第 16 节
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左思右想 更新:2021-02-19 19:45 字数:9322
〃See whom?〃 said Miss Sharp。
〃Whom? O whom? Captain Dobbin; of course; to whom
we were all so attentive; by the way; last night。〃
〃We were very unkind to him;〃 Emmy said; blushing
very much。 〃II quite forgot him。〃
〃Of course you did;〃 cried Osborne; still on the laugh。
〃One can't be ALWAYS thinking about Dobbin; you know;
Amelia。 Can one; Miss Sharp?〃
〃Except when he overset the glass of wine at dinner;〃
Miss Sharp said; with a haughty air and a toss of the
head; 〃I never gave the existence of Captain Dobbin one
single moment's consideration。〃
〃Very good; Miss Sharp; I'll tell him;〃 Osborne said;
and as he spoke Miss Sharp began to have a feeling of
distrust and hatred towards this young officer; which he
was quite unconscious of having inspired。 〃He is to make
fun of me; is he?〃 thought Rebecca。 〃Has he been
laughing about me to Joseph? Has he frightened him?
Perhaps he won't come。〃A film passed over her eyes;
and her heart beat quite quick。
〃You're always joking;〃 said she; smiling as innocently
as she could。 〃Joke away; Mr。 George; there's nobody
to defend ME。〃 And George Osborne; as she walked away
and Amelia looked reprovingly at himfelt some little
manly compunction for having inflicted any unnecessary
unkindness upon this helpless creature。 〃My dearest
Amelia;〃 said he; 〃you are too goodtoo kind。 You
don't know the world。 I do。 And your little friend Miss
Sharp must learn her station。〃
〃Don't you think Jos will〃
〃Upon my word; my dear; I don't know。 He may; or
may not。 I'm not his master。 I only know he is a very
foolish vain fellow; and put my dear little girl into a very
painful and awkward position last night。 My dearest
diddle…diddle…darling!〃 He was off laughing again; and he
did it so drolly that Emmy laughed too。
All that day Jos never came。 But Amelia had no fear
about this; for the little schemer had actually sent away
the page; Mr。 Sambo's aide…de…camp; to Mr。 Joseph's
lodgings; to ask for some book he had promised; and how
he was; and the reply through Jos's man; Mr。 Brush; was;
that his master was ill in bed; and had just had the doctor
with him。 He must come to…morrow; she thought; but she
never had the courage to speak a word on the subject
to Rebecca; nor did that young woman herself allude
to it in any way during the whole evening after the night
at Vauxhall。
The next day; however; as the two young ladies sate on
the sofa; pretending to work; or to write letters; or to
read novels; Sambo came into the room with his usual
engaging grin; with a packet under his arm; and a note
on a tray。 〃Note from Mr。 Jos; Miss;〃 says Sambo。
How Amelia trembled as she opened it!
So it ran:
Dear Amelia;I send you the 〃Orphan of the Forest。〃
I was too ill to come yesterday。 I leave town to…day
for Cheltenham。 Pray excuse me; if you can; to the
amiable Miss Sharp; for my conduct at Vauxhall; and
entreat her to pardon and forget every word I may have
uttered when excited by that fatal supper。 As soon as
I have recovered; for my health is very much shaken; I
shall go to Scotland for some months; and am
Truly yours;
Jos Sedley
It was the death…warrant。 All was over。 Amelia did
not dare to look at Rebecca's pale face and burning eyes;
but she dropt the letter into her friend's lap; and got up;
and went upstairs to her room; and cried her little heart
out。
Blenkinsop; the housekeeper; there sought her presently
with consolation; on whose shoulder Amelia wept
confidentially; and relieved herself a good deal。 〃Don't take
on; Miss。 I didn't like to tell you。 But none of us in the
house have liked her except at fust。 I sor her with my
own eyes reading your Ma's letters。 Pinner says she's
always about your trinket…box and drawers; and
everybody's drawers; and she's sure she's put your white
ribbing into her box。〃
〃I gave it her; I gave it her;〃 Amelia said。
But this did not alter Mrs。 Blenkinsop's opinion of Miss
Sharp。 〃I don't trust them governesses; Pinner;〃 she
remarked to the maid。 〃They give themselves the hairs and
hupstarts of ladies; and their wages is no better than
you nor me。〃
It now became clear to every soul in the house; except
poor Amelia; that Rebecca should take her departure;
and high and low (always with the one exception) agreed
that that event should take place as speedily as possible。
Our good child ransacked all her drawers; cupboards;
reticules; and gimcrack boxespassed in review all her
gowns; fichus; tags; bobbins; laces; silk stockings; and
fallalsselecting this thing and that and the other; to
