vanity fair(名利场)-第30节

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beautiful　existence　to　his　happiness　with　perfect　modesty
only　the　old　gentleman　was　married　already；　so　she
bestowed　her　young　affections　on　the　junior　partner。
Sweet；　blooming；　orange　flowers！　　The　other　day　I　saw
Miss　Trotter　（that　was）；　arrayed　in　them；　trip　into　the
travelling　carriage　at　St。　George's；　Hanover　Square；　and
Lord　Methuselah　hobbled　in　after。　　With　what　an　engaging
modesty　she　pulled　down　the　blinds　of　the　chariotthe
dear　innocent！　　There　were　half　the　carriages　of　Vanity
Fair　at　the　wedding。
　　
This　was　not　the　sort　of　love　that　finished　Amelia's
education；　and　in　the　course　of　a　year　turned　a　good　young
girl　into　a　good　young　womanto　be　a　good　wife
presently；　when　the　happy　time　should　come。　　This　young
person　（perhaps　it　was　very　imprudent　in　her　parents　to
encourage　her；　and　abet　her　in　such　idolatry　and　silly
romantic　ideas）　loved；　with　all　her　heart；　the　young
officer　in　His　Majesty's　service　with　whom　we　have　made　a
brief　acquaintance。　　She　thought　about　him　the　very　first
moment　on　waking；　and　his　was　the　very　last　name
mentioned　m　her　prayers。　　She　never　had　seen　a　man　so
beautiful　or　so　clever：　such　a　figure　on　horseback：　such
a　dancer：　such　a　hero　in　general。　　Talk　of　the　Prince's
bow！　what　was　it　to　George's？　She　had　seen　Mr。
Brummell；　whom　everybody　praised　so。　　Compare　such　a　person
as　that　to　her　George！　Not　amongst　all　the　beaux　at　the
Opera　（and　there　were　beaux　in　those　days　with　actual
opera　hats）　was　there　any　one　to　equal　him。　　He　was　only
good　enough　to　be　a　fairy　prince；　and　oh；　what
magnanimity　to　stoop　to　such　a　humble　Cinderella！　　Miss
Pinkerton　would　have　tried　to　check　this　blind　devotion
very　likely；　had　she　been　Amelia's　confidante；　but　not
with　much　success；　depend　upon　it。　　It　is　in　the　nature　and
instinct　of　some　women。　　Some　are　made　to　scheme；　and
some　to　love；　and　I　wish　any　respected　bachelor　that
reads　this　may　take　the　sort　that　best　likes　him。
　　
While　under　this　overpowering　impression；　Miss　Amelia
neglected　her　twelve　dear　friends　at　Chiswick　most
cruelly；　as　such　selfish　people　commonly　will　do。　　She　had
but　this　subject；　of　course；　to　think　about；　and　Miss
Saltire　was　too　cold　for　a　confidante；　and　she　couldn't
bring　her　mind　to　tell　Miss　Swartz；　the　woolly…haired
young　heiress　from　St。　Kitt's。　　She　had　little　Laura　Martin
home　for　the　holidays；　and　my　belief　is；　she　made　a
confidante　of　her；　and　promised　that　Laura　should　come
and　live　with　her　when　she　was　married；　and　gave　Laura
a　great　deal　of　information　regarding　the　passion　of
love；　which　must　have　been　singularly　useful　and　novel
to　that　little　person。　　Alas；　alas！　　I　fear　poor　Emmy　had
not　a　well…regulated　mind。
　　
What　were　her　parents　doing；　not　to　keep　this　little
heart　from　beating　so　fast？　　Old　Sedley　did　not　seem　much
to　notice　matters。　　He　was　graver　of　late；　and　his　City
affairs　absorbed　him。　　Mrs。　Sedley　was　of　so　easy　and
uninquisitive　a　nature　that　she　wasn't　even　jealous。　　Mr。
Jos　was　away；　being　besieged　by　an　Irish　widow　at
