vanity fair(名利场)-第85章

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drawn　by　six　white　horses；　and　passing　by　a　lake
covered　with　swans；　and　barges　containing　ladies　in　hoops；
and　musicians　with　flags　and　penwigs。　　Indeed　Raggles
thought　there　was　no　such　palace　in　all　the　world；　and
no　such　august　family。
As　luck　would　have　it；　Raggles'　house　in　Curzon　Street
was　to　let　when　Rawdon　and　his　wife　returned　to　London。
The　Colonel　knew　it　and　its　owner　quite　well；　the　latter's
connection　with　the　Crawley　family　had　been　kept　up
constantly；　for　Raggles　helped　Mr。　Bowls　whenever　Miss
Crawley　received　friends。　　And　the　old　man　not　only　let
his　house　to　the　Colonel　but　officiated　as　his　butler
whenever　he　had　company；　Mrs。　Raggles　operating　in　the
kitchen　below　and　sending　up　dinners　of　which　old　Miss
Crawley　herself　might　have　approved。　　This　was　the　way；
then；　Crawley　got　his　house　for　nothing；　for　though
Raggles　had　to　pay　taxes　and　rates；　and　the　interest　of　the
mortgage　to　the　brother　butler；　and　the　insurance　of　his
life；　and　the　charges　for　his　children　at　school；　and　the
value　of　the　meat　and　drink　which　his　own　familyand
for　a　time　that　of　Colonel　Crawley　tooconsumed；　and
though　the　poor　wretch　was　utterly　ruined　by　the
transaction；　his　children　being　flung　on　the　streets；　and　himself
driven　into　the　Fleet　Prison：　　yet　somebody　must　pay　even
for　gentlemen　who　live　for　nothing　a　yearand　so　it　was
this　unlucky　Raggles　was　made　the　representative　of
Colonel　Crawley's　defective　capital。
I　wonder　how　many　families　are　driven　to　roguery　and
to　ruin　by　great　practitioners　in　Crawlers　way？how
many　great　noblemen　rob　their　petty　tradesmen；
condescend　to　swindle　their　poor　retainers　out　of　wretched
little　sums　and　cheat　for　a　few　shillings？　When　we　read
that　a　noble　nobleman　has　left　for　the　Continent；　or　that
another　noble　nobleman　has　an　execution　in　his　house
and　that　one　or　other　owes　six　or　seven　millions；　the
defeat　seems　glorious　even；　and　we　respect　the　victim　in
the　vastness　of　his　ruin。　　But　who　pities　a　poor　barber　who
can't　get　his　money　for　powdering　the　footmen's　heads；
or　a　poor　carpenter　who　has　ruined　himself　by　fixing　up
ornaments　and　pavilions　for　my　lady's　dejeuner；　or　the
poor　devil　of　a　tailor　whom　the　steward　patronizes；　and
who　has　pledged　all　he　is　worth；　and　more；　to　get　the
liveries　ready；　which　my　lord　has　done　him　the　honour
to　bespeak？　When　the　great　house　tumbles　down；　these
miserable　wretches　fall　under　it　unnoticed：　　as　they　say　in
the　old　legends；　before　a　man　goes　to　the　devil　himself；
he　sends　plenty　of　other　souls　thither。
Rawdon　and　his　wife　generously　gave　their　patronage
to　all　such　of　Miss　Crawley's　tradesmen　and　purveyors
as　chose　to　serve　them。　　Some　were　willing；enough；
especially　the　poor　ones。　　It　was　wonderful　to　see　the
pertinacity　with　which　the　washerwoman　from　Tooting
brought　the　cart　every　Saturday；　and　her　bills　week　after　week。
Mr。　Raggles　himself　had　to　supply　the　greengroceries。　　The
bill　for　servants'　porter　at　the　Fortune　of　War　public
house　is　a　curiosity　in　the　chronicles　of　beer。　　Every
servant　also　was　owed　the　greater　part　of　his　wages；　and
thus　kept　up　perforce　an　interest　in　the　house。　　Nobody　in
fact　was　paid。　　Not　the　blacksmith　who　opened　the　lock；
nor　the　glazier　who　mended　the　pane；　nor　the　jobber　who
let　the　carriage；　nor　the　groom　who　drove　it；　nor　the
butcher　who　provided　the　leg　of　mutton；　nor　the　coals
which　roasted　it；　nor　the　cook　who　basted　it；　nor　the
servants　who　ate　it：　　and　this　I　am　given　to　understand　is　not
unfrequently　the　way　in　which　people　live　elegantly　on
nothing　a　year。
In　a　little　town　such　things　cannot　be　done　without
remark。　　We　know　there　the　quantity　of　milk　our
