vanity fair(名利场)-第84章

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to　the　heart；　and　the　landlord　got　ready　his　best　apartments
previous　to　the　return　of　the　fascinating　little
woman　and　her　husband。　　He　serred　the　trunks　which
she　left　in　his　charge　with　the　greatest　care。　　They　had　been
especially　recommended　to　him　by　Madame　Crawley。　　They
were　not；　however；　found　to　be　particularly　valuable
when　opened　some　time　after。
But　before　she　went　to　join　her　husband　in　the　Belgic
capital；　Mrs。　Crawley　made　an　expedition　into　England；
leaving　behind　her　her　little　son　upon　the　continent；
under　the　care　of　her　French　maid。
The　parting　between　Rebecca　and　the　little　Rawdon　did
not　cause　either　party　much　pain。　　She　had　not；　to　say
truth；　seen　much　of　the　young　gentleman　since　his　birth。
After　the　amiable　fashion　of　French　mothers；　she　had
placed　him　out　at　nurse　in　a　village　in　the　neighbourhood
of　Paris；　where　little　Rawdon　passed　the　first　months　of
his　life；　not　unhappily；　with　a　numerous　family　of
foster…brothers　in　wooden　shoes。　　His　father　would　ride　over
many　a　time　to　see　him　here；　and　the　elder　Rawdon's
paternal　heart　glowed　to　see　him　rosy　and　dirty；
shouting　lustily；　and　happy　in　the　making　of　mud…pies
under　the　superintendence　of　the　gardener's　wife；　his
nurse。
Rebecca　did　not　care　much　to　go　and　see　the　son
and　heir。　　Once　he　spoiled　a　new　dove…coloured　pelisse
of　hers。　　He　preferred　his　nurse's　caresses　to　his　mamma's；
and　when　finally　he　quitted　that　jolly　nurse　and　almost
parent；　he　cried　loudly　for　hours。　　He　was　only　consoled
by　his　mother's　promise　that　he　should　return　to　his　nurse
the　next　day；　indeed　the　nurse　herself；　who　probably
would　have　been　pained　at　the　parting　too；　was　told　that
the　child　would　immediately　be　restored　to　her；　and　for
some　time　awaited　quite　anxiously　his　return。
In　fact；　our　friends　may　be　said　to　have　been　among
the　first　of　that　brood　of　hardy　English　adventurers　who
have　subsequently　invaded　the　Continent　and　swindled
in　all　the　capitals　of　Europe。　　The　respect　in　those　happy
days　of　1817…18　was　very　great　for　the　wealth　and
honour　of　Britons。　　They　had　not　then　learned；　as　I　am
told；　to　haggle　for　bargains　with　the　pertinacity　which
now　distinguishes　them。　　The　great　cities　of　Europe　had
not　been　as　yet　open　to　the　enterprise　of　our　rascals。
And　whereas　there　is　now　hardly　a　town　of　France　or
Italy　in　which　you　shall　not　see　some　noble　countryman
of　our　own；　with　that　happy　swagger　and　insolence
of　demeanour　which　we　carry　everywhere；　swindling
inn…landlords；　passing　fictitious　cheques　upon　credulous
bankers；　robbing　coach…makers　of　their　carriages；　goldsmiths
of　their　trinkets；　easy　travellers　of　their　money　at　cards；
even　public　libraries　of　their　booksthirty　years　ago　you
needed　but　to　be　a　Milor　Anglais；　travelling　in　a　private
carriage；　and　credit　was　at　your　hand　wherever　you　chose
to　seek　it；　and　gentlemen；　instead　of　cheating；　were
cheated。　　It　was　not　for　some　weeks　after　the　Crawleys'
departure　that　the　landlord　of　the　hotel　which　they
occupied　during　their　residence　at　Paris　found　out　the　losses
which　he　had　sustained：　　not　until　Madame　Marabou；　the
milliner；　made　repeated　visits　with　her　little　bill　for
articles　supplied　to　Madame　Crawley；　not　until　Monsieur
Didelot　from　Boule　d'Or　in　the　Palais　Royal　had　asked
half　a　dozen　times　whether　cette　charmante　Miladi　who
had　bought　watches　and　bracelets　of　him　was　de　retour。
It　is　a　fact　that　even　the　poor　gardener's　wife；　who
had　nursed　madame's　child；　was　never　paid　after　the
first　six　months　for　that　supply　of　the　milk　of　human
kindness　with　which　she　had　furnished　the　lusty　and
healthy　little　Rawdon。　　No；　not　even　the　nurse　was　paid
the　Crawleys　were　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　remember
