vanity fair(名利场)-第123章

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day；　and　greatly　to　her　wonder；　the　Reverend　Mr。　Binny；
just　mentioned；　asked　her　to　change　her　name　of　Osborne
for　his　own；　when；　with　deep　blushes　and　tears　in　her
eyes　and　voice；　she　thanked　him　for　his　regard　for　her；
expressed　gratitude　for　his　attentions　to　her　and　to　her
poor　little　boy；　but　said　that　she　never；　never　could
think　of　any　butbut　the　husband　whom　she　had　lost。
On　the　twenty…fifth　of　April；　and　the　eighteenth　of
June；　the　days　of　marriage　and　widowhood；　she　kept　her
room　entirely；　consecrating　them　（and　we　do　not　know
how　many　hours　of　solitary　night…thought；　her　little　boy
sleeping　in　his　crib　by　her　bedside）　to　the　memory　of　that
departed　friend。　　During　the　day　she　was　more　active。
She　had　to　teach　George　to　read　and　to　write　and　a　little
to　draw。　　She　read　books；　in　order　that　she　might　tell
him　stories　from　them。　　As　his　eyes　opened　and　his　mind
expanded　under　the　influence　of　the　outward　nature
round　about　him；　she　taught　the　child；　to　the　best　of
her　humble　power；　to　acknowledge　the　Maker　of　all；　and
every　night　and　every　morning　he　and　she（in　that
awful　and　touching　communion　which　I　think　must　bring
a　thrill　to　the　heart　of　every　man　who　witnesses　or　who
remembers　it）the　mother　and　the　little　boyprayed
to　Our　Father　together；　the　mother　pleading　with　all　her
gentle　heart；　the　child　lisping　after　her　as　she　spoke。　　And
each　time　they　prayed　to　God　to　bless　dear　Papa；　as
if　he　were　alive　and　in　the　room　with　them。
To　wash　and　dress　this　young　gentlemanto　take　him
for　a　run　of　the　mornings；　before　breakfast；　and　the
retreat　of　grandpapa　for　〃business〃to　make　for　him　the
most　wonderful　and　ingenious　dresses；　for　which　end　the
thrifty　widow　cut　up　and　altered　every　available　little　bit
of　finery　which　she　possessed　out　of　her　wardrobe　during
her　marriagefor　Mrs。　Osborne　herself　（greatly　to　her
mother's　vexation；　who　preferred　fine　clothes；　especially
since　her　misfortunes）　always　wore　a　black　gown　and　a
straw　bonnet　with　a　black　ribbonoccupied　her　many
hours　of　the　day。　　Others　she　had　to　spare；　at　the　service
of　her　mother　and　her　old　father。　　She　had　taken　the　pains
to　learn；　and　used　to　play　cribbage　with　this　gentleman
on　the　nights　when　he　did　not　go　to　his　club。　　She　sang
for　him　when　he　was　so　minded；　and　it　was　a　good
sign；　for　he　invariably　fell　into　a　comfortable　sleep　during
the　music。　　She　wrote　out　his　numerous　memorials；
letters；　prospectuses；　and　projects。　　It　was　in　her　
handwriting　that　most　of　the　old　gentleman's　former
acquaintances　were　informed　that　he　had　become　an　agent　for
the　Black　Diamond　and　Anti…Cinder　Coal　Company　and
could　supply　his　friends　and　the　public　with　the　best　coals
at　s。　　per　chaldron。　　All　he　did　was　to　sign　the　circulars
with　his　flourish　and　signature；　and　direct　them　in　a
shaky；　clerklike　hand。　　One　of　these　papers　was　sent　to
Major　Dobbin；　Regt。；　care　of　Messrs。　　Cox　and　Greenwood；
but　the　Major　being　in　Madras　at　the　time；　had　no
particular　call　for　coals。　　He　knew；　though；　the　hand
which　had　written　the　prospectus。　　Good　God！　what
would　he　not　have　given　to　hold　it　in　his　own！　　A　second
prospectus　came　out；　informing　the　Major　that　J。　　Sedley
and　Company；　having　established　agencies　at　Oporto；
Bordeaux；　and　St。　　Mary's；　were　enabled　to　offer　to　their
friends　and　the　public　generally　the　finest　and　most
celebrated　growths　of　ports；　sherries；　and　claret　wines　at
reasonable　prices　and　under　extraordinary　advantages。
Acting　upon　this　hint；　Dobbin　furiously　canvassed　the
governor；　the　commander…in…chief；　the　judges；　the
regiments；　and　everybody　whom　he　knew　in　the　Presidency；
and　sent　home　to　Sedley　and　Co。　　orders　for　wine　which
perfectly　astonished　Mr。　Sedley　and　Mr。　Clapp；　who　was
the　Co。　　in　the　business。　　But　no　more　orders　came　after
that　first　burst　of　good　fortune；　on　which　poor　old　Sedley
was　about　to　build　a　house　in　the　City；　a　regiment　of
clerks；　a　dock　to　himself；　and　correspondents　all　over
the　world。　　The　old　gentleman's　former　taste　in　wine　had
gone：　　the　curses　of　the　mess…room　assailed　Major　Dobbin
