she stands accused(她是被告)-第27节
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bellman said； urging her to take it to heart。 Sarah said she did； and threw
the bellman down a shilling with which to buy himself a pint of wine。
Sarah； as we have seen； was denied the honour of procession to Tyburn。
Her sentence was that she was to be hanged in Fleet Street； opposite the
Mitre Court； on the 7th of March； 1733。 And hanged she was
accordingly。 She fainted in the tumbril； and took some time to recover。
Her last words were exemplary in their piety； but in the face of her
vindictive lying； unretracted to the last； it were hardly exemplary to repeat
them。
She was buried in the churchyard of St Sepulchre's。
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V： ALMOST A LADY＇27＇
＇27＇ Thanks to my friend Billy Bennett； of music…hall fame； for his
hint for the chapter title。
Born （probably illegitimately） in a fisherman's cottage； reared in a
workhouse； employed in a brothel； won at cards by a royal duke； mistress
of that duke； married to a baron； received at Court by three kings （though
not much in the way of kings）； accused of cozenage and tacitly of murder；
died full of piety； ‘cutting up' for close on L150；000there； as it were in a
nutshell； you have the life of Sophie Dawes； Baronne de Feucheres。
In the introduction to her exhaustive and accomplished biography of
Sophie Dawes；＇28＇ from which a part of the matter for this resume is
drawn； Mme Violette Montagu； speaking of the period in which Sophie
lived； says that ‘‘Paris； with its fabulous wealth and luxury； seems to have
been looked upon as a sort of Mecca by handsome Englishwomen with
ambition and； what is absolutely necessary if they wish to be really
successful； plenty of brains。''
＇28＇ Sophie Dawes； Queen of Chantilly （John Lane； 1912）。
It is because Sophie had plenty of brains of a sort； besides the
attributes of good looks； health； and by much a disproportionate share of
determination； and because； with all that she attained to； she died quite
ostracized by the people with whom it had been her life's ambition to mix；
and was thus in a sense a failureit is because of these things that it is
worth while going into details of her career； expanding the precis with
which this chapter begins。
Among the women selected as subjects for this book Sophie Dawes as
a personality wins ‘hands down。' Whether she was a criminal or not is a
question even now in dispute。 Unscrupulous she certainly was； and a
good deal of a rogue。 That modern American product the ‘gold…digger' is
what she herself would call a ‘piker' compared with the subject of this
chapter。 The blonde bombshell； with her ‘sugar daddy；' her alimony
‘racket；' and the hundred hard…boiled dodges wherewith she chisels money
and goods from her prey； is； again in her own crude phraseology； ‘knocked
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for a row of ash…cans' by Sophie Dawes。 As； I think； you will presently
see。
Sophie was born at St Helens； Isle of Wightaccording to herself in
1792。 There is controversy on the matter。 Mme Montagu in her book
says that some of Sophie's biographers put the date at 1790； or even 1785。
But Mme Montagu herself reproduces the list of wearing apparel with
which Sophie was furnished when she left the ‘house of industry' （the
workhouse）。 It is dated 1805。 In those days children were not
maintained in poor institutions to the mature ages of fifteen or twenty。
They were supposed to be armed against life's troubles at twelve or even
younger。 Sophie； then； could hardly have been born before 1792； but is
quite likely to have been born later。
The name of Sophie's father is given as ‘‘Daw。'' Like many another
celebrity； as； for example； Walter Raleigh and Shakespeare； Sophie spelled
her name variously； though ultimately she fixed on ‘‘Dawes。'' Richard；
or Dickey； Daw was a fisherman for appearance sake and a smuggler for
preference。 The question of Sophie's legitimacy anses from the fact that
her mother； Jane Callaway； was registered at death as ‘‘a spinster。''
Sophie was one of ten children。 Dickey Daw drank his family into the
poorhouse； an institution which sent Sophie to fend for herself in 1805；
procuring her a place as servant at a farm on the island。
Service on a farm does not appear to have appealed to Sophie。 She
escaped to Portsmouth； where she found a job as hotel chambermaid。
Tiring of that； she went to London and became a milliner's assistant。 A
little affair we hear； in which a mere water…carrier was an equal participant；
lost Sophie her place。 We next have word of her imitating Nell Gwynn；
both in selling oranges to playgoers and in becoming an actressnot；
however； at Old Drury； but at the other patent theatre； Covent Garden。
Save that as a comedian she never took London by storm； and that she
lacked Nell's unfailing good humour； Sophie in her career matches Nell in
more than superficial particulars。 Between selling oranges and appearing
on the stage Sophie seems to have touched bottom for a time in poverty。
But her charms as an actress captivated an officer by and by； and she was
established as his mistress in a house at Turnham Green。 Tiring of her
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after a timeSophie； it is probable； became exigeant with increased
comforther protector left her with an annuity of L50。
The annuity does not appear to have done Sophie much good。 We
next hear of her as servant…maid in a Piccadilly brothel； a lupanar much
patronized by wealthy emigres from France； among whom was Louis…
Henri…Joseph； Duc de Bourbon and later Prince de Conde； a man at that
time of about fifty…four。
The Duc's attention was directed to the good looks of Sophie by a
manservant of his。 Mme Montagu says of Sophie at this time that ‘‘her
face had already lost the first bloom of youth and innocence。'' Now； one
wonders if that really was so； or if Mme Montagu is making a shot at a
hazard。 She describes Sophie a little earlier than this as having
developed into a fine young woman； not exactly pretty or handsome；
but she held her head gracefully； and her regular features were illumined
by a pair of remarkably bright and intelligent eyes。 She was tall and
squarely built； with legs and arms which might have served as models for
a statue of Hercules。 Her muscular force was extraordinary。 Her lips
were rather thin； and she had an ugly habit of contracting them when she
was angry。 Her intelligence was above the average； and she had a good
share of wit。
At the time when the Duc de Bourbon came upon her in the
Piccadilly stew the girl was probably no more than eighteen。 If one may
judge her character from the events of her subsequent career there was an
outstanding resiliency and a resoluteness as main ingredients of her make…
up； qualities which would go a long way to obviating any marks that might
otherwise have been left on her by the ups and downs of a mere five years
in the world。 If； moreover； Mme Montagu's description of her is a true
one it is clear that Sophie's good looks were not of the sort to make an all…
round appeal。 The ways in which attractiveness goes； both in men and in
women； are infinite in their variety。 The reader may recall； in this respect；
what was said in the introductory chapter about Kate Webster and the
instance of the bewhiskered 'Fina of the Spanish tavern。 And since a
look of innocence and the bloom of youth may； and very often do； appear
on the faces of individuals who are far from being innocent or even young；