Cheltenham。　　Amelia　had　the　house　to　herselfah！　too
much　to　herself　sometimesnot　that　she　ever　doubted；
for；　to　be　sure；　George　must　be　at　the　Horse　Guards；
and　he　can't　always　get　leave　from　Chatham；　and　he　must
see　his　friends　and　sisters；　and　mingle　in　society　when
in　town　（he；　such　an　ornament　to　every　society！）；　and
when　he　is　with　the　regiment；　he　is　too　tired　to　write　long
letters。　　I　know　where　she　kept　that　packet　she　hadand
can　steal　in　and　out　of　her　chamber　like　Iachimolike
Iachimo？　　Nothat　is　a　bad　part。　　I　will　only　act
Moonshine；　and　peep　harmless　into　the　bed　where　faith　and
beauty　and　innocence　lie　dreaming。
　　
But　if　Osborne's　were　short　and　soldierlike　letters；　it
must　be　confessed；　that　were　Miss　Sedley's　letters　to　Mr。
Osborne　to　be　published；　we　should　have　to　extend　this
novel　to　such　a　multiplicity　of　volumes　as　not　the　most
sentimental　reader　could　support；　that　she　not　only　filled
sheets　of　large　paper；　but　crossed　them　with　the　most
astonishing　perverseness；　that　she　wrote　whole　pages　out
of　poetry…books　without　the　least　pity；　that　she
underlined　words　and　passages　with　quite　a　frantic　emphasis；
and；　in　fine；　gave　the　usual　tokens　of　her　condition。　　She
wasn't　a　heroine。　　Her　letters　were　full　of　repetition。　　She
wrote　rather　doubtful　grammar　sometimes；　and　in　her
verses　took　all　sorts　of　liberties　with　the　metre。　　But　oh；
mesdames；　if　you　are　not　allowed　to　touch　the　heart
sometimes　in　spite　of　syntax；　and　are　not　to　be　loved
until　you　all　know　the　difference　between　trimeter　and
tetrameter；　may　all　Poetry　go　to　the　deuce；　and　every
schoolmaster　perish　miserably！

CHAPTER　XIII
Sentimental　and　Otherwise
I　fear　the　gentleman　to　whom　Miss　Amelia's　letters　were
addressed　was　rather　an　obdurate　critic。　　Such　a　number
of　notes　followed　Lieutenant　Osborne　about　the　country；
that　he　became　almost　ashamed　of　the　jokes　of　his
mess…room　companions　regarding　them；　and　ordered　his
servant　never　to　deliver　them　except　at　his　private　apartment。
He　was　seen　lighting　his　cigar　with　one；　to　the　horror　of
Captain　Dobbin；　who；　it　is　my　belief；　would　have　given
a　bank…note　for　the　document。
　　
For　some　time　George　strove　to　keep　the　liaison　a
secret。　　There　was　a　woman　in　the　case；　that　he　admitted。
〃And　not　the　first　either；〃　said　Ensign　Spooney　to　Ensign
Stubble。　　〃That　Osborne's　a　devil　of　a　fellow。　　There　was　a
judge's　daughter　at　Demerara　went　almost　mad　about
him；　then　there　was　that　beautiful　quadroon　girl；　Miss
Pye；　at　St。　Vincent's；　you　know；　and　since　he's　been
home；　they　say　he's　a　regular　Don　Giovanni；　by　Jove。〃
　　
Stubble　and　Spooney　thought　that　to　be　a　〃regular
Don　Giovanni；　by　Jove〃　was　one　of　the　finest　qualities　a
man　could　possess；　and　Osborne's　reputation　was
prodigious　amongst　the　young　men　of　the　regiment。　　He
was　famous　in　field…sports；　famous　at　a　song；　famous　on
parade；　free　with　his　money；　which　was　bountifully
supplied　by　his　father。　　His　coats　were　better　made　than
any　man's　in　the　regiment；　and　he　had　more　of　them。　　He
was　adored　by　the　men。　　He　could　drink　more　than　any
