vanity fair(名利场)-第161节

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society　（Jos　bowed　at　this　compliment）；　but；　the　Major
pointed　out；　how　advantageous　it　would　be　for　Jos　Sedley
to　have　a　house　of　his　own　in　London；　and　not　a
mere　bachelor's　establishment　as　before；　how　his　sister
Amelia　would　be　the　very　person　to　preside　over　it；　how
elegant；　how　gentle　she　was；　and　of　what　refined　good
manners。　　He　recounted　stories　of　the　success　which　Mrs。
George　Osborne　had　had　in　former　days　at　Brussels；　and
in　London；　where　she　was　much　admired　by　people　of
very　great　fashion；　and　he　then　hinted　how　becoming　it
would　be　for　Jos　to　send　Georgy　to　a　good　school　and
make　a　man　of　him；　for　his　mother　and　her　parents
would　be　sure　to　spoil　him。　　In　a　word；　this　artful　Major
made　the　civilian　promise　to　take　charge　of　Amelia　and
her　unprotected　child。　　He　did　not　know　as　yet　what
events　had　happened　in　the　little　Sedley　family；　and　how
death　had　removed　the　mother；　and　riches　had　carried
off　George　from　Amelia。　　But　the　fact　is　that　every　day
and　always；　this　love…smitten　and　middle…aged　gentleman
was　thinking　about　Mrs。　Osborne；　and　his　whole　heart
was　bent　upon　doing　her　good。　　He　coaxed；　wheedled；
cajoled；　and　complimented　Jos　Sedley　with　a　perseverance
and　cordiality　of　which　he　was　not　aware　himself；
very　likely；　but　some　men　who　have　unmarried　sisters
or　daughters　even；　may　remember　how　uncommonly
agreeable　gentlemen　are　to　the　male　relations　when　they
are　courting　the　females；　and　perhaps　this　rogue　of　a
Dobbin　was　urged　by　a　similar　hypocrisy。
The　truth　is；　when　Major　Dobbin　came　on　board　the
Ramchumder；　very　sick；　and　for　the　three　days　she　lay
in　the　Madras　Roads；　he　did　not　begin　to　rally；　nor　did
even　the　appearance　and　recognition　of　his　old　acquaintance；
Mr。　Sedley；　on　board　much　cheer　him；　until　after　a
conversation　which　they　had　one　day；　as　the　Major　was
laid　languidly　on　the　deck。　　He　said　then　he　thought　he
was　doomed；　he　had　left　a　little　something　to　his　godson
in　his　will；　and　he　trusted　Mrs。　Osborne　would　remember
him　kindly　and　be　happy　in　the　marriage　she　was
about　to　make。　　〃Married？　not　the　least；〃　Jos　answered；
〃he　had　heard　from　her：　　she　made　no　mention　of　the
marriage；　and　by　the　way；　it　was　curious；　she　wrote　to
say　that　Major　Dobbin　was　going　to　be　married；　and
hoped　that　HE　would　be　happy。〃　What　were　the　dates　of
Sedley's　letters　from　Europe？　The　civilian　fetched　them。
They　were　two　months　later　than　the　Major's；　and　the
ship's　surgeon　congratulated　himself　upon　the　treatment
adopted　by　him　towards　his　new　patient；　who　had　been
consigned　to　shipboard　by　the　Madras　practitioner　with
very　small　hopes　indeed；　for；　from　that　day；　the　very
day　that　he　changed　the　draught；　Major　Dobbin　began
to　mend。　　And　thus　it　was　that　deserving　officer；　Captain
Kirk；　was　disappointed　of　his　majority。
After　they　passed　St。　　Helena；　Major　Dobbin's　gaiety
and　strength　was　such　as　to　astonish　all　his　fellow
passengers。　　He　larked　with　the　midshipmen；　played　single…
stick　with　the　mates；　ran　up　the　shrouds　like　a　boy；　sang
