did　not　care　to　remonstrate　with　Jos；　but　left　him　and
  walked　home　with　Georgy。
  〃Did　you　play？〃　asked　the　Major　when　they　were　out
  and　on　their　way　home。
  The　boy　said　〃No。〃
  〃Give　me　your　word　of　honour　as　a　gentleman　that　you
  never　will。〃
  〃Why？〃　said　the　boy；　〃it　seems　very　good　fun。〃　And；　in
  a　very　eloquent　and　impressive　manner；　the　Major　showed
  him　why　he　shouldn't；　and　would　have　enforced　his
  precepts　by　the　example　of　Georgy's　own　father；　had　he
  liked　to　say　anything　that　should　reflect　on　the　other's
  memory。　　When　he　had　housed　him；　he　went　to　bed　and
  saw　his　light；　in　the　little　room　outside　of　Amelia's；
  presently　disappear。　　Amelia's　followed　half　an　hour
  afterwards。　　I　don't　know　what　made　the　Major　note　it
  so　accurately。
  Jos；　however；　remained　behind　over　the　play…table；　he
  was　no　gambler；　but　not　averse　to　the　little　excitement
  of　the　sport　now　and　then；　and　he　had　some　Napoleons
  chinking　in　the　embroidered　pockets　of　his　court
  waistcoat。　　He　put　down　one　over　the　fair　shoulder　of　the
  little　gambler　before　him；　and　they　won。　　She　made　a　little
  movement　to　make　room　for　him　by　her　side；　and
  just　took　the　skirt　of　her　gown　from　a　vacant　chair　there。
  〃Come　and　give　me　good　luck；〃　she　said；　still　in　a
  foreign　accent；　quite　different　from　that　frank　and
  perfectly　English　〃Thank　you；〃　with　which　she　had　saluted
  Georgy's　coup　in　her　favour。　　The　portly　gentleman；
  looking　round　to　see　that　nobody　of　rank　observed　him；
  sat　down；　he　muttered〃Ah；　really；　well　now；　God　bless
  my　soul。　　I'm　very　fortunate；　I'm　sure　to　give　you　good
  fortune；〃　and　other　words　of　compliment　and　confusion。
  〃Do　you　play　much？〃　the　foreign　mask　said。
  〃I　put　a　Nap　or　two　down；〃　said　Jos　with　a　superb　air；
  flinging　down　a　gold　piece。
  〃Yes；　ay　nap　after　dinner；〃　said　the　mask　archly。　　But
  Jos　looking　frightened；　she　continued；　in　her　pretty
  French　accent；　〃You　do　not　play　to　win。　　No　more　do　I。
  I　play　to　forget；　but　I　cannot。　　I　cannot　forget　old　times；
  monsieur。　　Your　little　nephew　is　the　image　of　his　father；
  and　youyou　are　not　changedbut　yes；　you　are。
  Everybody　changes；　everybody　forgets；　nobody　has
  any　heart。〃
  〃Good　God；　who　is　it？〃　asked　Jos　in　a　flutter。
  〃Can't　you　guess；　Joseph　Sedley？〃　said　the　little
  woman　in　a　sad　voice；　and　undoing　her　mask；　she
  looked　at　him。　　〃You　have　forgotten　me。〃
  〃Good　heavens！　　Mrs。　Crawley！〃　gasped　out　Jos。
  〃Rebecca；〃　said　the　other；　putting　her　hand　on　his；
  but　she　followed　the　game　still；　all　the　time　she　was
  looking　at　him。
  〃I　am　stopping　at　the　Elephant；〃　she　continued。　　〃Ask
  for　Madame　de　Raudon。　　I　saw　my　dear　Amelia　to…day；
  how　pretty　she　looked；　and　how　happy！　　So　do　you！
  Everybody　but　me；　who　am　wretched；　Joseph　Sedley。〃
  And　she　put　her　money　over　from　the　red　to　the　black；
  as　if　by　a　chance　movement　of　her　hand；　and　while　she
  was　wiping　her　eyes　with　a　pocket…handkerchief　fringed
  with　torn　lace。
  The　red　came　up　again；　and　she　lost　the　whole　of　that
  stake。~　〃Come　away；〃　she　said。　　〃Come　with　me　a　little
  we　are　old　friends；　are　we　not；　dear　Mr。　Sedley？〃
