第 189 节
作者:左思右想      更新:2021-02-19 19:48      字数:9321
  ready to call her du and to swear eternal friendship for
  her than they had been to bestow the same inestimable
  benefits upon Amelia。  Love and Liberty are interpreted
  by those simple Germans in a way which honest folks in
  Yorkshire and Somersetshire little understand; and a lady
  might; in some philosophic and civilized towns; be
  divorced ever so many times from her respective husbands
  and keep her character in society。  Jos's house never was
  so pleasant since he had a house of his own as Rebecca
  caused it to be。  She sang; she played; she laughed; she
  talked in two or three languages; she brought everybody
  to the house; and she made Jos believe that it was his
  own great social talents and wit which gathered the
  society of the place round about him。
  As for Emmy; who found herself not in the least
  mistress of her own house; except when the bills were
  to be paid; Becky soon discovered the way to soothe and
  please her。  She talked to her perpetually about Major
  Dobbin sent about his business; and made no scruple
  of declaring her admiration for that excellent; high…
  minded gentleman; and of telling Emmy that she had
  behaved most cruelly regarding him。  Emmy defended her
  conduct and showed that it was dictated only by the
  purest religious principles; that a woman once; &c。; and to
  such an angel as him whom she had had the good
  fortune to marry; was married forever; but she had no
  objection to hear the Major praised as much as ever
  Becky chose to praise him; and indeed; brought the
  conversation round to the Dobbin subject a score of times
  every day。
  Means were easily found to win the favour of Georgy
  and the servants。  Amelia's maid; it has been said; was
  heart and soul in favour of the generous Major。  Having at
  first disliked Becky for being the means of dismissing
  him from the presence of her mistress; she was reconciled
  to Mrs。 Crawley subsequently; because the latter
  became William's most ardent admirer and champion。  And
  in those nightly conclaves in which the two ladies
  indulged after their parties; and while Miss Payne was
  〃brushing their 'airs;〃 as she called the yellow locks of
  the one and the soft brown tresses of the other; this
  girl always put in her word for that dear good gentleman
  Major Dobbin。  Her advocacy did not make Amelia
  angry any more than Rebecca's admiration of him。  She
  made George write to him constantly and persisted in
  sending Mamma's kind love in a postscript。  And as she
  looked at her husband's portrait of nights; it no longer
  reproached herperhaps she reproached it; now
  William was gone。
  Emmy was not very happy after her heroic sacrifice。
  She was very distraite; nervous; silent; and ill to please。
  The family had never known her so peevish。  She grew
  pale and ill。  She used to try to sing certain songs
  (〃Einsam bin ich nicht alleine;〃 was one of them; that tender
  love…song of Weber's which~ in old…fashioned days;
  young ladies; and when you were scarcely born; showed
  that those who lived before you knew too how to love
  and to sing) certain songs; I say; to which the Major
  was partial; and as she warbled them in the twilight in the
  drawing…room; she would break off in the midst of the
  song; and walk into her neighbouring apartment; and
  there; no doubt; take refuge in the miniature of her
  husband。
  Some books still subsisted; after Dobbin's departure;
  with his name written in them; a German dictionary; for
  instance; with 〃William Dobbin; th Reg。;〃 in the fly…leaf;
  a guide…book with his initials; and one or two other
  volumes which belonged to the Major。  Emmy cleared these
  away and put them on the drawers; where she placed her
  work…box; her desk; her Bible; and prayer…book; under
  the pictures of the two Georges。  And the Major; on going
  away; having left his gloves behind him; it is a fact that
  Georgy; rummaging his mother's desk some time
  afterwards; found the gloves neatly folded up and put away in
  what they call the secret…drawers of the desk。
  Not caring for society; and moping there a great deal;
  Emmy's chief pleasure in the summer evenings was to
  take long walks with Georgy (during which Rebecca
  was left to the society of Mr。 Joseph); and then the
  mother and son used to talk about the Major in a way
  which even made the boy smile。  She told him that she
  thought Major William was the best man in all the world
  the gentlest and the kindest; the bravest and the
  humblest。  Over and over again she told him how they owed
  everything which they possessed in the world to that
  kind friend's benevolent care of them; how he had
