第 185 节
作者:左思右想      更新:2021-02-19 19:48      字数:9322
  womankind in early youth; namely; to be thankful because
  we are better off than somebody else; be a very rational
  religious exercise) and then she began to think; as usual;
  how her son was the handsomest; the best; and the
  cleverest boy in the whole world。
  〃You will see my Georgy;〃 was the best thing Emmy
  could think of to console Becky。  If anything could make
  her comfortable that would。
  And so the two women continued talking for an hour
  or more; during which Becky had the opportunity of
  giving her new friend a full and complete version of her
  private history。  She showed how her marriage with
  Rawdon Crawley had always been viewed by the family with
  feelings of the utmost hostility; how her sister…in…law
  (an artful woman) had poisoned her husband's mind
  against her; how he had formed odious connections;
  which had estranged his affections from her:  how she had
  borne everythingpoverty; neglect; coldness from the
  being whom she most lovedand all for the sake of her
  child; how; finally; and by the most flagrant outrage; she
  had been driven into demanding a separation from her
  husband; when the wretch did not scruple to ask that she
  should sacrifice her own fair fame so that he might
  procure advancement through the means of a very great and
  powerful but unprincipled manthe Marquis of Steyne;
  indeed。  The atrocious monster!
  This part of her eventful history Becky gave with the
  utmost feminine delicacy and the most indignant virtue。
  Forced to fly her husband's roof by this insult; the coward
  had pursued his revenge by taking her child from her。
  And thus Becky said she was a wanderer; poor;
  unprotected; friendless; and wretched。
  Emmy received this story; which was told at some
  length; as those persons who are acquainted with her
  character may imagine that she would。  She quivered
  with indignation at the account of the conduct of the
  miserable Rawdon and the unprincipled Steyne。  Her eyes
  made notes of admiration for every one of the sentences
  in which Becky described the persecutions of her
  aristocratic relatives and the falling away of her husband。
  (Becky did not abuse him。  She spoke rather in sorrow
  than in anger。  She had loved him only too fondly:  and
  was he not the father of her boy?) And as for the separation
  scene from the child; while Becky was reciting it;
  Emmy retired altogether behind her pocket…handkerchief;
  so that the consummate little tragedian must have been
  charmed to see the effect which her performance
  produced on her audience。
  Whilst the ladies were carrying on their conversation;
  Amelia's constant escort; the Major (who; of course;
  did not wish to interrupt their conference; and found
  himself rather tired of creaking about the narrow stair
  passage of which the roof brushed the nap from his hat)
  descended to the ground…floor of the house and into the
  great room common to all the frequenters of the Elephant;
  out of which the stair led。  This apartment is always
  in a fume of smoke and liberally sprinkled with beer。  On
  a dirty table stand scores of corresponding brass
  candlesticks with tallow candles for the lodgers; whose keys
  hang up in rows。over the candles。  Emmy had passed
  blushing through the room anon; where all sorts of
  people were collected; Tyrolese glove…sellers and Danubian
  linen…merchants; with their packs; students recruiting
  themselves with butterbrods and meat; idlers; playing
  cards or dominoes on the sloppy; beery tables; tumblers
  refreshing during the cessation of their performances
  in a word; all the fumum and strepitus of a German inn
  in fair time。  The waiter brought the Major a mug of beer;
  as a matter of course; and he took out a cigar and
  amused himself with that pernicious vegetable and a
  newspaper until his charge should come down to claim him。
  Max and Fritz came presently downstairs; their caps on
  one side; their spurs jingling; their pipes splendid with
  coats of arms and full…blown tassels; and they hung up the
  key of No。  90 on the board and called for the ration of
  butterbrod and beer。  The pair sat down by the Major and
  fell into a conversation of which he could not help hearing
  somewhat。  It was mainly about 〃Fuchs〃 and 〃Philister;〃
  and duels and drinking…bouts at the neighbouring
  University of Schoppenhausen; from which renowned
  seat of learning they had just come in the Eilwagen;
  with Becky; as it appeared; by their side; and in order
  to be present at the bridal fetes at Pumpernickel。
  〃The title Englanderinn seems to be en bays de
  gonnoisance;〃 said Max; who knew the French language;
  to Fritz; his comrade。  〃After the fat grandfather went