for　the　vile　drinks　he　had　been　the　means　of　introducing
there；　and　he　bought　back　a　great　quantity　of　the　wine
and　sold　it　at　public　outcry；　at　an　enormous　loss　to　himself。
As　for　Jos；　who　was　by　this　time　promoted　to　a　seat
at　the　Revenue　Board　at　Calcutta；　he　was　wild　with　rage
when　the　post　brought　him　out　a　bundle　of　these
Bacchanalian　prospectuses；　with　a　private　note　from　his
father；　telling　Jos　that　his　senior　counted　upon　him　in
this　enterprise；　and　had　consigned　a　quantity　of　select
wines　to　him；　as　per　invoice；　drawing　bills　upon　him　for
the　amount　of　the　same。　　Jos；　who　would　no　more　have　it
supposed　that　his　father；　Jos　Sedley's　father；　of　the　Board
of　Revenue；　was　a　wine　merchant　asking　for　orders；　than
that　he　was　Jack　Ketch；　refused　the　bills　with　scorn；　wrote
back　contumeliously　to　the　old　gentleman；　bidding　him
to　mind　his　own　affairs；　and　the　protested　paper　coming
back；　Sedley　and　Co。　　had　to　take　it　up；　with　the　profits
which　they　had　made　out　of　the　Madras　venture；　and
with　a　little　portion　of　Emmy's　savings。
Besides　her　pension　of　fifty　pounds　a　year；　there　had
been　five　hundred　pounds；　as　her　husband's　executor
stated；　left　in　the　agent's　hands　at　the　time　of　Osborne's
demise；　which　sum；　as　George's　guardian；　Dobbin
proposed　to　put　out　at　8　per　cent　in　an　Indian　house　of
agency。　　Mr。　Sedley；　who　thought　the　Major　had　some
roguish　intentions　of　his　own　about　the　money；　was
strongly　against　this　plan；　and　he　went　to　the　agents　to
protest　personally　against　the　employment　of　the　money
in　question；　when　he　learned；　to　his　surprise；　that　there
had　been　no　such　sum　in　their　hands；　that　all　the　late
Captain's　assets　did　not　amount　to　a　hundred　pounds；
and　that　the　five　hundred　pounds　in　question　must　be　a
separate　sum；　of　which　Major　Dobbin　knew　the　particulars。
More　than　ever　convinced　that　there　was　some
roguery；　old　Sedley　pursued　the　Major。　　As　his　daughter's
nearest　friend；　he　demanded　with　a　high　hand　a　statement
of　the　late　Captain's　accounts。　　Dobbin's　stammering；
blushing；　and　awkwardness　added　to　the　other's
convictions　that　he　had　a　rogue　to　deal　with；　and　in　a
majestic　tone　he　told　that　officer　a　piece　of　his　mind；　as
he　called　it；　simply　stating　his　belief　that　the　Major　was
unlawfully　detaining　his　late　son…in…law's　money。
Dobbin　at　this　lost　all　patience；　and　if　his　accuser　had
not　been　so　old　and　so　broken；　a　quarrel　might　have
ensued　between　them　at　the　Slaughters'　Coffee…house；　in
a　box　of　which　place　of　entertainment　the　gentlemen　had
their　colloquy。　　〃Come　upstairs；　sir；〃　lisped　out　the
Major。　　〃I　insist　on　your　coming　up　the　stairs；　and　I　will
show　which　is　the　injured　party；　poor　George　or　I〃；　and；
dragging　the　old　gentleman　up　to　his　bedroom；　he
produced　from　his　desk　Osborne's　accounts；　and　a　bundle
of　IOU's　which　the　latter　had　given；　who；　to　do　him
justice；　was　always　ready　to　give　an　IOU。　　〃He　paid
his　bills　in　England；〃　Dobbin　added；　〃but　he　had　not　a
hundred　pounds　in　the　world　when　he　fell。　　I　and　one　or
two　of　his　brother　officers　made　up　the　little　sum；　which
was　all　that　we　could　spare；　and　you　dare　tell　us　that
we　are　trying　to　cheat　the　widow　and　the　orphan。〃
Sedley　was　very　contrite　and　humbled；　though　the　fact　is
that　William　Dobbin　had　told　a　great　falsehood　to　the　old
gentleman；　having　himself　given　every　shilling　of　the
money；　having　buried　his　friend；　and　paid　all　the　fees　and
charges　incident　upon　the　calamity　and　removal　of　poor
Amelia。
About　these　expenses　old　Osborne　had　never　given
himself　any　trouble　to　think；　nor　any　other　relative　of
Amelia；　nor　Amelia　herself；　indeed。　　She　trusted　to　Major
Dobbin　as　an　accountant；　took　his　somewhat　confused
calculations　for　granted；　and　never　once　suspected　how
much　she　was　in　his　debt。
Twice　or　thrice　in　the　year；　according　to　her　promise；
she　wrote　him　letters　to　Madras；　letters　all　about
little　Georgy。　　How　he　treasured　these　papers！　　Whenever
Amelia　wrote　he　answered；　and　not　until　then。　　But
he　sent　over　endless　remembrances　of　himself　to　his
godson　and　to　her。　　He　ordered　and　sent　a　box　of　scarfs
and　a　gr