第 21 节
作者:左思右想      更新:2021-02-19 19:45      字数:9322
  Otherwise you might fancy it was I who was sneering
  at the practice of devotion; which Miss Sharp finds so
  ridiculous; that it was I who laughed good…humouredly
  at the reeling old Silenus of a baronetwhereas the
  laughter comes from one who has no reverence except
  for prosperity; and no eye for anything beyond success。
  Such people there are living and flourishing in the world
  Faithless; Hopeless; Charityless: let us have at them;
  dear friends; with might and main。  Some there are; and
  very successful too; mere quacks and fools: and it was
  to combat and expose such as those; no doubt; that
  Laughter was made。
  CHAPTER IX
  Family Portraits
  Sir Pitt Crawley was a philosopher with a taste for what is
  called low life。  His first marriage with the daughter of
  the noble Binkie had been made under the auspices of
  his parents; and as he often told Lady Crawley in her
  lifetime she was such a confounded quarrelsome high…bred
  jade that when she died he was hanged if he would ever take
  another of her sort; at her ladyship's demise he kept his
  promise; and selected for a second wife Miss Rose Dawson;
  daughter of Mr。 John Thomas Dawson; ironmonger; of Mudbury。
  What a happy woman was Rose to be my Lady Crawley!
  Let us set down the items of her happiness。  In the
  first place; she gave up Peter Butt; a young man who
  kept company with her; and in consequence of his
  disappointment in love; took to smuggling; poaching; and a
  thousand other bad courses。  Then she quarrelled; as in
  duty bound; with all the friends and intimates of her youth;
  who; of course; could not be received by my Lady at
  Queen's Crawleynor did she find in her new rank and
  abode any persons who were willing to welcome her。
  Who ever did? Sir Huddleston Fuddleston had three
  daughters who all hoped to be Lady Crawley。  Sir Giles
  Wapshot's family were insulted that one of the Wapshot
  girls had not the preference in the marriage; and the
  remaining baronets of the county were indignant at their
  comrade's misalliance。  Never mind the commoners; whom
  we will leave to grumble anonymously。
  Sir Pitt did not care; as he said; a brass farden for
  any one of them。  He had his pretty Rose; and what
  more need a man require than to please himself? So he
  used to get drunk every night: to beat his pretty Rose
  sometimes: to leave her in Hampshire when he went to
  London for the parliamentary session; without a single
  friend in the wide world。  Even Mrs。 Bute Crawley; the
  Rector's wife; refused to visit her; as she said she would
  never give the pas to a tradesman's daughter。
  As the only endowments with which Nature had gifted
  Lady Crawley were those of pink cheeks and a white
  skin; and as she had no sort of character; nor talents;
  nor opinions; nor occupations; nor amusements; nor that
  vigour of soul and ferocity of temper which often falls
  to the lot of entirely foolish women; her hold upon Sir
  Pitt's affections was not very great。  Her roses faded out
  of her cheeks; and the pretty freshness left her figure
  after the birth of a couple of children; and she became
  a mere machine in her husband's house of no more use
  than the late Lady Crawley's grand piano。  Being a light…
  complexioned woman; she wore light clothes; as most
  blondes will; and appeared; in preference; in draggled sea…
  green; or slatternly sky…blue。  She worked that worsted
  day and night; or other pieces like it。  She had
  counterpanes in the course of a few years to all the beds in
  Crawley。  She had a small flower…garden; for which she
  had rather an affection; but beyond this no other like
  or disliking。  When her husband was rude to her she was
  apathetic: whenever he struck her she cried。  She had not
  character enough to take to drinking; and moaned about;
  slipshod and in curl…papers all day。  0 Vanity Fair
  Vanity Fair! This might have been; but for you; a cheery
  lassPeter Butt and Rose a happy man and wife; in a
  snug farm; with a hearty family; and an honest portion
  of pleasures; cares; hopes and strugglesbut a title and
  a coach and four are toys more precious than happiness
  in Vanity Fair: and if Harry the Eighth or Bluebeard
  were alive now; and wanted a tenth wife; do you suppose
  he could not get the prettiest girl that shall be presented
  this season?