  away; there came a pretty little compatriot。  I heard them
  chattering and whimpering together in the little woman's
  chamber。〃
  〃We must take the tickets for her concert;〃 Fritz said。
  〃Hast thou any money; Max?〃
  〃Bah;〃 said the other; 〃the concert is a concert in
  nubibus。  Hans said that she advertised one at Leipzig; and
  the Burschen took many tickets。  But she went off without
  singing。  She said in the coach yesterday that her pianist
  had fallen ill at Dresden。  She cannot sing; it is my belief:
  her voice is as cracked as thine; O thou beer…soaking
  Renowner!〃
  〃It is cracked; I hear her trying out of her window a
  schrecklich。  English ballad; called 'De Rose upon de
  Balgony。' 〃
  〃Saufen and singen go not together;〃 observed Fritz
  with the red nose; who evidently preferred the former
  amusement。  〃No; thou shalt take none of her tickets。
  She won money at the trente and quarante last night。  I
  saw her:  she made a little English boy play for her。  We
  will spend thy money there or at the theatre; or we will
  treat her to French wine or Cognac in the Aurelius
  Garden; but the tickets we will not buy。  What sayest
  thou? Yet; another mug of beer?〃 and one and another
  successively having buried their blond whiskers in the
  mawkish draught; curled them and swaggered off into
  the fair。
  The Major; who had seen the key of No。  90 put up
  on its hook and had heard the conversation of the two
  young University bloods; was not at a loss to
  understand that their talk related to Becky。  〃The little devil
  is at her old tricks;〃 he thought; and he smiled as he
  recalled old days; when he had witnessed the desperate
  flirtation with Jos and the ludicrous end of that adventure。
  He and George had often laughed over it subsequently;
  and until a few weeks after George's marriage;
  when he also was caught in the little Circe's toils; and
  had an understanding with her which his comrade
  certainly suspected; but preferred to ignore。  William was
  too much hurt or ashamed to ask to fathom that
  disgraceful mystery; although once; and evidently with
  remorse on his mind; George had alluded to it。  It was on
  the morning of Waterloo; as the young men stood
  together in front of their line; surveying the black masses of
  Frenchmen who crowned the opposite heights; and as the
  rain was coming down; 〃I have been mixing in a foolish
  intrigue with a woman;〃 George said。  〃I am glad we were
  marched away。  If I drop; I hope Emmy will never know
  of that business。  I wish to God it had never been
  begun!〃 And William was pleased to think; and had more
  than once soothed poor George's widow with the
  narrative; that Osborne; after quitting his wife; and after
  the action of Quatre Bras; on the first day; spoke gravely
  and affectionately to his comrade of his father and his
  wife。  On these facts; too; William had insisted very
  strongly in his conversations with the elder Osborne;
  and had thus been the means of reconciling the old
  gentleman to his son's memory; just at the close of the
  elder man's life。
  〃And so this devil is still going on with her intrigues;〃
  thought William。  〃I wish she were a hundred miles from
  here。  She brings mischief wherever she goes。〃 And he
  was pursuing these forebodings and this uncomfortable
  train of thought; with his head between his hands; and
  the Pumpernickel Gazette of last week unread under his
  nose; when somebody tapped his shoulder with a parasol;
  and he looked up and saw Mrs。 Amelia。
  This woman had a way of tyrannizing over Major
  Dobbin (for the weakest of all people will domineer
  over somebody); and she ordered him about; and patted
  him; and made him fetch and carry just as if he was a
  great Newfoundland dog。  He liked; so to speak; to jump
  into the water if she said 〃High; Dobbin!〃 and to trot
  behind her with her reticule in his mouth。  This history
  has been written to very little purpose if the reader has
  not perceived that the Major was a spooney。
  〃Why did you not wait for me; sir; to escort me
  downstairs?〃 she said; giving a little toss of her head
  and a most sarcastic curtsey。
  〃I couldn't stand up in the passage;〃 he answered with
  a comical deprecatory look; and; delighted to give her his
  arm and to take her out of the horrid smoky place; he
  would have walked off without even so much as
  remembering the waiter; had not the young fellow run after
  him and stopped him on the threshold of the Elephant
  to make him pay for the beer which he had not
  consumed。  Emmy laughed:  she called him a naughty man;
  who wanted to run away in debt; and; in fact; made
  some jokes suitable to the occasion and the small…beer。
  She