neighbour　takes　and　espy　the　joint　or　the　fowls　which　are
going　in　for　his　dinner。　　So；　probably；　200　and　202　in　Curzon
Street　might　know　what　was　going　on　in　the　house
between　them；　the　servants　communicating　through　the
area…railings；　but　Crawley　and　his　wife　and　his　friends
did　not　know　200　and　202。　　When　you　came　to　201　there
was　a　hearty　welcome；　a　kind　smile；　a　good　dinner；　and
a　jolly　shake　of　the　hand　from　the　host　and　hostess　there；
just　for　all　the　world　as　if　they　had　been　undisputed
masters　of　three　or　four　thousand　a　yearand　so　they　were；
not　in　money；　but　in　produce　and　labourif　they　did
not　pay　for　the　mutton；　they　had　it：　　if　they　did　not　give
bullion　in　exchange　for　their　wine；　how　should　we　know？
Never　was　better　claret　at　any　man's　table　than　at　honest
Rawdon's；　dinners　more　gay　and　neatly　served。　　　His
drawing…rooms　were　the　prettiest；　little；　modest　salons
conceivable：　　they　were　decorated　with　the　greatest　taste；
and　a　thousand　knick…knacks　from　Paris；　by　Rebecca：
and　when　she　sat　at　her　piano　trilling　songs　with　a
lightsome　heart；　the　stranger　voted　himself　in　a　little
paradise　of　domestic　comfort　and　agreed　that；　if　the
husband　was　rather　stupid；　the　wife　was　charming；　and　the
dinners　the　pleasantest　in　the　world。
Rebecca's　wit；　cleverness；　and　flippancy　made　her　speedily
the　vogue　in　London　among　a　certain　class。　　You　saw
demure　chariots　at　her　door；　out　of　which　stepped　very
great　people。　　You　beheld　her　carriage　in　the　park；
surrounded　by　dandies　of　note。　　The　little　box　in　the　third
tier　of　the　opera　was　crowded　with　heads　constantly
changing；　but　it　must　be　confessed　that　the　ladies　held
aloof　from　her；　and　that　their　doors　were　shut　to　our
little　adventurer。
With　regard　to　the　world　of　female　fashion　and　its
customs；　the　present　writer　of　course　can　only　speak　at
second　hand。　　A　man　can　no　more　penetrate　or　under…
stand　those　mysteries　than　he　can　know　what　the　ladies
talk　about　when　they　go　upstairs　after　dinner。　　It　is　only
by　inquiry　and　perseverance　that　one　sometimes　gets
hints　of　those　secrets；　and　by　a　similar　diligence　every
person　who　treads　the　Pall　Mall　pavement　and　frequents
the　clubs　of　this　metropolis　knows；　either　through　his
own　experience　or　through　some　acquaintance　with　whom
he　plays　at　billiards　or　shares　the　joint；　something　about
the　genteel　world　of　London；　and　how；　as　there　are　men
（such　as　Rawdon　Crawley；　whose　position　we　mentioned
before）　who　cut　a　good　figure　to　the　eyes　of　the　ignorant
world　and　to　the　apprentices　in　the　park；　who　behold
them　consorting　with　the　most　notorious　dandies　there；
so　there　are　ladies；　who　may　be　called　men's　women；
being　welcomed　entirely　by　all　the　gentlemen　and　cut
or　slighted　by　all　their　wives。　　Mrs。　Firebrace　is　of　this　sort；
the　lady　with　the　beautiful　fair　ringlets　whom　you　see
every　day　in　Hyde　Park；　surrounded　by　the　greatest　and
most　famous　dandies　of　this　empire。　　Mrs。　Rockwood　is
another；　whose　parties　are　announced　laboriously　in　the
fashionable　newspapers　and　with　whom　you　see　that　all
sorts　of　ambassadors　and　great　noblemen　dine；　and
many　more　might　be　mentioned　had　they　to　do　with　the
history　at　present　in　hand。　　But　while　simple　folks　who
are　out　of　the　world；　or　country　people　with　a　taste　for
the　genteel；　behold　these　ladies　in　their　seeming　glory　in
public　places；　or　envy　them　from　afar　off；　persons　who
are　better　instructed　could　inform　them　that　these　envied
ladies　have　no　more　chance　of　establishing　themselves
in　〃society；〃　than　the　benighted　squire's　wife　in
Somersetshire　who　reads　of　their　doings　in　the　Morning　Post。
Men　living　about　London　are　aware　of　these　awful　truths。
You　hear　how　pitilessly　many　ladies　of　seeming　rank　and
wealth　are　excluded　from　this　〃society。〃　The　frantic
