第 172 节
作者:
左思右想 更新:2021-02-19 19:48 字数:9322
thought; and glanced towards that dear child; an
unwholesome little miss of seven years of age。
〃Rosa; go and kiss your dear cousin;〃 Mrs。 Frederick
said。 〃Don't you know me; George? I am your aunt。〃
〃I know you well enough;〃 George said; 〃but I don't
like kissing; please〃; and he retreated from the obedient
caresses of his cousin。
〃Take me to your dear mamma; you droll child;〃 Mrs。
Frederick said; and those ladies accordingly met; after
an absence of more than fifteen years。 During Emmy's
cares and poverty the other had never once thought
about coming to see her; but now that she was decently
prosperous in the world; her sister…in…law came to her as
a matter of course。
So did numbers more。 Our old friend; Miss Swartz; and
her husband came thundering over from Hampton Court;
with flaming yellow liveries; and was as impetuously fond
of Amelia as ever。 Miss Swartz would have liked her
always if she could have seen her。 One must do her that
justice。 But; que voulez vous?in this vast town one
has not the time to go and seek one's friends; if they
drop out of the rank they disappear; and we march on
without them。 Who is ever missed in Vanity Fair?
But so; in a word; and before the period of grief for
Mr。 Osborne's death had subsided; Emmy found herself
in the centre of a very genteel circle indeed; the
members of which could not conceive that anybody
belonging to it was not very lucky。 There was scarce one
of the ladies that hadn't a relation a Peer; though the
husband might be a drysalter in the City。 Some of the
ladies were very blue and well informed; reading Mrs。
Somerville and frequenting the Royal Institution; others
were severe and Evangelical; and held by Exeter Hall。
Emmy; it must be owned; found herself entirely at a loss in
the midst of their clavers; and suffered woefully on the
one or two occasions on which she was compelled to
accept Mrs。 Frederick Bullock's hospitalities。 That lady
persisted in patronizing her and determined most graciously
to form her。 She found Amelia's milliners for her and
regulated her household and her manners。 She drove
over constantly from Roehampton and entertained her
friend with faint fashionable fiddle…faddle and feeble
Court slip…slop。 Jos liked to hear it; but the Major used
to go off growling at the appearance of this woman; with
her twopenny gentility。 He went to sleep under Frederick
Bullock's bald head; after dinner; at one of the banker's
best parties (Fred was still anxious that the balance of
the Osborne property should be transferred from Stumpy
and Rowdy's to them); and whilst Amelia; who did not
know Latin; or who wrote the last crack article in the
Edinburgh; and did not in the least deplore; or
otherwise; Mr。 Peel's late extraordinary tergiversation on the
fatal Catholic Relief Bill; sat dumb amongst the ladies in
the grand drawing…room; looking out upon velvet lawns;
trim gravel walks; and glistening hot…houses。
〃She seems good…natured but insipid;〃 said Mrs。
Rowdy; 〃that Major seems to be particularly epris。〃
〃She wants ton sadly;〃 said Mrs。 Hollyock。 〃My dear
creature; you never will be able to form her。〃
〃She is dreadfully ignorant or indifferent;〃 said Mrs。
Glowry with a voice as if from the grave; and a sad
shake of the head and turban。 〃I asked her if she thought
that it was in 1836; according to Mr。 Jowls; or in 1839;
according to Mr。 Wapshot; that the Pope was to fall:
and she said'Poor Pope! I hope notWhat has he
done?' 〃
〃She is my brother's widow; my dear friends;〃 Mrs。
Frederick replied; 〃and as such I think we're all bound to
give her every attention and instruction on entering into
the world。 You may fancy there can be no MERCENARY
motives in those whose DISAPPOINTMENTS are well known。〃
〃That poor dear Mrs。 Bullock;〃 said Rowdy to Hollyock;
as they drove away together〃she is always scheming
and managing。 She wants Mrs。 Osborne's account
to be taken from our house to hersand the way in
which she coaxes that boy and makes him sit by that
blear…eyed little Rosa is perfectly ridiculous。〃
〃I wish Glowry was choked with her Man of Sin and
her Battle of Armageddon;〃 cried the other; and the
carriage rolled away over Putney Bridge。
But this sort of society was too cruelly genteel for
Emmy; and all jumped for joy when a foreign tour was
proposed。
CHAPTER LXII
Am Rhein
The above everyday events had occurred; and a few
weeks had passed; when on one fine morning; Parliament
being over; the summer advanced; and all the good
company in London about to quit that city for their annual
