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