efforts　which　they　make　to　enter　this　circle；　the　meannesses
to　which　they　submit；　the　insults　which　they　undergo；
are　matters　of　wonder　to　those　who　take　human　or
womankind　for　a　study；　and　the　pursuit　of　fashion　under
difficulties　would　be　a　fine　theme　for　any　very　great
person　who　had　the　wit；　the　leisure；　and　the　knowledge　of
the　English　language　necessary　for　the　compiling　of
such　a　history。
Now　the　few　female　acquaintances　whom　Mrs。　Crawley
had　known　abroad　not　only　declined　to　visit　her　when
she　came　to　this　side　of　the　Channel；　but　cut　her　severely
when　they　met　in　public　places。　　It　was　curious　to　see　how
the　great　ladies　forgot　her；　and　no　doubt　not　altogether
a　pleasant　study　to　Rebecca。　　When　Lady　Bareacres　met
her　in　the　waiting…room　at　the　opera；　she　gathered　her
daughters　about　her　as　if　they　would　be　contaminated
by　a　touch　of　Becky；　and　retreating　a　step　or　two；　placed
herself　in　front　of　them；　and　stared　at　her　little　enemy。
To　stare　Becky　out　of　countenance　required　a　severer
glance　than　even　the　frigid　old　Bareacres　could　shoot　out
of　her　dismal　eyes。　　When　Lady　de　la　Mole；　who　had　ridden
a　score　of　times　by　Becky's　side　at　Brussels；　met　Mrs。
Crawley's　open　carriage　in　Hyde　Park；　her　Ladyship　was
quite　blind；　and　could　not　in　the　least　recognize　her
former　friend。　　Even　Mrs。　Blenkinsop；　the　banker's　wife；
cut　her　at　church。　　Becky　went　regularly　to　church　now；　it
was　edifying　to　see　her　enter　there　with　Rawdon　by　her
side；　carrying　a　couple　of　large　gilt　prayer…books；　and
afterwards　going　through　the　ceremony　with　the　gravest
resignation。
Rawdon　at　first　felt　very　acutely　the　slights　which　were
passed　upon　his　wife；　and　was　inclined　to　be　gloomy　and
savage。　　He　talked　of　calling　out　the　husbands　or　brothers
of　every　one　of　the　insolent　women　who　did　not　pay　a
proper　respect　to　his　wife；　and　it　was　only　by　the　strongest　
commands　and　entreaties　on　her　part　that　he　was
brought　into　keeping　a　decent　behaviour。　　〃You　can't
shoot　me　into　society；〃　she　said　good…naturedly。　　〃Remember；
my　dear；　that　I　was　but　a　governess；　and　you；　you
poor　silly　old　man；　have　the　worst　reputation　for　debt；　and
dice；　and　all　sorts　of　wickedness。　　We　shall　get　quite　as
many　friends　as　we　want　by　and　by；　and　in　the　meanwhile
you　must　be　a　good　boy　and　obey　your　schoolmistress　in
everything　she　tells　you　to　do。　　When　we　heard　that　your
aunt　had　left　almost　everything　to　Pitt　and　his　wife；　do
you　remember　what　a　rage　you　were　in？　You　would
have　told　all　Paris；　if　I　had　not　made　you　keep　your
temper；　and　where　would　you　have　been　now？in
prison　at　Ste。　　Pelagie　for　debt；　and　not　established　in
London　in　a　handsome　house；　with　every　comfort　about
youyou　were　in　such　a　fury　you　were　ready　to　murder
your　brother；　you　wicked　Cain　you；　and　what　good
would　have　come　of　remaining　angry？　All　the　rage　in　the
world　won't　get　us　your　aunt's　money；　and　it　is　much
better　that　we　should　be　friends　with　your　brother's
family　than　enemies；　as　those　foolish　Butes　are。　　When
your　father　dies；　Queen's　Crawley　will　be　a　pleasant　house
for　you　and　me　to　pass　the　winter　in。　　If　we　are　ruined；
you　can　carve　and　take　charge　of　the　stable；　and　I　can
be　a　governess　to　Lady　Jane's　children。　　Ruined！
fiddlede…dee！　　I　will　get　you　a　good　place　before　that；　or　Pitt
and　his　little　boy　will　die；　and　we　will　be　Sir　Rawdon　and　my
lady。　　While　there　is　life；　there　is　hope；　my　dear；　and　I
intend　to　make　a　man　of　you　yet。　　Who　sold　your　horses　for
you？　Who　paid　your　debts　for　you？〃　Rawdon　was　obliged
to　confess　that　he　owed　all　these　benefits　to　his　wife；　and
to　trust　himself　to　her　guidance　for　the　future。
Indeed；　when　Miss　Crawley　quitted　the　world；　and　that
money　for　which　all　her　relatives　had　been　fighting　so
eagerly　was　f