vanity fair(名利场)-第158节

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hospitality。　　And　though　I　have　feasted　with　the　great　and
noble　of　the　worldfor　I　presume　that　I　may　call　my
excellent　friend　and　patron；　the　Right　Honourable　George
Earl　of　Bareacres；　one　of　the　numberyet　I　assure　you
that　the　board　of　the　British　merchant　was　to　the　full
as　richly　served；　and　his　reception　as　gratifying　and
noble。　　Mr。　Bluck；　sir；　we　will　resume；　if　you　please；
that　passage　of　Eutropis；　which　was　interrupted　by　the
late　arrival　of　Master　Osborne。〃
To　this　great　man　George's　education　was　for　some
time　entrusted。　　Amelia　was　bewildered　by　his　phrases；
but　thought　him　a　prodigy　of　learning。　　That　poor　widow
made　friends　of　Mrs。　Veal；　for　reasons　of　her　own。　　She
liked　to　be　in　the　house　and　see　Georgy　coming　to　school
there。　　She　liked　to　be　asked　to　Mrs。　Veal's　conversazioni；
which　took　place　once　a　month　（as　you　were　informed　on
pink　cards；　with　AOHNH　engraved　on　them）；　and　where
the　professor　welcomed　his　pupils　and　their　friends　to　weak
tea　and　scientific　conversation。　　Poor　little　Amelia　never
missed　one　of　these　entertainments　and　thought　them
delicious　so　long　as　she　might　have　Georgy　sitting　by　her。
And　she　would　walk　from　Brompton　in　any　weather；
and　embrace　Mrs。　Veal　with　tearful　gratitude　for　the
delightful　evening　she　had　passed；　when；　the　company
having　retired　and　Georgy　gone　off　with　Mr。　Rowson；　his
attendant；　poor　Mrs。　Osborne　put　on　her　cloaks　and
her　shawls　preparatory　to　walking　home。
As　for　the　learning　which　Georgy　imbibed　under　this
valuable　master　of　a　hundred　sciences；　to　judge　from
the　weekly　reports　which　the　lad　took　home　to　his
grandfather；　his　progress　was　remarkable。　　The　names　of　a
score　or　more　of　desirable　branches　of　knowledge　were
printed　in　a　table；　and　the　pupil's　progress　in　each　was
marked　by　the　professor。　　In　Greek　Georgy　was
pronounced　aristos；　in　Latin　optimus；　in　French　tres　bien；
and　so　forth；　and　everybody　had　prizes　for　everything
at　the　end　of　the　year。　　Even　Mr。　Swartz；　the　wooly…
headed　young　gentleman；　and　half…brother　to　the
Honourable　Mrs。　Mac　Mull；　and　Mr。　Bluck；　the　neglected
young　pupil　of　three…and…twenty　from　the　agricultural
district；　and　that　idle　young　scapegrace　of　a　Master　Todd
before　mentioned；　received　little　eighteen…penny　books；
with　〃Athene〃　engraved　on　them；　and　a　pompous　Latin
inscription　from　the　professor　to　his　young　friends。
The　family　of　this　Master　Todd　were　hangers…on　of
the　house　of　Osborne。　　The　old　gentleman　had　advanced
Todd　from　being　a　clerk　to　be　a　junior　partner　in　his
establishment。
Mr。　Osborne　was　the　godfather　of　young　Master　Todd
（who　in　subsequent　life　wrote　Mr。　Osborne　Todd　on　his
cards　and　became　a　man　of　decided　fashion）；　while　Miss
Osborne　had　accompanied　Miss　Maria　Todd　to　the　font；
and　gave　her　protegee　a　prayer…book；　a　collection　of
tracts；　a　volume　of　very　low　church　poetry；　or　some
such　memento　of　her　goodness　every　year。　　Miss　O。　　drove
the　Todds　out　in　her　carriage　now　and　then；　when　they
were　ill；　her　footman；　in　large　plush　smalls　and