  befriended them all through their poverty and misfortunes;
  watched over them when nobody cared for them; how all
  his comrades admired him though he never spoke of his
  own gallant actions; how Georgy's father trusted him
  beyond all other men; and had been constantly befriended
  by the good William。  〃Why; when your papa was a little
  boy;〃 she said; 〃he often told me that it was William
  who defended him against a tyrant at the school where
  they were; and their friendship never ceased from that
  day until the last; when your dear father fell。〃
  〃Did Dobbin kill the man who killed Papa?〃 Georgy
  said。  〃I'm sure he did; or he would if he could have
  caught him; wouldn't he; Mother? When I'm in the Army;
  won't I hate the French?that's all。〃
  In such colloquies the mother and the child passed a
  great deal of their time together。  The artless woman had
  made a confidant of the boy。  He was as much William's
  friend as everybody else who knew him well。
  By the way; Mrs。 Becky; not to be behind hand in
  sentiment; had got a miniature too hanging up in her
  room; to the surprise and amusement of most people;
  and the delight of the original; who was no other than
  our friend Jos。  On her first coming to favour the Sedleys
  with a visit; the little woman; who had arrived with a
  remarkably small shabby kit; was perhaps ashamed of the
  meanness of her trunks and bandboxes; and often spoke
  with great respect about her baggage left behind at
  Leipzig; which she must have from that city。  When a traveller
  talks to you perpetually about the splendour of his
  luggage; which he does not happen to have with him; my
  son; beware of that traveller!  He is; ten to one; an
  impostor。
  Neither Jos nor Emmy knew this important maxim。  It
  seemed to them of no consequence whether Becky had a
  quantity of very fine clothes in invisible trunks; but
  as her present supply was exceedingly shabby; Emmy
  supplied her out of her own stores; or took her to the
  best milliner in the town and there fitted her out。  It was
  no more torn collars now; I promise you; and faded silks
  trailing off at the shoulder。  Becky changed her habits
  with her situation in lifethe rouge…pot was suspended
  another excitement to which she had accustomed
  herself was also put aside; or at least only indulged in in
  privacy; as when she was prevailed on by Jos of a
  summer evening; Emmy and the boy being absent on their
  walks; to take a little spirit…and…water。  But if she did not
  indulgethe courier did:  that rascal Kirsch could not
  be kept from the bottle; nor could he tell how much
  he took when he applied to it。  He was sometimes
  surprised himself at the way in which Mr。 Sedley's Cognac
  diminished。  Well; well; this is a painful subject。  Becky
  did not very likely indulge so much as she used before
  she entered a decorous family。
  At last the much…bragged…about boxes arrived from
  Leipzig; three of them not by any means large or splendid;
  nor did Becky appear to take out any sort of dresses
  or ornaments from the boxes when they did arrive。  But
  out of one; which contained a mass of her papers (it
  was that very box which Rawdon Crawley had
  ransacked in his furious hunt for Becky's concealed money);
  she took a picture with great glee; which she pinned up
  in her room; and to which she introduced Jos。  It was
  the portrait of a gentleman in pencil; his face having the
  advantage of being painted up in pink。  He was riding
  on an elephant away from some cocoa…nut trees and a
  pagoda:  it was an Eastern scene。
  〃God bless my soul; it is my portrait;〃 Jos cried out。
  It was he indeed; blooming in youth and beauty; in a
  nankeen jacket of the cut of 1804。  It was the old picture
  that used to hang up in Russell Square。
  〃I bought it;〃 said Becky in a voice trembling with
  emotion; 〃I went to see if I could be of any use to my kind
  friends。  I have never parted with that pictureI never
  will。〃
  〃Won't you?〃 Jos cried with a look of unutterable
  rapture and satisfaction。  〃Did you really now value it
  for my sake?〃
  〃You know I did; well enough;〃 said Becky; 〃but
  why speakwhy thinkwhy look back!  It is too late
  now!〃
  That evening's conversation was delicious for Jos。
  Emmy only came in to go to bed very tired and unwell。
  Jos and his fair guest had a charming tete…a…tete; and
  his sister could hear; as she lay awake in her adjoining
  chamber; Rebecca singing over to Jos the old songs of
  1815。  He did not sleep; for a wonder; that night; any
  more than Amelia。
  It was June; and; by consequence; high season in
  London; Jos; who read the incomparable Galignani (the
  exile's best friend) through every day; used to favour the
  ladies with extracts from his