第 172 节
作者:左思右想      更新:2021-02-19 19:48      字数:9322
  thought; and glanced towards that dear child; an
  unwholesome little miss of seven years of age。
  〃Rosa; go and kiss your dear cousin;〃 Mrs。 Frederick
  said。  〃Don't you know me; George? I am your aunt。〃
  〃I know you well enough;〃 George said; 〃but I don't
  like kissing; please〃; and he retreated from the obedient
  caresses of his cousin。
  〃Take me to your dear mamma; you droll child;〃 Mrs。
  Frederick said; and those ladies accordingly met; after
  an absence of more than fifteen years。  During Emmy's
  cares and poverty the other had never once thought
  about coming to see her; but now that she was decently
  prosperous in the world; her sister…in…law came to her as
  a matter of course。
  So did numbers more。  Our old friend; Miss Swartz; and
  her husband came thundering over from Hampton Court;
  with flaming yellow liveries; and was as impetuously fond
  of Amelia as ever。  Miss Swartz would have liked her
  always if she could have seen her。  One must do her that
  justice。  But; que voulez vous?in this vast town one
  has not the time to go and seek one's friends; if they
  drop out of the rank they disappear; and we march on
  without them。  Who is ever missed in Vanity Fair?
  But so; in a word; and before the period of grief for
  Mr。 Osborne's death had subsided; Emmy found herself
  in the centre of a very genteel circle indeed; the
  members of which could not conceive that anybody
  belonging to it was not very lucky。  There was scarce one
  of the ladies that hadn't a relation a Peer; though the
  husband might be a drysalter in the City。  Some of the
  ladies were very blue and well informed; reading Mrs。
  Somerville and frequenting the Royal Institution; others
  were severe and Evangelical; and held by Exeter Hall。
  Emmy; it must be owned; found herself entirely at a loss in
  the midst of their clavers; and suffered woefully on the
  one or two occasions on which she was compelled to
  accept Mrs。 Frederick Bullock's hospitalities。  That lady
  persisted in patronizing her and determined most graciously
  to form her。  She found Amelia's milliners for her and
  regulated her household and her manners。  She drove
  over constantly from Roehampton and entertained her
  friend with faint fashionable fiddle…faddle and feeble
  Court slip…slop。  Jos liked to hear it; but the Major used
  to go off growling at the appearance of this woman; with
  her twopenny gentility。  He went to sleep under Frederick
  Bullock's bald head; after dinner; at one of the banker's
  best parties (Fred was still anxious that the balance of
  the Osborne property should be transferred from Stumpy
  and Rowdy's to them); and whilst Amelia; who did not
  know Latin; or who wrote the last crack article in the
  Edinburgh; and did not in the least deplore; or
  otherwise; Mr。 Peel's late extraordinary tergiversation on the
  fatal Catholic Relief Bill; sat dumb amongst the ladies in
  the grand drawing…room; looking out upon velvet lawns;
  trim gravel walks; and glistening hot…houses。
  〃She seems good…natured but insipid;〃 said Mrs。
  Rowdy; 〃that Major seems to be particularly epris。〃
  〃She wants ton sadly;〃 said Mrs。 Hollyock。  〃My dear
  creature; you never will be able to form her。〃
  〃She is dreadfully ignorant or indifferent;〃 said Mrs。
  Glowry with a voice as if from the grave; and a sad
  shake of the head and turban。  〃I asked her if she thought
  that it was in 1836; according to Mr。 Jowls; or in 1839;
  according to Mr。 Wapshot; that the Pope was to fall:
  and she said'Poor Pope!  I hope notWhat has he
  done?' 〃
  〃She is my brother's widow; my dear friends;〃 Mrs。
  Frederick replied; 〃and as such I think we're all bound to
  give her every attention and instruction on entering into
  the world。  You may fancy there can be no MERCENARY
  motives in those whose DISAPPOINTMENTS are well known。〃
  〃That poor dear Mrs。 Bullock;〃 said Rowdy to Hollyock;
  as they drove away together〃she is always scheming
  and managing。  She wants Mrs。 Osborne's account
  to be taken from our house to hersand the way in
  which she coaxes that boy and makes him sit by that
  blear…eyed little Rosa is perfectly ridiculous。〃
  〃I wish Glowry was choked with her Man of Sin and
  her Battle of Armageddon;〃 cried the other; and the
  carriage rolled away over Putney Bridge。
  But this sort of society was too cruelly genteel for
  Emmy; and all jumped for joy when a foreign tour was
  proposed。
  CHAPTER LXII
  Am Rhein
  The above everyday events had occurred; and a few
  weeks had passed; when on one fine morning; Parliament
  being over; the summer advanced; and all the good
  company in London about to quit that city for their annual
