTER　XXXVIII
A　Family　in　a　Very　Small　Way
We　must　suppose　little　George　Osborne　has　ridden　from
Knightsbridge　towards　Fulham；　and　will　stop　and　make
inquiries　at　that　village　regarding　some　friends　whom　we
have　left　there。　　How　is　Mrs。　Amelia　after　the　storm　of
Waterloo？　Is　she　living　and　thriving？　What　has　come　of
Major　Dobbin；　whose　cab　was　always　hankering　about
her　premises？　And　is　there　any　news　of　the　Collector
of　Boggley　Wollah？　The　facts　concerning　the　latter　are
briefly　these：
Our　worthy　fat　friend　Joseph　Sedley　returned　to　India
not　long　after　his　escape　from　Brussels。　　Either　his
furlough　was　up；　or　he　dreaded　to　meet　any　witnesses　of　his
Waterloo　flight。　　However　it　might　be；　he　went　back　to　his
duties　in　Bengal　very　soon　after　Napoleon　had　taken
up　his　residence　at　St。　　Helena；　where　Jos　saw　the　ex…
Emperor。　　To　hear　Mr。　Sedley　talk　on　board　ship　you
would　have　supposed　that　it　was　not　the　first　time　he　and
the　Corsican　had　met；　and　that　the　civilian　had　bearded
the　French　General　at　Mount　St。　　John。　　He　had　a
thousand　anecdotes　about　the　famous　battles；　he　knew　the
position　of　every　regiment　and　the　loss　which　each
had　incurred。　　He　did　not　deny　that　he　had　been
concerned　in　those　victoriesthat　he　had　been　with　the
army　and　carried　despatches　for　the　Duke　of　Wellington。
And　he　described　what　the　Duke　did　and　said　on
every　conceivable　moment　of　the　day　of　Waterloo；　with
such　an　accurate　knowledge　of　his　Grace's　sentiments
and　proceedings　that　it　was　clear　he　must　have　been　by
the　conqueror's　side　throughout　the　day；　though；　as　a
non…combatant；　his　name　was　not　mentioned　in　the
public　documents　relative　to　the　battle。　　Perhaps　he　actually
worked　himself　up　to　believe　that　he　had　been　engaged
with　the　army；　certain　it　is　that　he　made　a　prodigious
sensation　for　some　time　at　Calcutta；　and　was　called
Waterloo　Sedley　during　the　whole　of　his　subsequent　stay　in
Bengal。
The　bills　which　Jos　had　given　for　the　purchase　of　those
unlucky　horses　were　paid　without　question　by　him　and
his　agents。　　He　never　was　heard　to　allude　to　the　bargain；
and　nobody　knows　for　a　certainty　what　became
of　the　horses；　or　how　he　got　rid　of　them；　or　of　Isidor；　his
Belgian　servant；　who　sold　a　grey　horse；　very　like　the　one
which　Jos　rode；　at　Valenciennes　sometime　during　the
autumn　of　1815。
Jos's　London　agents　had　orders　to　pay　one　hundred
and　twenty　pounds　yearly　to　his　parents　at　Fulham。　　It
was　the　chief　support　of　the　old　couple；　for　Mr。　Sedley's
speculations　in　life　subsequent　to　his　bankruptcy　did　not
by　any　means　retrieve　the　broken　old　gentleman's
fortune。　　He　tried　to　be　a　wine…merchant；　a　coal…merchant；
a　commission　lottery　agent；　&c。；　&c。　　He　sent　round
prospectuses　to　his　friends　whenever　he　took　a　new　trade；
and　ordered　a　new　brass　plate　for　the　door；　and　talked
pompously　about　making　his　fortune　still。　　But　Fortune
never　came　back　to　the　feeble　and　stricken　old　man。　　One
by　one　his　friends　dropped　off；　and　were　weary　of
buying　dear　coals　and　bad　wine　from　him；　and　there
was　only　his　wife　in　all　the　world　who　fancied；　when　he
tottered　off　to　the　City　of　a　morning；　that　he　was　still
doing　any　business　there。　　At　evening　he　crawled　slowly
back；　and　he　used　to　go　of　nights　to　a　little　club　at　a
tavern；　where　he　disposed　of　the　finances　of　the　nation。
It　was　wonderful　to　hear　him　talk　about　millions；　and
agios；　and　discounts；　and　what　Rothschild　was
doing；　and　Baring　Brothers。　　He　talked　of　such　vast　sums
that　the　gentlemen　of　the　club　（the　apothecary；　the
undertaker；　the　great　carpenter　and　builder；　the　parish　clerk；
who　was　allowed　to　come　stealthily；　and　Mr。　Clapp；　our
old　acquaintance；）　respected　the　old　gentleman。　　〃I　was
better　off　once；　sir；〃　he　did　not　fail　to　tell　everybody　who
〃used　the　room。〃　〃My　son；　sir；　is　at　this　minute　chief
magistrate　of　Ramgunge　in　the　Presidency　of　Bengal；　and
touching　his　four　thousand　rupees　per　mensem。　　My
daughter　might　be　a　Colonel's　lady　if　she　liked。　　I　might
draw　upon　my　son；　the　first　magistrate；　sir；　for　two
thousand　pounds　to…morrow；　and　Alexander　would　cash　my
bill；　down　sir；　down　on　the　counter；　sir。　　But　the　Sedleys
were　always　a　proud　family。〃　You　and　I；　my　dear
reader；　may　drop　into　this　condition　one　day：　　for　have
