vanity fair(名利场)-第158章

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The　solicitor　of　the　insurance　company　swore　it　was
the　blackest　case　that　ever　had　come　before　him；　talked
of　sending　a　commission　to　Aix　to　examine　into　the　death；
and　the　Company　refused　payment　of　the　policy。　　But
Mrs。；　or　Lady　Crawley；　as　she　styled　herself；　came　to
town　at　once　（attended　with　her　solicitors；　Messrs。　　Burke；
Thurtell；　and　Hayes；　of　Thavies　Inn）　and　dared　the
Company　to　refuse　the　payment。　　They　invited　examination；
they　declared　that　she　was　the　object　of　an　infamous
conspiracy；　which　had　been　pursuing　her　all　through　life；
and　triumphed　finally。　　The　money　was　paid；　and　her
character　established；　but　Colonel　Dobbin　sent　back　his　share
of　the　legacy　to　the　insurance　office　and　rigidly　declined　to
hold　any　communication　with　Rebecca
She　never　was　Lady　Crawley；　though　she　continued　so
to　call　herself。　　His　Excellency　Colonel　Rawdon　Crawley
died　of　yellow　fever　at　Coventry　Island；　most　deeply
beloved　and　deplored；　and　six　weeks　before　the　demise　of
his　brother；　Sir　Pitt。　　The　estate　consequently　devolved
upon　the　present　Sir　Rawdon　Crawley；　Bart。
He；　too；　has　declined　to　see　his　mother；　to　whom　he
makes　a　liberal　allowance；　and　who；　besides；　appears　to
be　very　wealthy。　　The　Baronet　lives　entirely　at　Queen's
Crawley；　with　Lady　Jane　and　her　daughter；　whilst　Rebecca；
Lady　Crawley；　chiefly　hangs　about　Bath　and　Cheltenham；
where　a　very　strong　party　of　excellent　people
consider　her　to　be　a　most　injured　woman。　　She　has　her
enemies。　　Who　has　not？　Her　life　is　her　answer　to　them。
She　busies　herself　in　works　of　piety。　　She　goes　to　church；
and　never　without　a　footman。　　Her　name　is　in　all　the
Charity　Lists。　　The　destitute　orange…girl；　the　neglected
washerwoman；　the　distressed　muffin…man　find　in　her　a
fast　and　generous　friend。　　She　is　always　having　stalls　at
Fancy　Fairs　for　the　benefit　of　these　hapless　beings。　　Emmy；
her　children；　and　the　Colonel；　coming　to　London　some
time　back；　found　themselves　suddenly　before　her　at　one
of　these　fairs。　　She　cast　down　her　eyes　demurely　and
smiled　as　they　started　away　from　her；　Emmy　scurrying
off　on　the　arm　of　George　（now　grown　a　dashing　young
gentleman）　and　the　Colonel　seizing　up　his　little　Janey；
of　whom　he　is　fonder　than　of　anything　in　the　world
fonder　even　than　of　his　History　of　the　Punjaub。
〃Fonder　than　he　is　of　me；〃　Emmy　thinks　with　a　sigh
But　he　never　said　a　word　to　Amelia　that　was　not　kind　and
gentle；　or　thought　of　a　want　of　hers　that　he　did　not　try　to
gratify。
Ah！　　Vanitas　Vanitatum！　　which　of　us　is　happy　in　this
world？　Which　of　us　has　his　desire？　or；　having　it；　is　satisfied？
come；　children；　let　us　shut　up　the　box　and　the　puppets；
for　our　play　is　played　out。


End　
XFIR驗MZ