第 25 节
作者:左思右想      更新:2021-02-19 19:45      字数:9322
  have quarrelled; all his outgoings and incomings you
  know; as if you were his spy。
  Very soon then after her arrival; Rebecca began to take
  a regular place in Mrs。 Crawley's bulletin from the Hall。
  It was to this effect: 〃The black porker's killedweighed
  x stonesalted the sidespig's pudding and leg of pork
  for dinner。  Mr。 Cramp from Mudbury; over with Sir Pitt
  about putting John Blackmore in gaolMr。 Pitt at
  meeting (with all the names of the people who attended)
  my lady as usualthe young ladies with the governess。〃
  Then the report would comethe new governess be a
  rare managerSir Pitt be very sweet on herMr。
  Crawley tooHe be reading tracts to her〃What an
  abandoned wretch!〃 said little; eager; active; black…faced Mrs。
  Bute Crawley。
  Finally; the reports were that the governess had 〃come
  round〃 everybody; wrote Sir Pitt's letters; did his business;
  managed his accountshad the upper hand of the whole
  house; my lady; Mr。 Crawley; the girls and allat which
  Mrs。 Crawley declared she was an artful hussy; and had
  some dreadful designs in view。  Thus the doings at the
  Hall were the great food for conversation at the Rectory;
  and Mrs。 Bute's bright eyes spied out everything that took
  place in the enemy's campeverything and a great deal
  besides。
  Mrs。 Bute Crawley to Miss Pinkerton;
  The Mall; Chiswick。
  Rectory; Queen's Crawley; December。
  My Dear Madam;Although it is so many years since
  I profited by your delightful and invaluable instructions;
  yet I have ever retained the FONDEST and most reverential
  regard for Miss Pinkerton; and DEAR Chiswick。  I hope
  your health is GOOD。  The world and the cause of
  education cannot afford to lose Miss Pinkerton for MANY MANY
  YEARS。  When my friend; Lady Fuddleston; mentioned that
  her dear girls required an instructress (I am too poor to
  engage a governess for mine; but was I not educated at
  Chiswick?)〃Who;〃 I exclaimed; 〃can we consult but
  the excellent; the incomparable Miss Pinkerton?〃 In a
  word; have you; dear madam; any ladies on your list;
  whose services might be made available to my kind
  friend and neighbour? I assure you she will take no
  governess BUT OF YOUR CHOOSING。
  My dear husband is pleased to say that he likes
  EVERYTHING WHICH COMES FROM MISS PINKERTON'S
  SCHOOL。  How I wish I could present him and my beloved
  girls to the friend of my youth; and the ADMIRED of the
  great lexicographer of our country! If you ever travel into
  Hampshire; Mr。 Crawley begs me to say; he hopes you will
  adorn our RURAL RECTORY with your presence。  'Tis the
  humble but happy home of
  Your affectionate
  Martha Crawley
  P。S。  Mr。 Crawley's brother; the baronet; with whom
  we are not; alas! upon those terms of UNITY in which it
  BECOMES BRETHREN TO DWELL; has a governess for his
  little girls; who; I am told; had the good fortune to be
  educated at Chiswick。  I hear various reports of her;
  and as I have the tenderest interest in my dearest little
  nieces; whom I wish; in spite of family differences; to
  see among my own childrenand as I long to be
  attentive to ANY PUPIL OF YOURSdo; my dear Miss
  Pinkerton; tell me the history of this young lady; whom;
  for YOUR SAKE; I am most anxious to befriend。M。 C。
  Miss Pinkerton to Mrs。 Bute Crawley。
  Johnson House; Chiswick; Dec。 18。
  Dear Madam;I have the honour to acknowledge
  your polite communication; to which I promptly reply。
  'Tis most gratifying to one in my most arduous position
  to find that my maternal cares have elicited a responsive
  affection; and to recognize in the amiable Mrs。 Bute
  Crawley my excellent pupil of former years; the sprightly
  and accomplished Miss Martha MacTavish。  I am happy
  to have under my charge now the daughters of many of
  those who were your contemporaries at my establishment
  what pleasure it would give me if your own
  beloved young ladies had need of my instructive
  superintendence!
