vanity fair(名利场)-第128节

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of　ancient　race　whom　the　culotte　courte　became。　　Pitt
looked　down　with　complacency　at　his　legs；　which　had　not；
in　truth；　much　more　symmetry　or　swell　than　the　lean
Court　sword　which　dangled　by　his　sidelooked　down
at　his　legs；　and　thought　in　his　heart　that　he　was　killing。
When　he　was　gone；　Mrs。　Becky　made　a　caricature
of　his　figure；　which　she　showed　to　Lord　Steyne　when　he
arrived。　　His　lordship　carried　off　the　sketch；　delighted
with　the　accuracy　of　the　resemblance。　　He　had　done　Sir
Pitt　Crawley　the　honour　to　meet　him　at　Mrs。　Becky's
house　and　had　been　most　gracious　to　the　new　Baronet
and　member。　　Pitt　was　struck　too　by　the　deference　with
which　the　great　Peer　treated　his　sister…in…law；　by　her　ease
and　sprightliness　in　the　conversation；　and　by　the　delight
with　which　the　other　men　of　the　party　listened　to　her　talk。
Lord　Steyne　made　no　doubt　but　that　the　Baronet　had
only　commenced　his　career　in　public　life；　and　expected
rather　anxiously　to　hear　him　as　an　orator；　as　they　were
neighbours　（for　Great　Gaunt　Street　leads　into　Gaunt
Square；　whereof　Gaunt　House；　as　everybody　knows；　forms
one　side）　my　lord　hoped　that　as　soon　as　Lady　Steyne
arrived　in　London　she　would　have　the　honour　of　making
the　acquaintance　of　Lady　Crawley。　　He　left　a　card　upon
his　neighbour　in　the　course　of　a　day　or　two；　having　never
thought　fit　to　notice　his　predecessor；　though　they　had
lived　near　each　other　for　near　a　century　past。
In　the　midst　of　these　intrigues　and　fine　parties　and
wise　and　brilliant　personages　Rawdon　felt　himself　more
and　more　isolated　every　day。　　He　was　allowed　to　go　to
the　club　more；　to　dine　abroad　with　bachelor　friends；
to　come　and　go　when　he　liked；　without　any　questions
being　asked。　　And　he　and　Rawdon　the　younger　many　a
time　would　walk　to　Gaunt　Street　and　sit　with　the　lady
and　the　children　there　while　Sir　Pitt　was　closeted　with
Rebecca；　on　his　way　to　the　House；　or　on　　his　return
from　it。
The　ex…Colonel　would　sit　for　hours　in　his　brother's
house　very　silent；　and　thinking　and　doing　as　little　as
possible。　　He　was　glad　to　be　employed　of　an　errand；　to
go　and　make　inquiries　about　a　horse　or　a　servant；　or　to
carve　the　roast　mutton　for　the　dinner　of　the　children。
He　was　beat　and　cowed　into　laziness　and　submission。
Delilah　had　imprisoned　him　and　cut　his　hair　off；　too。　　The
bold　and　reckless　young　blood　of　ten…years　back　was
subjugated　and　was　turned　into　a　torpid；　submissive；
middle…aged；　stout　gentleman。
And　poor　Lady　Jane　was　aware　that　Rebecca　had
captivated　her　husband；　although　she　and　Mrs。　Rawdon
my…deared　and　my…loved　each　other　every　day　they　met。
　　　　　　　　　　　

CHAPTER　XLVI
Struggles　and　Trials
Our　friends　at　Brompton　were　meanwhile　passing　their
Christmas　after　their　fashion　and　in　a　manner　by　no
means　too　cheerful。
Out　of　the　hundred　pounds　a　year；　which　was　about
the　amount　of　her　income；　the　Widow　Osborne　had　been
in　the　habit　of　giving　up　nearly　three…fourths　to　her
father　and　mother；　for　the　expenses　of　herself　and　her
little　boy。　　With　#120　more；　supplied　by　Jos；　this　family