a　comic　song　one　night　to　the　amusement　of　the　whole
party　assembled　over　their　grog　after　supper；　and
rendered　himself　so　gay；　lively；　and　amiable　that　even
Captain　Bragg；　who　thought　there　was　nothing　in　his
passenger；　and　considered　he　was　a　poor…spirited　feller　at
first；　was　constrained　to　own　that　the　Major　was　a
reserved　but　well…informed　and　meritorious　officer。　　〃He
ain't　got　distangy　manners；　dammy；〃　Bragg　observed　to
his　first　mate；　〃he　wouldn't　do　at　Government　House；
Roper；　where　his　Lordship　and　Lady　William　was　as　kind
to　me；　and　shook　hands　with　me　before　the　whole
company；　and　asking　me　at　dinner　to　take　beer　with　him；
before　the　Commander…in…Chief　himself；　he　ain't　got
manners；　but　there's　something　about　him〃　And　thus
Captain　Bragg　showed　that　he　possessed　discrimination
as　a　man；　as　well　as　ability　as　a　commander。
But　a　calm　taking　place　when　the　Ramchunder　was
within　ten　days'　sail　of　England；　Dobbin　became　so
impatient　and　ill…humoured　as　to　surprise　those　comrades
who　had　before　admired　his　vivacity　and　good　temper。
He　did　not　recover　until　the　breeze　sprang　up　again；　and
was　in　a　highly　excited　state　when　the　pilot　came　on
board。　　Good　God；　how　his　heart　beat　as　the　two　friendly
spires　of　Southampton　came　in　sight。

CHAPTER　LVIII
Our　Friend　the　Major
Our　Major　had　rendered　himself　so　popular　on　board
the　Ramchunder　that　when　he　and　Mr。　Sedley　descended
into　the　welcome　shore…boat　which　was　to　take　them
from　the　ship；　the　whole　crew；　men　and　officers；　the
great　Captain　Bragg　himself　leading　off；　gave　three　cheers
for　Major　Dobbin；　who　blushed　very　much　and　ducked
his　head　in　token　of　thanks。　　Jos；　who　very　likely　thought
the　cheers　were　for　himself；　took　off　his　gold…laced　cap
and　waved　it　majestically　to　his　friends；　and　they　were
pulled　to　shore　and　landed　with　great　dignity　at　the　pier；
whence　they　proceeded　to　the　Royal　George　Hotel。
Although　the　sight　of　that　magnificent　round　of　beef；
and　the　silver　tankard　suggestive　of　real　British　home…
brewed　ale　and　porter；　which　perennially　greet　the　eyes
of　the　traveller　returning　from　foreign　parts　who　enters
the　coffee…room　of　the　George；　are　so　invigorating　and
delightful　that　a　man　entering　such　a　comfortable　snug
homely　English　inn　might　well　like　to　stop　some　days
there；　yet　Dobbin　began　to　talk　about　a　post…chaise
instantly；　and　was　no　sooner　at　Southampton　than　he
wished　to　be　on　the　road　to　London。　　Jos；　however；　would
not　hear　of　moving　that　evening。　　Why　was　he　to　pass　a
night　in　a　post…chaise　instead　of　a　great　large　undulating
downy　feather…bed　which　was　there　ready　to　replace
the　horrid　little　narrow　crib　in　which　the　portly　Bengal
gentleman　had　been　confined　during　the　voyage？　He
could　not　think　of　moving　till　his　baggage　was　cleared；
or　of　travelling　until　he　could　do　so　with　his　chillum。　　So
the　Major　was　forced　to　wait　over　that　night；　and
dispatched　a　letter　to　his　family　announcing　his　arrival；
entreating　from　Jos　a　promise　to　write　to　his　own
friends。　　Jos　promised；　but　didn't　keep　his　promise。　　The