their　trifling　debt　to　her。　　As　for　the　landlord　of　the　hotel；
his　curses　against　the　English　nation　were　violent　for　the
rest　of　his　natural　life。　　He　asked　all　travellers　whether
they　knew　a　certain　Colonel　Lor　Crawleyavec　sa
femme　une　petite　dame；　tres　spirituelle。　　〃Ah；
Monsieur！〃　he　would　add〃ils　m'ont　affreusement　vole。〃　It
was　melancholy　to　hear　his　accents　as　he　spoke　of　that
catastrophe。
Rebecca's　object　in　her　journey　to　London　was　to
effect　a　kind　of　compromise　with　her　husband's　numerous
creditors；　and　by　offering　them　a　dividend　of　ninepence
or　a　shilling　in　the　pound；　to　secure　a　return　for　him　into
his　own　country。　　It　does　not　become　us　to　trace　the　steps
which　she　took　in　the　conduct　of　this　most　difficult
negotiation；　but；　having　shown　them　to　their　satisfaction
that　the　sum　which　she　was　empowered　to　offer　was　all
her　husband's　available　capital；　and　having　convinced
them　that　Colonel　Crawley　would　prefer　a　perpetual
retirement　on　the　Continent　to　a　residence　in　this　country
with　his　debts　unsettled；　having　proved　to　them　that　there
was　no　possibility　of　money　accruing　to　him　from　other
quarters；　and　no　earthly　chance　of　their　getting　a　larger
dividend　than　that　which　she　was　empowered　to　offer；
she　brought　the　Colonel's　creditors　unanimously　to
accept　her　proposals；　and　purchased　with　fifteen　hundred
pounds　of　ready　money　more　than　ten　times　that　amount
of　debts。
Mrs。　Crawley　employed　no　lawyer　in　the　transaction。
The　matter　was　so　simple；　to　have　or　to　leave；　as　she
justly　observed；　that　she　made　the　lawyers　of　the
creditors　themselves　do　the　business。　　And　Mr。　Lewis
representing　Mr。　Davids；　of　Red　Lion　Square；　and　Mr。　Moss
acting　for　Mr。　Manasseh　of　Cursitor　Street　（chief
creditors　of　the　Colonel's）；　complimented　his　lady　upon　the
brilliant　way　in　which　she　did　business；　and　declared
that　there　was　no　professional　man　who　could　beat　her。
Rebecca　received　their　congratulations　with　perfect
modesty；　ordered　a　bottle　of　sherry　and　a　bread　cake
to　the　little　dingy　lodgings　where　she　dwelt；　while
conducting　the　business；　to　treat　the　enemy's　lawyers：
shook　hands　with　them　at　parting；　in　excellent　good
humour；　and　returned　straightway　to　the　Continent；　to
rejoin　her　husband　and　son　and　acquaint　the　former
with　the　glad　news　of　his　entire　liberation。　　As　for　the
latter；　he　had　been　considerably　neglected　during　his
mother's　absence　by　Mademoiselle　Genevieve；　her　French
maid；　for　that　young　woman；　contracting　an　attachment
for　a　soldier　in　the　garrison　of　Calais；　forgot　her　charge
in　the　society　of　this　militaire；　and　little　Rawdon　very
narrowly　escaped　drowning　on　Calais　sands　at　this
period；　where　the　absent　Genevieve　had　left　and　lost
him。
And　so；　Colonel　and　Mrs。　Crawley　came　to　London：
and　it　is　at　their　house　in　Curzon　Street；　May　Fair；　that
they　really　showed　the　skill　which　must　be　possessed　by
those　who　would　live　on　the　resources　above　named。

CHAPTER　XXXVII
The　Subject　Continued
In　the　first　place；　and　as　a　matter　of　the　greatest
necessity；　we　are　bound　to　describe　how　a　house
may　be　got　for　nothing　a　year。　　These　mansions
are　to　be　had　either　unfurnished；　where；　if　you
have　credit　with　Messrs。　　Gillows　or　Bantings；　you
can　get　them　splendidly　montees　and　decorated
entirely　according　to　your　own　fancy；　or　they　are
to　be　let　furnished；　a　less　troublesome　and
complicated　arrangement　to　most　parties。　　It　was　so
that　Crawley　and　his　wife　preferred　to　hire　their　house。
Before　Mr。　Bowls　came　to　preside　over　Miss　Crawley's
house　and　cellar　in　Park　Lane；　that　lady　had　had
for　a　butler　a　Mr。　Raggles；　who　was　born　on　the　family
estate　of　Queen's　Crawley；　and　indeed　was　a　younger
son　of　a　gardener　there。　　By　good　conduct；　a　handsome