  The languid dulness of their mamma did not; as it
  may be supposed; awaken much affection in her little
  daughters; but they were very happy in the servants' hall
  and in the stables; and the Scotch gardener having
  luckily a good wife and some good children; they got a
  little wholesome society and instruction in his lodge;
  which was the only education bestowed upon them until
  Miss Sharp came。
  Her engagement was owing to the remonstrances of
  Mr。 Pitt Crawley; the only friend or protector Lady
  Crawley ever had; and the only person; besides her
  children; for whom she entertained a little feeble
  attachment。  Mr。 Pitt took after the noble Binkies; from
  whom he was descended; and was a very polite and proper
  gentleman。  When he grew to man's estate; and came
  back from Christchurch; he began to reform the
  slackened discipline of the hall; in spite of his father; who
  stood in awe of him。  He was a man of such rigid
  refinement; that he would have starved rather than have
  dined without a white neckcloth。  Once; when just from
  college; and when Horrocks the butler brought him a
  letter without placing it previously on a tray; he gave
  that domestic a look; and administered to him a speech
  so cutting; that Horrocks ever after trembled before him;
  the whole household bowed to him: Lady Crawley's curl…
  papers came off earlier when he was at home: Sir Pitt's
  muddy gaiters disappeared; and if that incorrigible old
  man still adhered to other old habits; he never fuddled
  himself with rum…and…water in his son's presence; and
  only talked to his servants in a very reserved and polite
  manner; and those persons remarked that Sir Pitt never
  swore at Lady Crawley while his son was in the room。
  It was he who taught the butler to say; 〃My lady is
  served;〃 and who insisted on handing her ladyship in to
  dinner。  He seldom spoke to her; but when he did it was
  with the most powerful respect; and he never let her
  quit the apartment without rising in the most stately
  manner to open the door; and making an elegant bow
  at her egress。
  At Eton he was called Miss Crawley; and there; I
  am sorry to say; his younger brother Rawdon used to
  lick him violently。  But though his parts were not
  brilliant; he made up for his lack of talent by meritorious
  industry; and was never known; during eight years at
  school; to be subject to that punishment which it is
  generally thought none but a cherub can escape。
  At college his career was of course highly creditable。
  And here he prepared himself for public life; into which
  he was to be introduced by the patronage of his
  grandfather; Lord Binkie; by studying the ancient and modern
  orators with great assiduity; and by speaking unceasingly
  at the debating societies。  But though he had a fine flux
  of words; and delivered his little voice with great
  pomposity and pleasure to himself; and never advanced
  any sentiment or opinion which was not perfectly trite and
  stale; and supported by a Latin quotation; yet he failed
  somehow; in spite of a mediocrity which ought to have
  insured any man a success。  He did not even get the
  prize poem; which all his friends said he was sure of。
  After leaving college he became Private Secretary to
  Lord Binkie; and was then appointed Attache to the
  Legation at Pumpernickel; which post he filled with
  perfect honour; and brought home despatches; consisting of
  Strasburg pie; to the Foreign Minister of the day。  After
  remaining ten years Attache (several years after the
  lamented Lord Binkie's demise); and finding the
  advancement slow; he at length gave up the diplomatic
  service in some disgust; and began to turn country gentleman。
  He wrote a pamphlet on Malt on returning to England
  (for he was an ambitious man; and always liked
  to be before the public); and took a strong part in the
  Negro Emancipation question。  Then he became a friend
  of Mr。 Wilberforce's; whose politics he admired; and had
  that famous correspondence with the Reverend Silas
  Hornblower; on the Ashantee Mission。  He was in
  London; if not for the Parliament session; at least in May;
  for the religious meetings。  In the country he was a
  magistrate; and an active visitor and speaker among those
  destitute of religious instruction。  He was said to be
  paying his addresses to Lady Jane Sheepshanks; Lord
  Southdown's third daughter; and whose sister; Lady Emily;
  wrote those sweet tracts; 〃The Sailor's True Binnacle;〃
  and 〃The Applewoman of Finchley Common。〃
  Miss Sharp's accounts of his employment at Queen's
  Crawley were not caricatures。  He subjected the servants
  there to the devotional exercises before mentioned; in
  which (and so much the better) he brought his father
  to join。  He patronised an Independent meeting…house in
  Crawley parish; much to the indignation of his uncle the
  Rector; and to the consequent delight of Sir Pitt; who
  was induced to go himself once or twice; which occasioned
  some violent sermons at Crawley parish church; directed
  point…blank at the Baro