of　four　people；　attended　by　a　single　Irish　servant　who
also　did　for　Clapp　and　his　wife；　might　manage　to　live
in　decent　comfort　through　the　year；　and　hold　up　their
heads　yet；　and　be　able　to　give　a　friend　a　dish　of　tea　still；
after　the　storms　and　disappointments　of　their　early　life。
Sedley　still　maintained　his　ascendency　over　the　family　of
Mr。　Clapp；　his　ex…clerk。　　Clapp　remembered　the　time
when；　sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　chair；　he　tossed　off　a
bumper　to　the　health　of　〃Mrs。　S；　Miss　Emmy；　and
Mr。　Joseph　in　India；〃　at　the　merchant's　rich　table　in
Russell　Square。　　Time　magnified　the　splendour　of　those
recollections　in　the　honest　clerk's　bosom。　　Whenever　he　came
up　from　the　kitchen…parlour　to　the　drawing…room　and
partook　of　tea　or　gin…and…water　with　Mr。　Sedley；　he
would　say；　〃This　was　not　what　you　was　accustomed　to
once；　sir；〃　and　as　gravely　and　reverentially　drink　the
health　of　the　ladies　as　he　had　done　in　the　days　of　their
utmost　prosperity。　　He　thought　Miss　'Melia's　playing　the
divinest　music　ever　performed；　and　her　the　finest　lady。
He　never　would　sit　down　before　Sedley　at　the　club　even；
nor　would　he　have　that　gentleman's　character　abused　by
any　member　of　the　society。　　He　had　seen　the　first　men　in
London　shaking　hands　with　Mr。　S；　he　said；　〃He'd
known　him　in　times　when　Rothschild　might　be　seen　on
'Change　with　him　any　day；　and　he　owed　him　personally
everythink。〃
Clapp；　with　the　best　of　characters　and　handwritings；
had　been　able　very　soon　after　his　master's　disaster　to　find
other　employment　for　himself。　　〃Such　a　little　fish　as　me
can　swim　in　any　bucket；〃　he　used　to　remark；　and　a
member　of　the　house　from　which　old　Sedley　had　seceded　was
very　glad　to　make　use　of　Mr。　Clapp's　services　and　to
reward　them　with　a　comfortable　salary。　　In　fine；　all　Sedley's
wealthy　friends　had　dropped　off　one　by　one；　and　this
poor　ex…dependent　still　remained　faithfully　attached　to
him。
Out　of　the　small　residue　of　her　income　which　Amelia
kept　back　for　herself；　the　widow　had　need　of　all　the
thrift　and　care　possible　in　order　to　enable　her　to　keep
her　darling　boy　dressed　in　such　a　manner　as　became
George　Osborne's　son；　and　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the
little　school　to　which；　after　much　misgiving　and
reluctance　and　many　secret　pangs　and　fears　on　her　own
part；　she　had　been　induced　to　send　the　lad。　　She　had　sat　up
of　nights　conning　lessons　and　spelling　over　crabbed
grammars　and　geography　books　in　order　to　teach　them　to
Georgy。　　She　had　worked　even　at　the　Latin　accidence；
fondly　hoping　that　she　might　be　capable　of　instructing
him　in　that　language。　　To　part　with　him　all　day；　to　send
him　out　to　the　mercy　of　a　schoolmaster's　cane　and　his
schoolfellows'　roughness；　was　almost　like　weaning　him
over　again　to　that　weak　mother；　so　tremulous　and　full　of
sensibility。　　He；　for　his　part；　rushed　off　to　the　school　with
the　utmost　happiness。　　He　was　longing　for　the　change。
That　childish　gladness　wounded　his　mother；　who　was
herself　so　grieved　to　part　with　him。　　She　would　rather　have
had　him　more　sorry；　she　thought；　and　then　was　deeply
