第34章

Vows，love，promises，confidences，gratitude，howqueerlytheyreadafterawhile！ThereoughttobealawinVanityFairorderingthedestructionofeverywrittendocument(exceptreceiptedtradesmen’sbills)afteracertainbriefandproperinterval。ThosequacksandmisanthropeswhoadvertiseindelibleJapaninkshouldbemadetoperishalongwiththeirwickeddiscoveries。ThebestinkforVanityFairusewouldbeonethatfadedutterlyinacoupleofdays，andleftthepapercleanandblank，sothatyoumightwriteonittosomebodyelse。

FromMissPinkerton’stheindefatigableMrs。ButefollowedthetrackofSharpandhisdaughterbacktothelodgingsinGreekStreet，whichthedefunctpainterhadoccupied；andwhereportraitsofthelandladyinwhitesatin，andofthehusbandinbrassbuttons，donebySharpinlieuofaquarter’srent，stilldecoratedtheparlourwalls。Mrs。Stokeswasacommunicativeperson，andquicklytoldallsheknewaboutMr。Sharp；howdissoluteandpoorhewas；howgood-naturedandamusing；howhewasalwayshuntedbybailiffsandduns；how，tothelandlady’shorror，thoughshenevercouldabidethewoman，hedidnotmarryhiswifetillashorttimebeforeherdeath；andwhataqueerlittlewildvixenhisdaughterwas；howshekeptthemalllaughingwithherfunandmimicry；howsheusedtofetchtheginfromthepublic-house，andwasknowninallthestudiosinthequarter——inbrief，Mrs。Butegotsuchafullaccountofhernewniece’sparentage，education，andbehaviouraswouldscarcelyhavepleasedRebecca，hadthelatterknownthatsuchinquirieswerebeingmadeconcerningher。

OfalltheseindustriousresearchesMissCrawleyhadthefullbenefit。Mrs。RawdonCrawleywasthedaughterofanopera-girl。Shehaddancedherself。Shehadbeenamodeltothepainters。Shewasbroughtupasbecamehermother’sdaughter。Shedrankginwithherfather，&c。&c。Itwasalostwomanwhowasmarriedtoalostman；andthemoraltobeinferredfromMrs。Bute’stalewas，thattheknaveryofthepairwasirremediable，andthatnoproperlyconductedpersonshouldevernoticethemagain。

ThesewerethematerialswhichprudentMrs。ButegatheredtogetherinParkLane，theprovisionsandammunitionasitwerewithwhichshefortifiedthehouseagainstthesiegewhichsheknewthatRawdonandhiswifewouldlaytoMissCrawley。

Butifafaultmaybefoundwithherarrangements，itisthis，thatshewastooeager：shemanagedrathertoowell；undoubtedlyshemadeMissCrawleymoreillthanwasnecessary；andthoughtheoldinvalidsuccumbedtoherauthority，itwassoharassingandsevere，thatthevictimwouldbeinclinedtoescapeattheveryfirstchancewhichfellinherway。Managingwomen，theornamentsoftheirsex——womenwhoordereverythingforeverybody，andknowsomuchbetterthananypersonconcernedwhatisgoodfortheirneighbours，don’tsometimesspeculateuponthepossibilityofadomesticrevolt，oruponotherextremeconsequencesresultingfromtheiroverstrainedauthority。

Thus，forinstance，Mrs。Bute，withthebestintentionsnodoubtintheworld，andwearingherselftodeathasshedidbyforegoingsleep，dinner，freshair，forthesakeofherinvalidsister-in-law，carriedherconvictionoftheoldlady’sillnesssofarthatshealmostmanagedherintohercoffin。Shepointedouthersacrificesandtheirresultsonedaytotheconstantapothecary，Mr。Clump。

“Iamsure，mydearMr。Clump。”shesaid，“noeffortsofminehavebeenwantingtorestoreourdearinvalid，whomtheingratitudeofhernephewhaslaidonthebedofsickness。Inevershrinkfrompersonaldiscomfort：I

neverrefusetosacrificemyself。”

“Yourdevotion，itmustbeconfessed，isadmirable。”

Mr。Clumpsays，withalowbow；“but——“

“Ihavescarcelyclosedmyeyessincemyarrival：I

giveupsleep，health，everycomfort，tomysenseofduty。

WhenmypoorJameswasinthesmallpox，didIallowanyhirelingtonursehim？No。”

“Youdidwhatbecameanexcellentmother，mydearMadam——thebestofmothers；but——~’

“AsthemotherofafamilyandthewifeofanEnglishclergyman，Ihumblytrustthatmyprinciplesaregood。”

Mrs。Butesaid，withahappysolemnityofconviction；

“and，aslongasNaturesupportsme，never，never，Mr。

Clump，willIdesertthepostofduty。Othersmaybringthatgreyheadwithsorrowtothebedofsickness(hereMrs。Bute，wavingherhand，pointedtooneofoldMissCrawley’scoffee-colouredfronts，whichwasperchedonastandinthedressing-room)，butIwillneverquitit。

Ah，Mr。Cl