waistcoat；　brought　jellies　and　delicacies　from　Russell　Square　to
Coram　Street。　　Coram　Street　trembled　and　looked　up　to
Russell　Square　indeed；　and　Mrs。　Todd；　who　had　a　pretty
hand　at　cutting　out　paper　trimmings　for　haunches　of
mutton；　and　could　make　flowers；　ducks；　&c。；　out　of　turnips
and　carrots　in　a　very　creditable　manner；　would　go　to　〃the
Square；〃　as　it　was　called；　and　assist　in　the　preparations
incident　to　a　great　dinner；　without　even　so　much　as
thinking　of　sitting　down　to　the　banquet。　　If　any　guest　failed　at
the　eleventh　hour；　Todd　was　asked　to　dine。　　Mrs。　Todd　and
Maria　came　across　in　the　evening；　slipped　in　with　a　muffled
knock；　and　were　in　the　drawing…room　by　the　time　Miss
Osborne　and　the　ladies　under　her　convoy　reached　that
apartmentand　ready　to　fire　off　duets　and　sing　until
the　gentlemen　came　up。　　Poor　Maria　Todd；　poor　young
lady！　　How　she　had　to　work　and　thrum　at　these　duets
and　sonatas　in　the　Street；　before　they　appeared　in　public
in　the　Square！
Thus　it　seemed　to　be　decreed　by　fate　that　Georgy
was　to　domineer　over　everybody　with　whom　he　came　in
contact；　and　that　friends；　relatives；　and　domestics　were
all　to　bow　the　knee　before　the　little　fellow。　　It　must
be　owned　that　he　accommodated　himself　very　willingly
to　this　arrangement。　　Most　people　do　so。　　And　Georgy
liked　to　play　the　part　of　master　and　perhaps　had　a
natural　aptitude　for　it。
In　Russell　Square　everybody　was　afraid　of　Mr。　Osborne；
and　Mr。　Osborne　was　afraid　of　Georgy。　　The　boy's
dashing　manners；　and　offhand　rattle　about　books　and
learning；　his　likeness　to　his　father　（dead　unreconciled　in
Brussels　yonder）　awed　the　old　gentleman　and　gave　the
young　boy　the　mastery。　　The　old　man　would　start　at
some　hereditary　feature　or　tone　unconsciously　used　by
the　little　lad；　and　fancy　that　George's　father　was　again
before　him。　　He　tried　by　indulgence　to　the　grandson　to
make　up　for　harshness　to　the　elder　George。　　People　were
surprised　at　his　gentleness　to　the　boy。　　He　growled　and
swore　at　Miss　Osborne　as　usual；　and　would　smile　when
George　came　down　late　for　breakfast。
Miss　Osborne；　George's　aunt；　was　a　faded　old　spinster；
broken　down　by　more　than　forty　years　of　dulness　and
coarse　usage。　　It　was　easy　for　a　lad　of　spirit　to　master　her。
And　whenever　George　wanted　anything　from　her；　from　the
jam…pots　in　her　cupboards　to　the　cracked　and　dry　old
colours　in　her　paint…box　（the　old　paint…box　which　she
had　had　when　she　was　a　pupil　of　Mr。　Smee　and　was
still　almost　young　and　blooming）；　Georgy　took　possession
of　the　object　of　his　desire；　which　obtained；　he　took　no
further　notice　of　his　aunt。
For　his　friends　and　cronies；　he　had　a　pompous　old
schoolmaster；　who　flattered　him；　and　a　toady；　his　senior；
whom　he　could　thrash。　　It　was　dear　Mrs。　Todd's　delight　to
leave　him　with　her　youngest　daughter；　Rosa　Jemima；　a
darling　child　of　eight　years　old。　　The　little　pair　looked　so
well　together；　she　would　say　（but　not　to　the　folks　in　〃the
Square；〃　we　may　be　sure）　〃who　knows　what　might
happen？　Don't　they　make　a　pretty　little　couple？〃　the
fond　mother　thought。
The　broken…spirited；　old；　maternal　grandfather　was