tour in search of pleasure or health; the Batavier steamboat
left the Tower…stairs laden with a goodly company of English
fugitives。 The quarter…deck awnings were up; and the
benches and gangways crowded with scores of rosy children;
bustling nursemaids; ladies in the prettiest pink
bonnets and summer dresses; gentlemen in travelling caps
and linen…jackets; whose mustachios had just begun to
sprout for the ensuing tour; and stout trim old veterans
with starched neckcloths and neat…brushed hats; such as
have invaded Europe any time since the conclusion of the
war; and carry the national Goddem into every city of
the Continent。 The congregation of hat…boxes; and
Bramah desks; and dressing…cases was prodigious。 There
were jaunty young Cambridge…men travelling with their
tutor; and going for a reading excursion to Nonnenwerth
or Konigswinter; there were Irish gentlemen; with the
most dashing whiskers and jewellery; talking about
horses incessantly; and prodigiously polite to the young
ladies on board; whom; on the contrary; the Cambridge
lads and their pale…faced tutor avoided with maiden
coyness; there were old Pall Mall loungers bound for Ems
and Wiesbaden and a course of waters to clear off the
dinners of the season; and a little roulette and trente…
et…quarante to keep the excitement going; there was old
Methuselah; who had married his young wife; with Captain
Papillon of the Guards holding her parasol and
guide…books; there was young May who was carrying off
his bride on a pleasure tour (Mrs。 Winter that was; and
who had been at school with May's grandmother); there
was Sir John and my Lady with a dozen children; and
corresponding nursemaids; and the great grandee
Bareacres family that sat by themselves near the wheel;
stared at everybody; and spoke to no one。 Their
carriages; emblazoned with coronets and heaped with
shining imperials; were on the foredeck; locked in with a
dozen more such vehicles: it was difficult to pass in and
out amongst them; and the poor inmates of the
fore…cabin had scarcely any space for locomotion。 These
consisted of a few magnificently attired gentlemen from
Houndsditch; who brought their own provisions; and
could have bought half the gay people in the grand
saloon; a few honest fellows with mustachios and portfolios;
who set to sketching before they had been half an hour
on board; one or two French femmes de chambre who
began to be dreadfully ill by the time the boat had
passed Greenwich; a groom or two who lounged in the
neighbourhood of the horse…boxes under their charge; or
leaned over the side by the paddle…wheels; and talked
about who was good for the Leger; and what they stood
to win or lose for the Goodwood cup。
All the couriers; when they had done plunging about
the ship and had settled their various masters in the
cabins or on the deck; congregated together and began to
chatter and smoke; the Hebrew gentlemen joining them
and looking at the carriages。 There was Sir John's great
carriage that would hold thirteen people; my Lord
Methuselah's carriage; my Lord Bareacres' chariot;
britzska; and fourgon; that anybody might pay for who liked。
It was a wonder how my Lord got the ready money to
pay for the expenses of the journey。 The Hebrew gentlemen
knew how he got it。 They knew what money his
Lordship had in his pocket at that instant; and what
interest he paid for it; and who gave it him。 Finally there
was a very neat; handsome travelling carriage; about
which the gentlemen speculated。
〃A qui cette voiture la?〃 said one gentleman…courier
with a large morocco money…bag and ear…rings to another
with ear…rings and a large morocco money…bag。
〃C'est a Kirsch je benseje l'ai vu toute a l'heure
qui brenoit des sangviches dans la voiture;〃 said the
courier in a fine German French。
Kirsch emerging presently from the neighbourhood of
the hold; where he had been bellowing instructions
intermingled with polyglot oaths to the ship's men engaged
in secreting the passengers' luggage; came to give an
account of himself to his brother interpreters。 He
informed them that the carriage belonged to a Nabob from
Calcutta and Jamaica enormously rich; and with whom
he was engaged to travel; and at this moment a young
gentleman who had been warned off the bridge between
the paddle…boxes; and who had dropped thence on to the
roof of Lord Methuselah's carriage; from which he made
his way over other carriages and imperials until he had
clambered on to his own; descended thence and through
the window into the body of the carriage; to the applause
of the couriers looking on。
〃Nous allons avoir une b