Marker；〃　and　had　such　a　conversation　with　him　that　no
  duel　took　place。　　If　Rebecca　had　not　gone　on　her　knees
  to　General　Tufto；　Crawley　would　have　been　sent　back
  to　England；　and　he　did　not　play；　except　with　civilians；
  for　some　weeks　after。
  But；　in　spite　of　Rawdon's　undoubted　skill　and　constant
  successes；　it　became　evident　to　Rebecca；　considering
  these　things；　that　their　position　was　but　a　precarious
  one；　and　that；　even　although　they　paid　scarcely　anybody；
  their　little　capital　would　end　one　day　by　dwindling　into
  zero。　　〃Gambling；〃　she　would　say；　〃dear；　is　good　to　help
  your　income；　but　not　as　an　income　itself。　　Some　day
  people　may　be　tired　of　play；　and　then　where　are　we？〃
  Rawdon　acquiesced　in　the　justice　of　her　opinion；　and　in
  truth　he　had　remarked　that　after　a　few　nights　of　his
  little　suppers；　&c。；　gentlemen　were　tired　of　play　with　him；
  and；　in　spite　of　Rebecca's　charms；　did　not　present
  themselves　very　eagerly。
  Easy　and　pleasant　as　their　life　at　Paris　was；　it　was
  after　all　only　an　idle　dalliance　and　amiable　trifling；　and
  Rebecca　saw　that　she　must　push　Rawdon's　fortune　in
  their　own　country。　　She　must　get　him　a　place　or　appointment
  at　home　or　in　the　colonies；　and　she　determined　to
  make　a　move　upon　England　as　soon　as　the　way　could　be
  cleared　for　her。　　As　a　first　step　she　had　made　Crawley
  sell　out　of　the　Guards　and　go　on　half…pay。　　His　function
  as　aide…de…camp　to　General　Tufto　had　ceased　previously。
  Rebecca　laughed　in　all　companies　at　that　officer；　at　his
  toupee　（which　he　mounted　on　coming　to　Paris）；　at　his
  waistband；　at　his　false　teeth；　at　his　pretensions　to　be　a
  lady…killer　above　all；　and　his　absurd　vanity　in　fancying
  every　woman　whom　he　came　near　was　in　love　with
  him。　　It　was　to　Mrs。　Brent；　the　beetle…browed　wife　of
  Mr。　Commissary　Brent；　to　whom　the　general　transferred
  his　attentions　nowhis　bouquets；　his　dinners　at　the
  restaurateurs'；　his　opera…boxes；　and　his　knick…knacks。　　Poor
  Mrs。　Tufto　was　no　more　happy　than　before；　and　had　still
  to　pass　long　evenings　alone　with　her　daughters；　knowing
  that　her　General　was　gone　off　scented　and　curled　to
  stand　behind　Mrs。　Brent's　chair　at　the　play。　　Becky　had　a
  dozen　admirers　in　his　place；　to　be　sure；　and　could　cut
  her　rival　to　pieces　with　her　wit。　　But；　as　we　have　said；　she。
  was　growing　tired　of　this　idle　social　life：　　opera…boxes　and
  restaurateur　dinners　palled　upon　her：　　nosegays　could　not
  be　laid　by　as　a　provision　for　future　years：　　and　she　could
  not　live　upon　knick…knacks；　laced　handkerchiefs；　and　kid
  gloves。　　She　felt　the　frivolity　of　pleasure　and　longed　for
  more　substantial　benefits。
  At　this　juncture　news　arrived　which　was　spread　among
  the　many　creditors　of　the　Colonel　at　Paris；　and　which
  caused　them　great　satisfaction。　　Miss　Crawley；　the　rich
  aunt　from　whom　he　expected　his　immense　inheritance；
  was　dying；　the　Colonel　must　haste　to　her　bedside。　　Mrs。
  Crawley　and　her　child　would　remain　behind　until　he
  came　to　reclaim　them。　　He　departed　for　Calais；　and　having
  reached　that　place　in　safety；　it　might　have　been
  supposed　that　he　went　to　Dover；　but　instead　he　took　the
  diligence　to　Dunkirk；　and　thence　travelled　to　Brussels；
  for　which　place　he　had　a　former　predilection。　　The　fact
  is；　he　owed　more　money　at　London　than　at　Paris；　and　he
  preferred　the　quiet　little　Belgian　city　to　either　of　the　more
  noisy　capitals。
  Her　aunt　was　dead。　　Mrs。　Crawley　ordered　the　most
  intense　mourning　for　herself　and　little　Rawdon。　　The　Colonel
  was　busy　arranging　the　affairs　of　the　inheritance。　　They
  could　take　the　premier　now；　instead　of　the　little　entresol
  of　the　hotel　which　they　occupied。　　Mrs。　Crawley　and　the
  landlord　had　a　consultation　about　the　new　hangings；
  an　amicable　wrangle　about　the　carpets；　and　a　final　adjustment
  of　everything　except　the　bill。　　She　went　off　in　one
  of　his　carriages；　her　French　bonne　with　her；　the　child
  by　her　side；　the　admirable　landlord　and　landlady　smiling
  farewell　to　her　from　the　gate。　　General　Tufto　was　furious
  when　he　heard　she　was　gone；　and　Mrs。　Brent　furious
  with　him　for　being　furious；　Lieutenant　Spooney　was　cut
  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　la