repentant　within　herself　for　daring　to　be　so　selfish　as　to
wish　her　own　son　to　be　unhappy。
Georgy　made　great　progress　in　the　school；　which　was
kept　by　a　friend　of　his　mother's　constant　admirer；　the
Rev。　　Mr。　Binny。　　He　brought　home　numberless　prizes　and
testimonials　of　ability。　　He　told　his　mother　countless　stories
every　night　about　his　school…companions：　　and　what　a
fine　fellow　Lyons　was；　and　what　a　sneak　Sniffin　was；　and
how　Steel's　father　actually　supplied　the　meat　for　the
establishment；　whereas　Golding's　mother　came　in　a
carriage　to　fetch　him　every　Saturday；　and　how　Neat　had
straps　to　his　trowsersmight　he　have　straps？and　how
Bull　Major　was　so　strong　（though　only　in　Eutropius）　that
it　was　believed　he　could　lick　the　Usher；　Mr。　Ward；
himself。　　So　Amelia　learned　to　know　every　one　of　the　boys
in　that　school　as　well　as　Georgy　himself；　and　of　nights
she　used　to　help　him　in　his　exercises　and　puzzle　her　little
head　over　his　lessons　as　eagerly　as　if　she　was　herself
going　in　the　morning　into　the　presence　of　the　master。
Once；　after　a　certain　combat　with　Master　Smith；　George
came　home　to　his　mother　with　a　black　eye；　and　bragged
prodigiously　to　his　parent　and　his　delighted　old
grandfather　about　his　valour　in　the　fight；　in　which；　if　the
truth　was　known　he　did　not　behave　with　particular　heroism；
and　in　which　he　decidedly　had　the　worst。　　But　Amelia
has　never　forgiven　that　Smith　to　this　day；　though　he　is
now　a　peaceful　apothecary　near　Leicester　Square。
In　these　quiet　labours　and　harmless　cares　the　gentle
widow's　life　was　passing　away；　a　silver　hair　or　two　marking
the　progress　of　time　on　her　head　and　a　line　deepening
ever　so　little　on　her　fair　forehead。　　She　used　to　smile　at
these　marks　of　time。　　〃What　matters　it；〃　she　asked；　〃For
an　old　woman　like　me？〃　All　she　hoped　for　was　to　live　to
see　her　son　great；　famous；　and　glorious；　as　he　deserved
to　be。　　She　kept　his　copy…books；　his　drawings；　and
compositions；　and　showed　them　about　in　her　little　circle　as
if　they　were　miracles　of　genius。　　She　confided　some　of
these　specimens　to　Miss　Dobbin；　to　show　them　to　Miss
Osborne；　George's　aunt；　to　show　them　to　Mr。　Osborne
himselfto　make　that　old　man　repent　of　his　cruelty　and
ill　feeling　towards　him　who　was　gone。　　All　her　husband's
faults　and　foibles　she　had　buried　in　the　grave　with　him：
she　only　remembered　the　lover；　who　had　married　her　at
all　sacrifices；　the　noble　husband；　so　brave　and　beautiful；
in　whose　arms　she　had　hung　on　the　morning　when　he　had
gone　away　to　fight；　and　die　gloriously　for　his　king。　　From
heaven　the　hero　must　be　smiling　down　upon　that　paragon
of　a　boy　whom　he　had　left　to　comfort　and　console　her。
We　have　seen　how　one　of　George's　grandfathers　（Mr。
Osborne）；　in　his　easy　chair　in　Russell　Square；　daily　grew
more　violent　and　moody；　and　how　his　daughter；　with　her
fine　carriage；　and　her　fine　horses；　and　her　name　on　half
the　public　charity…lists　of　the　town；　was　a　lonely；　miserable；
　persecuted　old　maid。　　She　thought　again　and　again
of　the　beautiful　little　boy；　her　brother's　son；　whom　she
had　seen。　　She　longed　to　be　allowed　to　drive　in　the　fine
carriage　t