  And　Mr。　Kirsch　having　lost　all　his　money　by　this
  time；　followed　his　master　out　into　the　moonlight；　where
  the　illuminations　were　winking　out　and　the　transparency
  over　our　mission　was　scarcely　visible。
  CHAPTER　LXIV
  A　Vagabond　Chapter
  We　must　pass　over　a　part　of　Mrs。　Rebecca　Crawley's
  biography　with　that　lightness　and　delicacy　which　the
  world　demandsthe　moral　world；　that　has；　perhaps；　no
  particular　objection　to　vice；　but　an　insuperable　repugnance
  to　hearing　vice　called　by　its　proper　name。　　There
  are　things　we　do　and　know　perfectly　well　in　Vanity　Fair；
  though　we　never　speak　of　them：　　as　the　Ahrimanians
  worship　the　devil；　but　don't　mention　him：　　and　a　polite
  public　will　no　more　bear　to　read　an　authentic　description
  of　vice　than　a　truly　refined　English　or　American　female
  will　permit　the　word　breeches　to　be　pronounced　in　her
  chaste　hearing。　　And　yet；　madam；　both　are　walking　the
  world　before　our　faces　every　day；　without　much　shocking
  us。　　If　you　were　to　blush　every　time　they　went　by；　what
  complexions　you　would　have！　　It　is　only　when　their
  naughty　names　are　called　out　that　your　modesty　has　any
  occasion　to　show　alarm　or　sense　of　outrage；　and　it　has
  been　the　wish　of　the　present　writer；　all　through　this　story；
  deferentially　to　submit　to　the　fashion　at　present　prevailing；
  and　only　to　hint　at　the　existence　of　wickedness　in　a
  light；　easy；　and　agreeable　manner；　so　that　nobody's　fine
  feelings　may　be　offended。　　I　defy　any　one　to　say　that
  our　Becky；　who　has　certainly　some　vices；　has　not　been
  presented　to　the　public　in　a　perfectly　genteel　and
  inoffensive　manner。　　In　describing　this　Siren；　singing　and
  smiling；　coaxing　and　cajoling；　the　author；　with　modest　pride；
  asks　his　readers　all　round；　has　he　once　forgotten　the
  laws　of　politeness；　and　showed　the　monster's　hideous　tail
  above　water？　No！　　Those　who　like　may　peep　down　under
  waves　that　are　pretty　transparent　and　see　it　writhing　and
  twirling；　diabolically　hideous　and　slimy；　flapping　amongst
  bones；　or　curling　round　corpses；　but　above　the　waterline；
  I　ask；　has　not　everything　been　proper；　agreeable；
  and　decorous；　and　has　any　the　most　squeamish　immoralist
  in　Vanity　Fair　a　right　to　cry　fie？　When；　however；　the　Siren
  disappears　and　dives　below；　down　among　the　dead　men；
  the　water　of　course　grows　turbid　over　her；　and　it　is　labour
  lost　to　look　into　it　ever　so　curiously。　　They　look　pretty
  enough　when　they　sit　upon　a　rock；　twanging　their　harps
  and　combing　their　hair；　and　sing；　and　beckon　to　you　to
  come　and　hold　the　looking…glass；　but　when　they　sink
  into　their　native　element；　depend　on　it；　those　mermaids
  are　about　no　good；　and　we　had　best　not　examine　the
  fiendish　marine　cannibals；　revelling　and　feasting　on　their
  wretched　pickled　victims。　　And　so；　when　Becky　is　out　of
  the　way；　be　sure　that　she　is　not　particularly　well
  employed；　and　that　the　less　that　is　said　about　her　doings
  is　in　fact　the　better。
  If　we　were　to　give　a　full　account　of　her　proceedings
  during　a　couple　of　years　that　followed　after　the　Curzon
  Street　catastrophe；　there　might　be　some　reason　for
  people　to　say　this　book　was　improper。　　The　actions　of　very