person　and　calves；　and　a　grave　demeanour；　Raggles　rose
from　the　knife…board　to　the　footboard　of　the　carriage；
from　the　footboard　to　the　butler's　pantry。　　When　he　had
been　a　certain　number　of　years　at　the　head　of　Miss
Crawley's　establishment；　where　he　had　had　good　wages；
fat　perquisites；　and　plenty　of　opportunities　of　saving；　he
announced　that　he　was　about　to　contract　a　matrimonial
alliance　with　a　late　cook　of　Miss　Crawley's；　who　had
subsisted　in　an　honourable　manner　by　the　exercise　of　a
mangle；　and　the　keeping　of　a　small　greengrocer's　shop　in
the　neighbourhood。　　The　truth　is；　that　the　ceremony　had
been　clandestinely　performed　some　years　back；　although
the　news　of　Mr。　Raggles'　marriage　was　first　brought　to
Miss　Crawley　by　a　little　boy　and　girl　of　seven　and　eight
years　of　age；　whose　continual　presence　in　the　kitchen
had　attracted　the　attention　of　Miss　Briggs。
Mr。　Raggles　then　retired　and　personally　undertook　the
superintendence　of　the　small　shop　and　the　greens。　　He
added　milk　and　cream；　eggs　and　country…fed　pork　to　his
stores；　contenting　himself　whilst　other　retired　butlers
were　vending　spirits　in　public　houses；　by　dealing　in　the
simplest　country　produce。　　And　having　a　good　connection
amongst　the　butlers　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　a
snug　back　parlour　where　he　and　Mrs。　Raggles　received
them；　his　milk；　cream；　and　eggs　got　to　be　adopted　by
many　of　the　fraternity；　and　his　profits　increased　every
year。　　Year　after　year　he　quietly　and　modestly　amassed
money；　and　when　at　length　that　snug　and　complete　bachelor's
　residence　at　No。　　201；　Curzon　Street；　May　Fair；　lately
the　residence　of　the　Honourable　Frederick　Deuceace；
gone　abroad；　with　its　rich　and　appropriate　furniture　by
the　first　makers；　was　brought　to　the　hammer；　who　should
go　in　and　purchase　the　lease　and　furniture　of　the　house
but　Charles　Raggles？　A　part　of　the　money　he　borrowed；　it
is　true；　and　at　rather　a　high　interest；　from　a　brother
butler；　but　the　chief　part　he　paid　down；　and　it　was　with
no　small　pride　that　Mrs。　Raggles　found　herself　sleeping　in
a　bed　of　carved　mahogany；　with　silk　curtains；　with　a
prodigious　cheval　glass　opposite　to　her；　and　a　wardrobe
which　would　contain　her；　and　Raggles；　and　all　the　family。
Of　course；　they　did　not　intend　to　occupy　permanently
an　apartment　so　splendid。　　It　was　in　order　to　let　the　house
again　that　Raggles　purchased　it。　　As　soon　as　a　tenant
was　found；　he　subsided　into　the　greengrocer's　shop　once
more；　but　a　happy　thing　it　was　for　him　to　walk　out　of
that　tenement　and　into　Curzon　Street；　and　there　survey
his　househis　own　housewith　geraniums　in　the
window　and　a　carved　bronze　knocker。　　The　footman
occasionally　lounging　at　the　area　railing；　treated　him　with
respect；　the　cook　took　her　green　stuff　at　his　house　and
called　him　Mr。　Landlord；　and　there　was　not　one　thing
the　tenants　did；　or　one　dish　which　they　had　for　dinner；
that　Raggles　might　not　know　of；　if　he　liked。
He　was　a　good　man；　good　and　happy。　　The　house
brought　him　in　so　handsome　a　yearly　income　that　he　was
determined　to　send　his　children　to　good　schools；　and
accordingly；　regardless　of　expense；　Charles　was　sent　to
boarding　at　Dr。　Swishtail's；　Sugar…cane　Lodge；　and
little　Matilda　to　Miss　Peckover's；　Laurentinum　House；
Clapham。
Raggles　loved　and　adored　the　Crawley　family　as　the
author　of　all　his　prosperity　in　life。　　He　had　a　silhouette　of
his　mistress　in　his　back　shop；　and　a　drawing　of　the
Porter's　Lodge　at　Queen's　Crawley；　done　by　that　spinster
herself　in　India　inkand　the　only　addition　he　made　to
the　decorations　of　the　Curzon　Street　House　was　a　print
of　Queen's　Crawley　in　Hampshire；　the　seat　of　Sir　Walpole
Crawley；　Baronet；　who　was　represented　in　a　gilded　car
drawn　by　six　white　horses；　and　passing　by　a　lake
covered　with　swans；　and　barges　containing