likewise　subject　to　the　little　tyrant。　　He　could　not　help
respecting　a　lad　who　had　such　fine　clothes　and　rode　with
a　groom　behind　him。　　Georgy；　on　his　side；　was　in　the
constant　habit　of　hearing　coarse　abuse　and　vulgar　satire
levelled　at　John　Sedley　by　his　pitiless　old　enemy；　Mr。
Osborne。　　Osborne　used　to　call　the　other　the　old　pauper；
the　old　coal…man；　the　old　bankrupt；　and　by　many　other
such　names　of　brutal　contumely。　　How　was　little　George
to　respect　a　man　so　prostrate？　A　few　months　after　he
was　with　his　paternal　grandfather；　Mrs。　Sedley　died。
There　had　been　little　love　between　her　and　the　child。
He　did　not　care　to　show　much　grief。　　He　came　down　to
visit　his　mother　in　a　fine　new　suit　of　mourning；　and　was
very　angry　that　he　could　not　go　to　a　play　upon　which
he　had　set　his　heart。
The　illness　of　that　old　lady　had　been　the　occupation
and　perhaps　the　safeguard　of　Amelia。　　What　do　men　know
about　women's　martyrdoms？　We　should　go　mad　had
we　to　endure　the　hundredth　part　of　those　daily　pains
which　are　meekly　borne　by　many　women。　　Ceaseless
slavery　meeting　with　no　reward；　constant　gentleness　and
kindness　met　by　cruelty　as　constant；　love；　labour；　patience；
watchfulness；　without　even　so　much　as　the　acknowledgement
of　a　good　word；　all　this；　how　many　of　them　have
to　bear　in　quiet；　and　appear　abroad　with　cheerful　faces
as　if　they　felt　nothing。　　Tender　slaves　that　they　are；　they
must　needs　be　hypocrites　and　weak。
From　her　chair　Amelia's　mother　had　taken　to　her　bed；
which　she　had　never　left；　and　from　which　Mrs。　Osborne
herself　was　never　absent　except　when　she　ran　to　see
George。　　The　old　lady　grudged　her　even　those　rare　visits；
she；　who　had　been　a　kind；　smiling；　good…natured　mother
once；　in　the　days　of　her　prosperity；　but　whom　poverty
and　infirmities　had　broken　down。　　Her　illness　or　estrangement
did　not　affect　Amelia。　　They　rather　enabled　her　to
support　the　other　calamity　under　which　she　was　suffering；
and　from　the　thoughts　of　which　she　was　kept　by　the
ceaseless　calls　of　the　invalid。　　Amelia　bore　her　harshness
quite　gently；　smoothed　the　uneasy　pillow；　was　always
ready　with　a　soft　answer　to　the　watchful；　querulous
voice；　soothed　the　sufferer　with　words　of　hope；　such　as
her　pious　simple　heart　could　best　feel　and　utter；　and
closed　the　eyes　that　had　once　looked　so　tenderly　upon
her。
Then　all　her　time　and　tenderness　were　devoted　to　the
consolation　and　comfort　of　the　bereaved　old　father；　who
was　stunned　by　the　blow　which　had　befallen　him；　and
stood　utterly　alone　in　the　world。　　His　wife；　his　honour；
his　fortune；　everything　he　loved　best　had　fallen　away
from　him。　　There　was　only　Amelia　to　stand　by　and　support
with　her　gentle　arms　the　tottering；　heart…broken　old　man。
We　are　not　going　to　write　the　history：　　it　would　be　too
dreary　and　stupid。　　I　can　see　Vanity　Fair　yawning　over　it
d'avance。
One　day　as　the　young　gentlemen　were　assembled
in　the　study　at　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Veal's；　and　the　domestic
chaplain　to　the　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Bareacres
was　spouting　away　as　usual；　a　smart　carriage　drove　up
to　the　door　decorated　wit