vanity fair(名利场)-第178章

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waistcoat；　brought　jellies　and　delicacies　from　Russell　Square　to
Coram　Street。　　Coram　Street　trembled　and　looked　up　to
Russell　Square　indeed；　and　Mrs。　Todd；　who　had　a　pretty
hand　at　cutting　out　paper　trimmings　for　haunches　of
mutton；　and　could　make　flowers；　ducks；　&c。；　out　of　turnips
and　carrots　in　a　very　creditable　manner；　would　go　to　〃the
Square；〃　as　it　was　called；　and　assist　in　the　preparations
incident　to　a　great　dinner；　without　even　so　much　as
thinking　of　sitting　down　to　the　banquet。　　If　any　guest　failed　at
the　eleventh　hour；　Todd　was　asked　to　dine。　　Mrs。　Todd　and
Maria　came　across　in　the　evening；　slipped　in　with　a　muffled
knock；　and　were　in　the　drawing…room　by　the　time　Miss
Osborne　and　the　ladies　under　her　convoy　reached　that
apartmentand　ready　to　fire　off　duets　and　sing　until
the　gentlemen　came　up。　　Poor　Maria　Todd；　poor　young
lady！　　How　she　had　to　work　and　thrum　at　these　duets
and　sonatas　in　the　Street；　before　they　appeared　in　public
in　the　Square！
Thus　it　seemed　to　be　decreed　by　fate　that　Georgy
was　to　domineer　over　everybody　with　whom　he　came　in
contact；　and　that　friends；　relatives；　and　domestics　were
all　to　bow　the　knee　before　the　little　fellow。　　It　must
be　owned　that　he　accommodated　himself　very　willingly
to　this　arrangement。　　Most　people　do　so。　　And　Georgy
liked　to　play　the　part　of　master　and　perhaps　had　a
natural　aptitude　for　it。
In　Russell　Square　everybody　was　afraid　of　Mr。　Osborne；
and　Mr。　Osborne　was　afraid　of　Georgy。　　The　boy's
dashing　manners；　and　offhand　rattle　about　books　and
learning；　his　likeness　to　his　father　（dead　unreconciled　in
Brussels　yonder）　awed　the　old　gentleman　and　gave　the
young　boy　the　mastery。　　The　old　man　would　start　at
some　hereditary　feature　or　tone　unconsciously　used　by
the　little　lad；　and　fancy　that　George's　father　was　again
before　him。　　He　tried　by　indulgence　to　the　grandson　to
make　up　for　harshness　to　the　elder　George。　　People　were
surprised　at　his　gentleness　to　the　boy。　　He　growled　and
swore　at　Miss　Osborne　as　usual；　and　would　smile　when
George　came　down　late　for　breakfast。
Miss　Osborne；　George's　aunt；　was　a　faded　old　spinster；
broken　down　by　more　than　forty　years　of　dulness　and
coarse　usage。　　It　was　easy　for　a　lad　of　spirit　to　master　her。
And　whenever　George　wanted　anything　from　her；　from　the
jam…pots　in　her　cupboards　to　the　cracked　and　dry　old
colours　in　her　paint…box　（the　old　paint…box　which　she
had　had　when　she　was　a　pupil　of　Mr。　Smee　and　was
still　almost　young　and　blooming）；　Georgy　took　possession
of　the　object　of　his　desire；　which　obtained；　he　took　no
further　notice　of　his　aunt。
For　his　friends　and　cronies；　he　had　a　pompous　old
schoolmaster；　who　flattered　him；　and　a　toady；　his　senior；
whom　he　could　thrash。　　It　was　dear　Mrs。　Todd's　delight　to
leave　him　with　her　youngest　daughter；　Rosa　Jemima；　a
darling　child　of　eight　years　old。　　The　little　pair　looked　so
well　together；　she　would　say　（but　not　to　the　folks　in　〃the
Square；〃　we　may　be　sure）　〃who　knows　what　might
happen？　Don't　they　make　a　pretty　little　couple？〃　the
fond　mother　thought。
The　broken…spirited；　old；　maternal　grandfather　was
likewise　subject　to　the　little　tyrant。　　He　could　not　help
respecting　a　lad　who　had　such　fine　clothes　and　rode　with
a　groom　behind　him。　　Georgy；　on　his　side；　was　in　the
constant　habit　of　hearing　coarse　abuse　and　vulgar　satire
levelled　at　John　Sedley　by　his　pitiless　old　enemy；　Mr。
Osborne。　　Osborne　used　to　call　the　other　the　old　pauper；
the　old　coal…man；　the　old　bankrupt；　and　by　many　other
such　names　of　brutal　contumely。　　How　was　little　George
to　respect　a　man　so　prostrate？　A　few　months　after　he
was　with　his　paternal　grandfather；　Mrs。　Sedley　died。
There　had　been　little　love　between　her　and　the　child。
He　did　not　care　to　show　much　grief。　　He　came　down　to
visit　his　mother　in　a　fine　new　suit　of　mourning；　and　was
very　angry　that　he　could　not　go　to　a　play　upon　which
he　had　set　his　heart。
The　illness　of　that　old　lady　had　been　the　occupation
and　perhaps　the　safeguard　of　Amelia。　　What　do　men　know
about　women's　martyrdoms？　We　should　go　mad　had
we　to　endure　the　hundredth　part　of　those　daily　pains