  Presenting my respectful compliments to Lady
  Fuddleston; I have the honour (epistolarily) to introduce
  to her ladyship my two friends; Miss Tuffin and Miss Hawky。
  Either of these young ladies is PERFECTLY QUALIFIED to
  instruct in Greek; Latin; and the rudiments of Hebrew;
  in mathematics and history; in Spanish; French; Italian;
  and geography; in music; vocal and instrumental; in
  dancing; without the aid of a master; and in the
  elements of natural sciences。  In the use of the globes both
  are proficients。  In addition to these Miss Tuffin; who is
  daughter of the late Reverend Thomas Tuffin (Fellow
  of Corpus College; Cambridge); can instruct in the
  Syriac language; and the elements of Constitutional law。
  But as she is only eighteen years of age; and of
  exceedingly pleasing personal appearance; perhaps this
  young lady may be objectionable in Sir Huddleston
  Fuddleston's family。
  Miss Letitia Hawky; on the other hand; is not
  personally well…favoured。  She is…twenty…nine; her face
  is much pitted with the small…pox。  She has a halt in her
  gait; red hair; and a trifling obliquity of vision。  Both
  ladies are endowed with EVERY MORAL AND RELIGIOUS
  VIRTUE。  Their terms; of course; are such as their
  accomplishments merit。  With my most grateful respects
  to the Reverend Bute Crawley; I have the honour to be;
  Dear Madam;
  Your most faithful and obedient servant;
  Barbara Pinkerton。
  P。S。  The Miss Sharp; whom you mention as
  governess to Sir Pitt Crawley; Bart。; M。P。; was a pupil
  of mine; and I have nothing to say in her disfavour。
  Though her appearance is disagreeable; we cannot
  control the operations of nature: and though her parents
  were disreputable (her father being a painter; several
  times bankrupt; and her mother; as I have since learned;
  with horror; a dancer at the Opera); yet her talents are
  considerable; and I cannot regret that I received her
  OUT OF CHARITY。  My dread is; lest the principles of the
  motherwho was represented to me as a French
  Countess; forced to emigrate in the late revolutionary horrors;
  but who; as I have since found; was a person of the
  very lowest order and moralsshould at any time prove
  to be HEREDITARY in the unhappy young woman whom I
  took as AN OUTCAST。  But her principles have hitherto
  been correct (I believe); and I am sure nothing will
  occur to injure them in the elegant and refined circle
  of the eminent Sir Pitt Crawley。
  Miss Rebecca Sharp to Miss Amelia Sedley。
  I have not written to my beloved Amelia for these
  many weeks past; for what news was there to tell of the
  sayings and doings at Humdrum Hall; as I have
  christened it; and what do you care whether the turnip crop
  is good or bad; whether the fat pig weighed thirteen
  stone or fourteen; and whether the beasts thrive well
  upon mangelwurzel? Every day since I last wrote has
  been like its neighbour。  Before breakfast; a walk with
  Sir Pitt and his spud; after breakfast studies (such as
  they are) in the schoolroom; after schoolroom; reading
  and writing about lawyers; leases; coal…mines; canals;
  with Sir Pitt (whose secretary I am become); after
  dinner; Mr。 Crawley's discourses on the baronet's
  backgammon; during both of which amusements my lady
  looks on with equal placidity。  She has become rather
  more interesting by being ailing of late; which has
  brought a new visitor to the Hall; in the person of a
  young doctor。  Well; my dear; young women need never
  despair。  The young doctor gave a certain friend of yours
  to understand that; if she chose to be Mrs。 Glauber; she
  was welcome to ornament the surgery! I told his
  impudence that the gilt pestle and mortar was quite
  ornament enough; as if I was born; indeed; to be a country
  surgeon's wife! Mr。 Glauber went home seriously
  indisposed at his rebuff; took a cooling draught; and is now
  quite cured。  Sir Pitt applauded my resolution highly;
  he would be sorry to lose his little secretary; I think;
  and I believe the old wretch likes me as much as it is in
  his nature to like any one。  Marry; indeed! and with a
  country apothecary; afterNo; no; one cannot so
  soon forget old associations; about which I will talk no
  more。  Let us return to Humdrum Hall。
  For some time past it is Humdrum Hall no longer。
  My dear; Miss Crawley has arrived with her fat horses;
  fat servants; fat spanielthe great rich Miss Crawley;
  with seventy thousand pounds in the five per cents。;
  whom; or I had better say WHICH; her two brothers
  adore。  She looks very apoplectic; the dear soul; no
  wonder her brothers are anxious about her。  You should see
  them struggling to settle her cushions; or to hand her
  coffee! 〃When I come into the country;〃 she says (for
  she has a great deal of humour); 〃I leave my toady;
  Miss Briggs; at home。  My brothers are my toadies here;
  my dear; and a pretty pair they are!〃
  When she comes into the country our hall is thrown
  open; and for a month; at least; you would fancy old
  Sir Walpole was come to life again。  We have dinner…
  parties; and drive out in the coach…and…four the
  footmen put on their newest canary…coloured liveries; we
  drink claret and champagne as if we were accustomed
  to it every day。  We have wax candles in the schoolroom;
  and fires to warm ourselves with。  Lady Crawley is made
  to put on the brightest pea…green in her wardrobe; and
  my pupils leave off their thick