  vain；　heartless；　pleasure…seeking　people　are　very　often
  improper　（as　are　many　of　yours；　my　friend　with　the
  grave　face　and　spotless　reputationbut　that　is　merely
  by　the　way）；　and　what　are　those　of　a　woman　without
  faithor　loveor　character？　And　I　am　inclined　to　think
  that　there　was　a　period　in　Mrs　Becky's　life　when
  she　was　seized；　not　by　remorse；　but　by　a　kind　of　despair；
  and　absolutely　neglected　her　person　and　did　not　even
  care　for　her　reputation。
  This　abattement　and　degradation　did　not　take　place
  all　at　once；　it　was　brought　about　by　degrees；　after　her
  calamity；　and　after　many　struggles　to　keep　upas　a
  man　who　goes　overboard　hangs　on　to　a　spar　whilst　any
  hope　is　left；　and　then　flings　it　away　and　goes　down；　when
  he　finds　that　struggling　is　in　vain。
  She　lingered　about　London　whilst　her　husband　was
  making　preparations　for　his　departure　to　his　seat　of
  government；　and　it　is　believed　made　more　than　one
  attempt　to　see　her　brother…in…law；　Sir　Pitt　Crawley；　and　to
  work　upon　his　feelings；　which　she　had　almost
  enlisted　in　her　favour。　　As　Sir　Pitt　and　Mr。　Wenham　were
  walking　down　to　the　House　of　Commons；　the　latter　spied
  Mrs。　Rawdon　in　a　black　veil；　and　lurking　near　the　palace
  of　the　legislature。　　She　sneaked　away　when　her　eyes　met
  those　of　Wenham；　and　indeed　never　succeeded　in　her
  designs　upon　the　Baronet。
  Probably　Lady　Jane　interposed。　　I　have　heard　that　she
  quite　astonished　her　husband　by　the　spirit　which　she
  exhibited　in　this　quarrel；　and　her　determination　to　disown
  Mrs。　Becky。　　Of　her　own　movement；　she　invited　Rawdon
  to　come　and　stop　in　Gaunt　Street　until　his　departure　for
  Coventry　Island；　knowing　that　with　him　for　a　guard　Mrs。
  Becky　would　not　try　to　force　her　door；　and　she　looked
  curiously　at　the　superscriptions　of　all　the　letters　which
  arrived　for　Sir　Pitt；　lest　he　and　his　sister…in…law　should
  be　corresponding。　　Not　but　that　Rebecca　could　have
  written　had　she　a　mind；　but　she　did　not　try　to　see　or　to　write
  to　Pitt　at　his　own　house；　and　after　one　or　two　attempts
  consented　to　his　demand　that　the　correspondence
  regarding　her　conjugal　differences　should　be　carried　on　by
  lawyers　only。
  The　fact　was　that　Pitt's　mind　had　been　poisoned　against
  her。　　A　short　time　after　Lord　Steyne's　accident　Wenham
  had　been　with　the　Baronet　and　given　him　such　a　biography
  of　Mrs。　Becky　as　had　astonished　the　member　for
  Queen's　Crawley。　　He　knew　everything　regarding　her：
  who　her　father　was；　in　what　year　her　mother　danced　at
  the　opera；　what　had　been　her　previous　history；　and　what
  her　conduct　during　her　married　lifeas　I　have　no　doubt
  that　the　greater　part　of　the　story　was　false　and
  dictated　by　interested　malevolence；　it　shall　not　be　repeated
  here。　　But　Becky　was　left　with　a　sad　sad　reputation　in　the
  esteem　of　a　country　gentleman　and　relative　who　had
  been　once　rather　partial　to　her。
  The　revenues　of　the　Governor　of　Coventry　Island　are
  not　large。　　A　part　of　them　were　set　aside　by　his　Excellency
  for　the　payment　of　certain　outstanding　debts　and
  liabilities；　the　charges　incident　on　his　high　situation
  required　consi