which　are　meekly　borne　by　many　women。　　Ceaseless
slavery　meeting　with　no　reward；　constant　gentleness　and
kindness　met　by　cruelty　as　constant；　love；　labour；　patience；
watchfulness；　without　even　so　much　as　the　acknowledgement
of　a　good　word；　all　this；　how　many　of　them　have
to　bear　in　quiet；　and　appear　abroad　with　cheerful　faces
as　if　they　felt　nothing。　　Tender　slaves　that　they　are；　they
must　needs　be　hypocrites　and　weak。
From　her　chair　Amelia's　mother　had　taken　to　her　bed；
which　she　had　never　left；　and　from　which　Mrs。　Osborne
herself　was　never　absent　except　when　she　ran　to　see
George。　　The　old　lady　grudged　her　even　those　rare　visits；
she；　who　had　been　a　kind；　smiling；　good…natured　mother
once；　in　the　days　of　her　prosperity；　but　whom　poverty
and　infirmities　had　broken　down。　　Her　illness　or　estrangement
did　not　affect　Amelia。　　They　rather　enabled　her　to
support　the　other　calamity　under　which　she　was　suffering；
and　from　the　thoughts　of　which　she　was　kept　by　the
ceaseless　calls　of　the　invalid。　　Amelia　bore　her　harshness
quite　gently；　smoothed　the　uneasy　pillow；　was　always
ready　with　a　soft　answer　to　the　watchful；　querulous
voice；　soothed　the　sufferer　with　words　of　hope；　such　as
her　pious　simple　heart　could　best　feel　and　utter；　and
closed　the　eyes　that　had　once　looked　so　tenderly　upon
her。
Then　all　her　time　and　tenderness　were　devoted　to　the
consolation　and　comfort　of　the　bereaved　old　father；　who
was　stunned　by　the　blow　which　had　befallen　him；　and
stood　utterly　alone　in　the　world。　　His　wife；　his　honour；
his　fortune；　everything　he　loved　best　had　fallen　away
from　him。　　There　was　only　Amelia　to　stand　by　and　support
with　her　gentle　arms　the　tottering；　heart…broken　old　man。
We　are　not　going　to　write　the　history：　　it　would　be　too
dreary　and　stupid。　　I　can　see　Vanity　Fair　yawning　over　it
d'avance。
One　day　as　the　young　gentlemen　were　assembled
in　the　study　at　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Veal's；　and　the　domestic
chaplain　to　the　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Bareacres
was　spouting　away　as　usual；　a　smart　carriage　drove　up
to　the　door　decorated　with　the　statue　of　Athene；　and　two
gentlemen　stepped　out。　　The　young　Masters　Bangles　rushed
to　the　window　with　a　vague　notion　that　their　father
might　have　arrived　from　Bombay。　　The　great　hulking
scholar　of　three…and…twenty；　who　was　crying　secretly　over　a
passage　of　Eutropius；　flattened　his　neglected　nose　against
the　panes　and　looked　at　the　drag；　as　the　laquais　de　place
sprang　from　the　box　and　let　out　the　persons　in　the　carriage。
〃It's　a　fat　one　and　a　thin　one；〃　Mr。　Bluck　said　as　a
thundering　knock　came　to　the　door。
Everybody　was　interested；　from　the　domestic　chaplain
himself；　who　hoped　he　saw　the　fathers　of　some　future
pupils；　down　to　Master　Georgy；　glad　of　any　pretext　for
laying　his　book　down。
The　boy　in　the　shabby　livery　with　the　faded　copper
buttons；　who　always　thrust　himself　into　the　tight　coat
to　open　the　door；　came　into　the　study　and　said；　〃Two
gentlemen　want　to　see　Master　Osborne。〃　The　professor
had　had　a　trifling　altercation　in　the　morning　with　that
young　gentleman；　owing　to　a　difference　about　the
introduction　of　crackers　in　school…time；　but　his　face
resumed　its　habitual　expression　of　bland　courtesy　as　he
said；　〃Master　Osborne；　I　give　you　full　permission　to　go
and　see　your　carriage　friendsto　whom　I　beg　you　to
convey　the　respectful　compliments　of　myself　and　Mrs。
Veal。〃
Georgy　went　into　the　reception…room　and　saw　two
strangers；　whom　he　looked　at　with　his　head　up；　in　his
usual　haughty　manner。　　One　was　fat；　with　mustachios；
and　the　other　was　lean　and　long；　in　a　blue　frock…coat；
with　a　brown　face　and　a　grizzled　head。
〃My　God；　how　like　he　is！〃　said　the　long　gentleman
with　a　start。　　〃Can　you　guess　who　we　are；　George？〃
The　boy's　face　flushed　up；　as　it　did　usually　when　he
was　moved；　and　his　eyes　brightened。　　〃I　don't　know　the
other；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　should　think　you　must　be　Major
Dobbin。〃
Indeed　it　was　our　old　friend。　　His　voice　trembled
with　pleasure　as　he　greeted　the　boy；　and　taking　both　the
other's　hands　in　his　own；　drew　the　lad　to　him。
〃Your　mother　has　talked　to　you