  tour in search of pleasure or health; the Batavier steamboat
  left the Tower…stairs laden with a goodly company of English
  fugitives。  The quarter…deck awnings were up; and the
  benches and gangways crowded with scores of rosy children;
  bustling nursemaids; ladies in the prettiest pink
  bonnets and summer dresses; gentlemen in travelling caps
  and linen…jackets; whose mustachios had just begun to
  sprout for the ensuing tour; and stout trim old veterans
  with starched neckcloths and neat…brushed hats; such as
  have invaded Europe any time since the conclusion of the
  war; and carry the national Goddem into every city of
  the Continent。  The congregation of hat…boxes; and
  Bramah desks; and dressing…cases was prodigious。  There
  were jaunty young Cambridge…men travelling with their
  tutor; and going for a reading excursion to Nonnenwerth
  or Konigswinter; there were Irish gentlemen; with the
  most dashing whiskers and jewellery; talking about
  horses incessantly; and prodigiously polite to the young
  ladies on board; whom; on the contrary; the Cambridge
  lads and their pale…faced tutor avoided with maiden
  coyness; there were old Pall Mall loungers bound for Ems
  and Wiesbaden and a course of waters to clear off the
  dinners of the season; and a little roulette and trente…
  et…quarante to keep the excitement going; there was old
  Methuselah; who had married his young wife; with Captain
  Papillon of the Guards holding her parasol and
  guide…books; there was young May who was carrying off
  his bride on a pleasure tour (Mrs。 Winter that was; and
  who had been at school with May's grandmother); there
  was Sir John and my Lady with a dozen children; and
  corresponding nursemaids; and the great grandee
  Bareacres family that sat by themselves near the wheel;
  stared at everybody; and spoke to no one。  Their
  carriages; emblazoned with coronets and heaped with
  shining imperials; were on the foredeck; locked in with a
  dozen more such vehicles:  it was difficult to pass in and
  out amongst them; and the poor inmates of the
  fore…cabin had scarcely any space for locomotion。  These
  consisted of a few magnificently attired gentlemen from
  Houndsditch; who brought their own provisions; and
  could have bought half the gay people in the grand
  saloon; a few honest fellows with mustachios and portfolios;
  who set to sketching before they had been half an hour
  on board; one or two French femmes de chambre who
  began to be dreadfully ill by the time the boat had
  passed Greenwich; a groom or two who lounged in the
  neighbourhood of the horse…boxes under their charge; or
  leaned over the side by the paddle…wheels; and talked
  about who was good for the Leger; and what they stood
  to win or lose for the Goodwood cup。
  All the couriers; when they had done plunging about
  the ship and had settled their various masters in the
  cabins or on the deck; congregated together and began to
  chatter and smoke; the Hebrew gentlemen joining them
  and looking at the carriages。  There was Sir John's great
  carriage that would hold thirteen people; my Lord
  Methuselah's carriage; my Lord Bareacres' chariot;
  britzska; and fourgon; that anybody might pay for who liked。
  It was a wonder how my Lord got the ready money to
  pay for the expenses of the journey。  The Hebrew gentlemen
  knew how he got it。  They knew what money his
  Lordship had in his pocket at that instant; and what
  interest he paid for it; and who gave it him。  Finally there
  was a very neat; handsome travelling carriage; about
  which the gentlemen speculated。
  〃A qui cette voiture la?〃 said one gentleman…courier
  with a large morocco money…bag and ear…rings to another
  with ear…rings and a large morocco money…bag。
  〃C'est a Kirsch je benseje l'ai vu toute a l'heure
  qui brenoit des sangviches dans la voiture;〃 said the
  courier in a fine German French。
  Kirsch emerging presently from the neighbourhood of
  the hold; where he had been bellowing instructions
  intermingled with polyglot oaths to the ship's men engaged
  in secreting the passengers' luggage; came to give an
  account of himself to his brother interpreters。  He
  informed them that the carriage belonged to a Nabob from
  Calcutta and Jamaica enormously rich; and with whom
  he was engaged to travel; and at this moment a young
  gentleman who had been warned off the bridge between
  the paddle…boxes; and who had dropped thence on to the
  roof of Lord Methuselah's carriage; from which he made
  his way over other carriages and imperials until he had
  clambered on to his own; descended thence and through
  the window into the body of the carriage; to the applause
  of the couriers looking on。
  〃Nous allons avoir une b