Captain；　the　surgeon；　and　one　or　two　passengers　came
and　dined　with　our　two　gentlemen　at　the　inn；　Jos　exerting
himself　in　a　sumptuous　way　in　ordering　the　dinner
and　promising　to　go　to　town　the　next　day　with　the　Major。
The　landlord　said　it　did　his　eyes　good　to　see　Mr。　Sedley
take　off　his　first　pint　of　porter。　　If　I　had　time　and　dared
to　enter　into　digressions；　I　would　write　a　chapter　about
that　first　pint　of　porter　drunk　upon　English　ground。　　Ah；
how　good　it　is！　　It　is　worth…while　to　leave　home　for　a
year；　just　to　enjoy　that　one　draught。
Major　Dobbin　made　his　appearance　the　next　morning
very　neatly　shaved　and　dressed；　according　to　his　wont。
Indeed；　it　was　so　early　in　the　morning　that　nobody　was
up　in　the　house　except　that　wonderful　Boots　of　an　inn
who　never　seems　to　want　sleep；　and　the　Major　could
hear　the　snores　of　the　various　inmates　of　the　house　roaring
through　the　corridors　as　he　creaked　about　in　those
dim　passages。　　Then　the　sleepless　Boots　went　shirking
round　from　door　to　door；　gathering　up　at　each　the
Bluchers；　Wellingtons；　Oxonians；　which　stood　outside。　　Then
Jos's　native　servant　arose　and　began　to　get　ready　his
master's　ponderous　dressing　apparatus　and　prepare　his
hookah；　then　the　maidservants　got　up；　and　meeting　the
dark　man　in　the　passages；　shrieked；　and　mistook　him　for
the　devil。　　He　and　Dobbin　stumbled　over　their　pails　in
the　passages　as　they　were　scouring　the　decks　of　the
Royal　George。　　When　the　first　unshorn　waiter　appeared
and　unbarred　the　door　of　the　inn；　the　Major　thought　that
the　time　for　departure　was　arrived；　and　ordered　a　post…
chaise　to　be　fetched　instantly；　that　they　might　set　off。
He　then　directed　his　steps　to　Mr。　Sedley's　room　and
opened　the　curtains　of　the　great　large　family　bed　wherein
Mr。　Jos　was　snoring。　　〃Come；　up！　　Sedley；〃　the　Major
said；　〃it's　time　to　be　off；　the　chaise　will　be　at　the　door　in
half　an　hour。〃
Jos　growled　from　under　the　counterpane　to　know
what　the　time　was；　but　when　he　at　last　extorted　from　the
blushing　Major　（who　never　told　fibs；　however　they　might
be　to　his　advantage）　what　was　the　real　hour　of　the
morning；　he　broke　out　into　a　volley　of　bad　language；　which
we　will　not　repeat　here；　but　by　which　he　gave　Dobbin　to
understand　that　he　would　jeopardy　his　soul　if　he　got　up
at　that　moment；　that　the　Major　might　go　and　be　hanged；
that　he　would　not　travel　with　Dobbin；　and　that　it　was
most　unkind　and　ungentlemanlike　to　disturb　a　man　out
of　his　sleep　in　that　way；　on　which　the　discomfited　Major
was　obliged　to　retreat；　leaving　Jos　to　resume　his
interrupted　slumbers。
The　chaise　came　up　presently；　and　the　Major　would
wait　no　longer。
If　he　had　been　an　English　nobleman　travelling　on　a
pleasure　tour；　or　a　newspaper　courier　bearing　dispatches
（government　messages　are　generally　carried　much　more
quietly）；　he　could　not　have　travelled　more　quickly。　　The
post…boys　wondered　at　the　fees　he　flung　amongst　them。
How　happy　and　green　the　country　looked　as　the　chaise
whirled　rapidly　from　mile…stone　to　mile…stone；　through
neat　country　towns　where　landlords　came　out　to
welcome　him　with　smiles　and　bows；　by　pretty　roadside　i