make a little heap for Rebecca。 And going to her Papa;
that generous British merchant; who had promised to
give her as many guineas as she was years oldshe
begged the old gentleman to give the money to dear
Rebecca; who must want it; while she lacked for nothing。
She even made George Osborne contribute; and
nothing loth (for he was as free…handed a young fellow
as any in the army); he went to Bond Street; and bought
the best hat and spenser that money could buy。
〃That's George's present to you; Rebecca; dear;〃 said
Amelia; quite proud of the bandbox conveying these
gifts。 〃What a taste he has! There's nobody like him。〃
〃Nobody;〃 Rebecca answered。 〃How thankful I am to
him!〃 She was thinking in her heart; 〃It was George
Osborne who prevented my marriage。〃And she loved
George Osborne accordingly。
She made her preparations for departure with great
equanimity; and accepted all the kind little Amelia's
presents; after just the proper degree of hesitation and
reluctance。 She vowed eternal gratitude to Mrs。 Sedley;
of course; but did not intrude herself upon that good
lady too much; who was embarrassed; and evidently
wishing to avoid her。 She kissed Mr。 Sedley's hand; when
he presented her with the purse; and asked permission to
consider him for the future as her kind; kind friend and
protector。 Her behaviour was so affecting that he was
going to write her a cheque for twenty pounds more;
but he restrained his feelings: the carriage was in waiting
to take him to dinner; so he tripped away with a 〃God
bless you; my dear; always come here when you come to
town; you know。Drive to the Mansion House; James。〃
Finally came the parting with Miss Amelia; over which
picture I intend to throw a veil。 But after a scene in
which one person was in earnest and the other a perfect
performerafter the tenderest caresses; the most pathetic
tears; the smelling…bottle; and some of the very best
feelings of the heart; had been called into requisition
Rebecca and Amelia parted; the former vowing to love
her friend for ever and ever and ever。
CHAPTER VII
Crawley of Queen's Crawley
Among the most respected of the names beginning in C
which the Court…Guide contained; in the year 18; was
that of Crawley; Sir Pitt; Baronet; Great Gaunt Street;
and Queen's Crawley; Hants。 This honourable name had
figured constantly also in the Parliamentary list for many
years; in conjunction with that of a number of other
worthy gentlemen who sat in turns for the borough。
It is related; with regard to the borough of Queen's
Crawley; that Queen Elizabeth in one of her progresses;
stopping at Crawley to breakfast; was so delighted with
some remarkably fine Hampshire beer which was then
presented to her by the Crawley of the day (a handsome
gentleman with a trim beard and a good leg); that she
forthwith erected Crawley into a borough to send two
members to Parliament; and the place; from the day of
that illustrious visit; took the name of Queen's Crawley;
which it holds up to the present moment。 And though; by
the lapse of time; and those mutations which age produces
in empires; cities; and boroughs; Queen's Crawley was no
longer so populous a place as it had been in Queen Bess's
timenay; was come down to that condition of borough
which used to be denominated rottenyet; as Sir Pitt
Crawley would say with perfect justice in his elegant
way; 〃Rotten! be hangedit produces me a good fifteen
hundred a year。〃
Sir Pitt Crawley (named after the great Commoner)
was the son of Walpole Crawley; first Baronet; of the
Tape and Sealing…Wax Office in the reign of George II。;
when he was impeached for peculation; as were a great
number of other honest gentlemen of those days; and
Walpole Crawley was; as need scarcely be said; son of
John Churchill Crawley; named after the celebrated
military commander of the reign of Queen Anne。 The family
tree (which hangs up at Queen's Crawley) furthermore
mentions Charles Stuart; afterwards called Barebones
Crawley; son of the Crawley of James the First's time;
and finally; Queen Elizabeth's Crawley; who is represented
as the foreground of the picture in his forked beard and
armour。 Out of his waistcoat; as usual; grows a tree; on
the main branches of which the above illustrious names
are inscribed。 Close by the name of Sir Pitt Crawley;
Baronet (the subject of the present memoir); are written
that of his brother; the Reverend Bute Crawley (the great
Commoner was in disgrace when the reverend gentleman
was born); rector of Crawley…cum…Snailby; and of various
other male and female members of the Crawley family。
Sir Pitt was first married to G