officer　of　the　whole　mess；　including　old　Heavytop；　the
colonel。　　He　could　spar　better　than　Knuckles；　the　private
（who　would　have　been　a　corporal　but　for　his　drunkenness；
and　who　had　been　in　the　prize…ring）；　and　was　the　best
batter　and　bowler；　out　and　out；　of　the　regimental　club。
He　rode　his　own　horse；　Greased　Lightning；　and　won　the
Garrison　cup　at　Quebec　races。　　There　were　other　people
besides　Amelia　who　worshipped　him。　　Stubble　and
Spooney　thought　him　a　sort　of　Apollo；　Dobbin　took　him
to　be　an　Admirable　Crichton；　and　Mrs。　Major　O'Dowd
acknowledged　he　was　an　elegant　young　fellow；　and　put
her　in　mind　of　Fitzjurld　Fogarty；　Lord　Castlefogarty's
second　son。
　　
Well；　Stubble　and　Spooney　and　the　rest　indulged　in
most　romantic　conjectures　regarding　this　female
correspondent　of　Osborne'sopining　that　it　was　a　Duchess　in
London　who　was　in　love　with　himor　that　it　was　a
General's　daughter；　who　was　engaged　to　somebody　else；
and　madly　attached　to　himor　that　it　was　a　Member　of
Parliament's　lady；　who　proposed　four　horses　and　an
elopementor　that　it　was　some　other　victim　of　a　passion
delightfully　exciting；　romantic；　and　disgraceful　to　all
parties；　on　none　of　which　conjectures　would　Osborne　throw
the　least　light；　leaving　his　young　admirers　and　friends　to
invent　and　arrange　their　whole　history。
　　
And　the　real　state　of　the　case　would　never　have　been
known　at　all　in　the　regiment　but　for　Captain　Dobbin's
indiscretion。　　The　Captain　was　eating　his　breakfast　one
day　in　the　mess…room；　while　Cackle；　the　assistant…surgeon；
and　the　two　above…named　worthies　were　speculating　upon
Osborne's　intrigueStubble　holding　out　that　the　lady
was　a　Duchess　about　Queen　Charlotte's　court；　and　Cackle
vowing　she　was　an　opera…singer　of　the　worst　reputation。
At　this　idea　Dobbin　became　so　moved；　that　though　his
mouth　was　full　of　eggs　and　bread…and…butter　at　the　time；
and　though　he　ought　not　to　have　spoken　at　all；　yet　he
couldn't　help　blurting　out；　〃Cackle；　you're　a　stupid　fool。
You're　always　talking　nonsense　and　scandal。　　Osborne　is
not　going　to　run　off　with　a　Duchess　or　ruin　a　milliner。
Miss　Sedley　is　one　of　the　most　charming　young　women
that　ever　lived。　　He's　been　engaged　to　her　ever　so　long；
and　the　man　who　calls　her　names　had　better　not　do　so
in　my　hearing。〃　With　which；　turning　exceedingly　red；
Dobbin　ceased　speaking；　and　almost　choked　himself　with
a　cup　of　tea。　　The　story　was　over　the　regiment　in　half…an…
hour；　and　that　very　evening　Mrs。　Major　O'Dowd　wrote
off　to　her　sister　Glorvina　at　O'Dowdstown　not　to　hurry
from　Dublinyoung　Osborne　being　prematurely　engaged
already。
　　
She　complimented　the　Lieutenant　in　an　appropriate
speech　over　a　glass　of　whisky…toddy　that　evening；　and　he
went　home　perfectly　furious　to　quarrel　with　Dobbin　（who
had　declined　Mrs。　Major　O'Dowd's　party；　and　sat　in　his
own　room　playing　the　flute；　and；　I　believe；　writing　poetry
in　a　very　melancholy　manner）to　quarrel　with　Dobbin
for　betraying　his　secret。
　　
〃Who　the　deuce　asked　you　to　talk　about　my　affairs？〃
Osborne　shouted　indignantly。　　〃Why　the　devil　is　all　the
regiment　to　know　th