not　many　of　our　friends　attained　it？　Our　luck　may　fail：
our　powers　forsake　us：　　our　place　on　the　boards　be　taken
by　better　and　younger　mimesthe　chance　of　life　roll
away　and　leave　us　shattered　and　stranded。　　Then　men
will　walk　across　the　road　when　they　meet　youor；　worse
still；　hold　you　out　a　couple　of　fingers　and　patronize　you
in　a　pitying　waythen　you　will　know；　as　soon　as　your
back　is　turned；　that　your　friend　begins　with　a　〃Poor
devil；　what　imprudences　he　has　committed；　what　chances
that　chap　has　thrown　away！〃　Well；　wella　carriage　and
three　thousand　a　year　is　not　the　summit　of　the　reward
nor　the　end　of　God's　judgment　of　men。　　If　quacks　prosper
as　often　as　they　go　to　the　wallif　zanies　succeed　and
knaves　arrive　at　fortune；　and；　vice　versa；　sharing　ill
luck　and　prosperity　for　all　the　world　like　the　ablest　and
most　honest　amongst　usI　say；　brother；　the　gifts　and
pleasures　of　Vanity　Fair　cannot　be　held　of　any　great
account；　and　that　it　is　probable　。　　。　　。　　but　we　are
wandering　out　of　the　domain　of　the　story。
Had　Mrs。　Sedley　been　a　woman　of　energy；　she　would
have　exerted　it　after　her　husband's　ruin　and；　occupying
a　large　house；　would　have　taken　in　boarders。　　The　broken
Sedley　would　have　acted　well　as　the　boarding…house
landlady's　husband；　the　Munoz　of　private　life；　the　titular　lord
and　master：　　the　carver；　house…steward；　and　humble
husband　of　the　occupier　of　the　dingy　throne。　　I　have　seen
men　of　good　brains　and　breeding；　and　of　good　hopes　and
vigour　once；　who　feasted　squires　and　kept　hunters　in
their　youth；　meekly　cutting　up　legs　of　mutton　for
rancorous　old　harridans　and　pretending　to　preside　over　their
dreary　tablesbut　Mrs。　Sedley；　we　say；　had　not　spirit
enough　to　bustle　about　for　〃a　few　select　inmates　to　join
a　cheerful　musical　family；〃　such　as　one　reads　of　in　the
Times。　　She　was　content　to　lie　on　the　shore　where
fortune　had　stranded　herand　you　could　see　that　the
career　of　this　old　couple　was　over。
I　don't　think　they　were　unhappy。　　Perhaps　they　were
a　little　prouder　in　their　downfall　than　in　their　prosperity。
Mrs。　Sedley　was　always　a　great　person　for　her　landlady；
Mrs。　Clapp；　when　she　descended　and　passed　many　hours
with　her　in　the　basement　or　ornamented　kitchen。　　The
Irish　maid　Betty　Flanagan's　bonnets　and　ribbons；　her
sauciness；　her　idleness；　her　reckless　prodigality　of　kitchen
candles；　her　consumption　of　tea　and　sugar；　and　so　forth
occupied　and　amused　the　old　lady　almost　as　much　as　the
doings　of　her　former　household；　when　she　had　Sambo　and
the　coachman；　and　a　groom；　and　a　footboy；　and　a
housekeeper　with　a　regiment　of　female　domesticsher　former
household；　about　which　the　good　lady　talked　a　hundred
times　a　day。　　And　besides　Betty　Flanagan；　Mrs。　Sedley
had　all　the　maids…of…all…work　in　the　street　to　superintend。
She　knew　how　each　tenant　of　the　cottages　paid　or
owed　his　little　rent。　　She　stepped　aside　when　Mrs。
Rougemont　the　actress　passed　with　her　dubious　family。　　She
flung　up　her　head　when　Mrs。　Pestler；　the　apothecary's
lady；　drove　by　in　her　husband's　professional　one…horse
chaise。　　She　had　colloquies　with　the　greengrocer　about
the　pennorth　of　turnips　which　Mr。　Sedley　loved；　she　kept
an　eye　upon　the　milkman　and　the　baker's　boy；　and
made　visitations　to　the　butcher；　who　sold　hundreds　of
oxen　very　likely　with　less　ado　than　was　made　about
Mrs。　Sedley's　loin　of　mutton：　　and　she　counted　the
potatoes　under　the　joint　on　Sundays；　on　which　days；　dressed
in　her　best；　she　went　to　church　twice　and　read　Blair's
Sermons　in　the　evening。
On　that　day；　for　〃business〃　prevented　him　on　weekdays
from　taking　such　a　pleasure；　it　was　old　Sedley's
delight　to　take　out　his　little　grandson　Georgy　to　the
neighbouring　parks　or　Kensington　Gardens；　to　see　the　soldiers
or　to　feed　the　ducks。　　Georgy　loved　the　redcoats；　and　his
grandpapa　told　him　how　his　father　had　been　a　famous
soldier；　and　introduced　him　to　many　sergeants　and　others
with　Waterloo　medals　on　their　breasts；　to　whom　the
old　grandfather　pompously　presented　the　child　as　the
son　of　Captain　Osborne　of　the　th；　who　died　gloriously
on　the　glorious　eighteenth。　　He　has　been　known　to　treat
some　of　these　non…commissioned　gentlemen　to　a　glass　of
porter；　and；　indeed；　in　their　first　Sunday　walks　was
disposed　to　spo