第 117 节
作者:左思右想      更新:2021-02-19 19:47      字数:9322
  described the occurrence and how she had been victimized
  by Lady Southdown。  Lord Steyne; and her son in
  London; had many a laugh over the story when Rawdon
  and his wife returned to their quarters in May Fair。  Becky
  acted the whole scene for them。  She put on a night…cap
  and gown。  She preached a great sermon in the true serious
  manner; she lectured on the virtue of the medicine
  which she pretended to administer; with a gravity of
  imitation so perfect that you would have thought it was
  the Countess's own Roman nose through which she snuffled。
  〃Give us Lady Southdown and the black dose;〃 was
  a constant cry amongst the folks in Becky's little
  drawing…room in May Fair。  And for the first time in her
  life the Dowager Countess of Southdown was made amusing。
  Sir Pitt remembered the testimonies of respect and
  veneration which Rebecca had paid personally to himself
  in early days; and was tolerably well disposed towards
  her。  The marriage; ill…advised as it was; had improved
  Rawdon very muchthat was clear from the Colonel's
  altered habits and demeanourand had it not been a
  lucky union as regarded Pitt himself? The cunning
  diplomatist smiled inwardly as he owned that he owed his
  fortune to it; and acknowledged that he at least ought not
  to cry out against it。  His satisfaction was not removed
  by Rebecca's own statements; behaviour; and
  conversation。
  She doubled the deference which before had charmed
  him; calling out his conversational powers in such a
  manner as quite to surprise Pitt himself; who; always
  inclined to respect his own talents; admired them the more
  when Rebecca pointed them out to him。  With her
  sister…in…law; Rebecca was satisfactorily able to prove that it
  was Mrs。 Bute Crawley who brought about the marriage
  which she afterwards so calumniated; that it was Mrs。
  Bute's avaricewho hoped to gain all Miss Crawley's
  fortune and deprive Rawdon of his aunt's favourwhich
  caused and invented all the wicked reports against
  Rebecca。  〃She succeeded in making us poor;〃 Rebecca
  said with an air of angelical patience; 〃but how can I
  be angry with a woman who has given me one of the best
  husbands in the world? And has not her own avarice
  been sufficiently punished by the ruin of her own hopes and
  the loss of the property by which she set so much
  store? Poor!〃 she cried。  〃Dear Lady Jane; what care we
  for poverty? I am used to it from childhood; and I am
  often thankful that Miss Crawley's money has gone to
  restore the splendour of the noble old family of which
  I am so proud to be a member。  I am sure Sir Pitt will
  make a much better use of it than Rawdon would。〃
  All these speeches were reported to Sir Pitt by the
  most faithful of wives; and increased the favourable
  impression which Rebecca made; so much so that when;
  on the third day after the funeral; the family party were
  at dinner; Sir Pitt Crawley; carving fowls at the head of
  the table; actually said to Mrs。 Rawdon; 〃Ahem!  Rebecca;
  may I give you a wing?〃a speech which made the little
  woman's eyes sparkle with pleasure。
  While Rebecca was prosecuting the above schemes and
  hopes; and Pitt Crawley arranging the funeral ceremonial
  and other matters connected with his future progress and
  dignity; and Lady Jane busy with her nursery; as far as
  her mother would let her; and the sun rising and setting;
  and the clock…tower bell of the Hall ringing to dinner and
  to prayers as usual; the body of the late owner of Queen's
  Crawley lay in the apartment which he had occupied;
  watched unceasingly by the professional attendants who
  were engaged for that rite。  A woman or two; and three
  or four undertaker's men; the best whom Southampton
  could furnish; dressed in black; and of a proper stealthy
  and tragical demeanour; had charge of the remains which
  they watched turn about; having the housekeeper's room
  for their place of rendezvous when off duty; where they
  played at cards in privacy and drank their beer。
  The members of the family and servants of the house
  kept away from the gloomy spot; where the bones of the
  descendant of an ancient line of knights and gentlemen
  lay; awaiting their final consignment to the family crypt。
  No regrets attended them; save those of the poor woman
  who had hoped to be Sir Pitt's wife and widow and who
  had fled in disgrace from the Hall over which she had so
  nearly been a ruler。  Beyond her and a favourite old pointer
  he had; and between whom and himself an attachment
  subsisted during the period of his imbecility; the old man
  had not a single friend to mourn him; having indeed;
