vanity fair(名利场)-第203章

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people　did　so　fancy；　and　Becky　was　for　a　while　one　of　the
most　dashing　ladies　of　the　Countess's　salons。
But　it　is　probable　that　her　old　creditors　of　1815　found
her　out　and　caused　her　to　leave　Paris；　for　the　poor　little
woman　was　forced　to　fly　from　the　city　rather　suddenly；
and　went　thence　to　Brussels。
How　well　she　remembered　the　place！　　She　grinned　as
she　looked　up　at　the　little　entresol　which　she　had
occupied；　and　thought　of　the　Bareacres　family；　bawling
for　horses　and　flight；　as　their　carriage　stood　in　the
porte…cochere　of　the　hotel。　　She　went　to　Waterloo　and　to
Laeken；　where　George　Osborne's　monument　much
struck　her。　　She　made　a　little　sketch　of　it。　　〃That　poor
Cupid！〃　she　said；　〃how　dreadfully　he　was　in　love　with
me；　and　what　a　fool　he　was！　　I　wonder　whether　little
Emmy　is　alive。　　It　was　a　good　little　creature；　and　that
fat　brother　of　hers。　　I　have　his　funny　fat　picture　still
among　my　papers。　　They　were　kind　simple　people。〃
At　Brussels　Becky　arrived；　recommended　by　Madame
de　Saint　Amour　to　her　friend；　Madame　la　Comtesse　de
Borodino；　widow　of　Napoleon's　General；　the　famous
Count　de　Borodino；　who　was　left　with　no　resource　by　the
deceased　hero　but　that　of　a　table　d'hote　and　an　ecarte
table。　　Second…rate　dandies　and　roues；　widow…ladies　who
always　have　a　lawsuit；　and　very　simple　English　folks；　who
fancy　they　see　〃Continental　society〃　at　these　houses；　put
down　their　money；　or　ate　their　meals；　at　Madame　de
Borodino's　tables。　　The　gallant　young　fellows　treated　the
company　round　to　champagne　at　the　table　d'hote；　rode
out　with　the　women；　or　hired　horses　on　country　excursions；
clubbed　money　to　take　boxes　at　the　play　or　the
opera；　betted　over　the　fair　shoulders　of　the　ladies　at　the
ecarte　tables；　and　wrote　home　to　their　parents　in
Devonshire　about　their　felicitous　introduction　to　foreign
society。
Here；　as　at　Paris；　Becky　was　a　boarding…house　queen；
and　ruled　in　select　pensions。　　She　never　refused　the
champagne；　or　the　bouquets；　or　the　drives　into　the　country；
or　the　private　boxes；　but　what　she　preferred　was　the
ecarte　at　night；and　she　played　audaciously。　　First　she
played　only　for　a　little；　then　for　five…franc　pieces；　then　for
Napoleons；　then　for　notes：　　then　she　would　not　be　able
to　pay　her　month's　pension：　　then　she　borrowed　from
the　young　gentlemen：　　then　she　got　into　cash　again　and
bullied　Madame　de　Borodino；　whom　she　had　coaxed　and
wheedled　before：　　then　she　was　playing　for　ten　sous　at　a
time；　and　in　a　dire　state　of　poverty：　　then　her　quarter's
allowance　would　come　in；　and　she　would　pay　off　Madame
de　Borodino's　score　and　would　once　more　take　the
cards　against　Monsieur　de　Rossignol；　or　the　Chevalier　de
Raff。
When　Becky　left　Brussels；　the　sad　truth　is　that　she
owed　three　months'　pension　to　Madame　de　Borodino；　of
which　fact；　and　of　the　gambling；　and　of　the　drinking；　and
of　the　going　down　on　her　knees　to　the　Reverend　Mr。
Muff；　Ministre　Anglican；　and　borrowing　money　of　him；
and　of　her　coaxing　and　flirting　with　Milor　Noodle；　son　of
Sir　Noodle；　pupil　of　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Muff；　whom　she　used
to　take　into　her　private　room；　and　of　whom　she　won
large　sums　at　ecarteof　which　fact；　I　say；　and　of　a
hundred　of　her　other　knaveries；　the　Countess　de
Borodino　informs　every　English　person　who　stops　at　her
establishment；　and　announces　that　Madame　Rawdon　was
no　better　than　a　vipere。
So　our　little　wanderer　went　about　setting　up　her　tent
in　various　cities　of　Europe；　as　restless　as　Ulysses　or
Bampfylde　Moore　Carew。　　Her　taste　for　disrespectability
grew　more　and　more　remarkable。　　She　became　a　perfect
Bohemian　ere　long；　herding　with　people　whom　it　would
make　your　hair　stand　on　end　to　meet。
There　is　no　town　of　any　mark　in　Europe　but　it　has　its
little　colony　of　English　raffsmen　whose　names　Mr。
Hemp　the　officer　reads　out　periodically　at　the　Sheriffs'
Courtyoung　gentlemen　of　very　good　family　often；　only
that　the　latter　disowns　them；　frequenters　of　billiard…
rooms　and　estaminets；　patrons　of　foreign　races　and
gaming…tables。　　They　people　the　debtors'　prisonsthey
drink　and　swaggerthey　fight　and　brawlthey　run　away
without　payingthey　have　duels　with　French　and　German
officersthey　cheat　Mr。　Spooney　at　ecartethey　get
the　money　and　drive　off　to　Baden　in　magnificent　britzkas
they　try　their　infallible　martingale　and　lurk　about　the
tables　with　empty　pockets；　shabby　bullies；　penniless
bucks；　until　they　can　swindle　a　Jew　banker　with　a　sham
bill　of　exchange；　or　find　another　Mr。　Spooney　to　rob。
The　alternations　of　splendour　and　misery　which　these
people　undergo　are　very　queer　to　view。　　Their　life　must
be　one　of　great　excitement。　　Beckymust　it　be　owned？
took　to　this　life；　and　took　to　it　not　unkindly。　　She　went
about　from　town　to　town　among　these　Bohemians。　　The
lucky　Mrs。　Rawdon　was　known　at　every　play…table　in
Germany。　　She　and　Madame　de　Cruchecassee　kept　house　at
Florence　together。　　It　is　said　she　was　ordered　out　of
Munich；　and　my　friend　Mr。　Frederick　Pigeon　avers　that　it
was　at　her　house　at　Lausanne　that　he　was　hocussed　at
supper　and　lost　eight　hundred　pounds　to　Major　Loder
and　the　Honourable　Mr。　Deuceace。　　We　are　bound；　you
see；　to　give　some　account　of　Becky's　biography；　but　of
this　part；　the　less；　perhaps；　that　is　said　the　better。
They　say　that；　when　Mrs。　Crawley　was　particularly
down　on　her　luck；　she　gave　concerts　and　lessons　in　music
here　and　there。　　There　was　a　Madame　de　Raudon；　who
certainly　had　a　matinee　musicale　at　Wildbad；
accompanied　by　Herr　Spoff；　premier　pianist　to　the　Hospodar　of
Wallachia；　and　my　little　friend　Mr。　Eaves；　who　knew
everybody　and　had　travelled　everywhere；　always　used　to
declare　that　he　was　at　Strasburg　in　the　year　1830；　when　a
certain　Madame　Rebecque　made　her　appearance　in　the
opera　of　the　Dame　Blanche；　giving　occasion　to　a　furious
row　in　the　theatre　there。　　She　was　hissed　off　the　stage　by
the　audience；　partly　from　her　own　incompetency；　but
chiefly　from　the　ill…advised　sympathy　of　some　persons　in
the　parquet；　（where　the　officers　of　the　garrison　had　their
admissions）；　and　Eaves　was　certain　that　the　unfortunate
debutante　in　question　was　no　other　than　Mrs。
Rawdon　Crawley。
She　was；　in　fact；　no　better　than　a　vagabond　upon　this
earth。　　When　she　got　her　money　she　gambled；　when　she
had　gambled　it　she　was　put　to　shifts　to　live；　who　knows
how　or　by　what　means　she　succeeded？　It　is　said　that　she
was　once　seen　at　St。　　Petersburg；　but　was　summarily
dismissed　from　that　capital　by　the　police；　so　that　there
cannot　be　any　possibility　of　truth　in　the　report　that　she　was
a　Russian　spy　at　Toplitz　and　Vienna　afterwards。　　I　have
even　been　informed　that　at　Paris　she　discovered　a
relation　of　her　own；　no　less　a　person　than　her　maternal
grandmother；　who　was　not　by　any　means　a
Montmorenci；　but　a　hideous　old　box…opener　at　a　theatre　on
the　Boulevards。　　The　meeting　between　them；　of　which
other　persons；　as　it　is　hinted　elsewhere；　seem　to　have
been　acquainted；　must　have　been　a　very　affecting
interview。　　The　present　historian　can　give　no　certain　details
regarding　the　event。
It　happened　at　Rome　once　that　Mrs。　de　Rawdon's　half…
year's　salary　had　just　been　paid　into　the　principal
banker's　there；　and；　as　everybody　who　had　a　balance　of
above　five　hundred　scudi　was　invited　to　the　balls　which
this　prince　of　merchants　gave　during　the　winter；　Becky
had　the　honour　of　a　card；　and　appeared　at　one　of　the
Prince　and　Princess　Polonia's　splendid　evening　entertainments。
The　Princess　was　of　the　family　of　Pompili；　lineally
descended　from　the　second　king　of　Rome；　and　Egeria
of　the　house　of　Olympus；　while　the　Prince's　grandfather；
Alessandro　Polonia；　sold　wash…balls；　essences；
tobacco；　and　pocket…handkerchiefs；　ran　errands　for
gentlemen；　and　lent　money　in　a　small　way。　　All　the　great
company　in　Rome　thronged　to　his　saloonsPrinces；
Dukes；　Ambassadors；　artists；　fiddlers；　monsignori；　young
bears　with　their　leadersevery　rank　and　condition　of
man。　　His　halls　blazed　with　light　and　magnificence；　were
resplendent　with　gilt　frames　（containing　pictures）；　and
dubious　antiques；　and　the　enormous　gilt　crown　and　arms
of　the　princely　owner；　a　gold　mushroom　on　a　crimson
field　（the　colour　of　the　pocket…handkerchiefs　which　he
sold）；　and　the　silver　fountain　of　the　Pompili　family　sho