  during the whole course of his life; never taken the least
  pains to secure one。  Could the best and kindest of us who
  depart from the earth have an opportunity of revisiting
  it; I suppose he or she (assuming that any Vanity Fair
  feelings subsist in the sphere whither we are bound)
  would have a pang of mortification at finding how soon
  our survivors were consoled。  And so Sir Pitt was
  forgottenlike the kindest and best of usonly a few
  weeks sooner。
  Those who will may follow his remains to the grave;
  whither they were borne on the appointed day; in the most
  becoming manner; the family in black coaches; with their
  handkerchiefs up to their noses; ready for the tears which
  did not come; the undertaker and his gentlemen in deep
  tribulation; the select tenantry mourning out of
  compliment to the new landlord; the neighbouring gentry's
  carriages at three miles an hour; empty; and in profound
  affliction; the parson speaking out the formula about 〃our
  dear brother departed。〃 As long as we have a man's body;
  we play our Vanities upon it; surrounding it with
  humbug and ceremonies; laying it in state; and packing it
  up in gilt nails and velvet; and we finish our duty by
  placing over it a stone; written all over with lies。  Bute's
  curate; a smart young fellow from Oxford; and Sir Pitt
  Crawley composed between them an appropriate Latin
  epitaph for the late lamented Baronet; and the former
  preached a classical sermon; exhorting the survivors not
  to give way to grief and informing them in the most
  respectful terms that they also would be one day called
  upon to pass that gloomy and mysterious portal which had
  just closed upon the remains of their lamented brother。
  Then the tenantry mounted on horseback again; or stayed
  and refreshed themselves at the Crawley Arms。  Then;
  after a lunch in the servants' hall at Queen's Crawley;
  the gentry's carriages wheeled off to their different
  destinations:  then the undertaker's men; taking the ropes;
  palls; velvets; ostrich feathers; and other mortuary
  properties; clambered up on the roof of the hearse and rode
  off to Southampton。  Their faces relapsed into a natural
  expression as the horses; clearing the lodge…gates; got into
  a brisker trot on the open road; and squads of them
  might have been seen; speckling with black the
  public…house entrances; with pewter…pots flashing in the
  sunshine。  Sir Pitt's invalid chair was wheeled away into a
  tool…house in the garden; the old pointer used to howl
  sometimes at first; but these were the only accents of
  grief which were heard in the Hall of which Sir Pitt
  Crawley; Baronet; had been master for some threescore years。
  As the birds were pretty plentiful; and partridge shooting
  is as it were the duty of an English gentleman of
  statesmanlike propensities; Sir Pitt Crawley; the first shock of
  grief over; went out a little and partook of that diversion
  in a white hat with crape round it。  The sight of those fields
  of stubble and turnips; now his own; gave him many secret
  joys。  Sometimes; and with an exquisite humility; he
  took no gun; but went out with a peaceful bamboo cane;
  Rawdon; his big brother; and the keepers blazing away at
  his side。  Pitt's money and acres had a great effect upon
  his brother。  The penniless Colonel became quite obsequious
  and respectful to the head of his house; and despised
  the milksop Pitt no longer。  Rawdon listened with sympathy
  to his senior's prospects of planting and draining; gave
  his advice about the stables and cattle; rode
  over to Mudbury to look at a mare; which he thought
  would carry Lady Jane; and offered to break her;
  &c。:  the rebellious dragoon was quite humbled and
  subdued; and became a most creditable younger brother。  He
  had constant bulletins from Miss Briggs in London
  respecting little Rawdon; who was left behind there; who
  sent messages of his own。  〃I am very well;〃 he wrote。  〃I
  hope you are very well。  I hope Mamma is very well。  The
  pony is very well。  Grey takes me to ride in the park。
  I can canter。  I met the little boy who rode before。  He
  cried when he cantered。  I do not cry。〃 Rawdon read these
  letters to his brother and Lady Jane; who was delighted
  with them。  The Baronet promised to take charge of the lad
  at school; and his kind…hearted wife gave Rebecca a
  bank…note; begging her to buy a present with it for her little
  nephew。
  One day followed another; and the ladies of the house
  passed their life in those calm pursuits and amusements
  which satisfy country ladies。  Bells rang to meals and
  to prayers。  The young ladies took exercise on the
  pianoforte every morning after breakfast; Rebecca giving
  them the benefit of her instruction