第69章

Theladiesengagedonbothsides。Mrs。O’DowdsnappedherfingersinMrs。Crawley’sfaceandcalledherhusband“nobettherthanablack-leg。”ColonelCrawleychallengedColonelO’Dowd，C。B。TheCommander-in-ChiefhearingofthedisputesentforColonelCrawley，whowasgettingreadythesamepistols“whichheshotCaptainMarker。”andhadsuchaconversationwithhimthatnodueltookplace。IfRebeccahadnotgoneonherkneestoGeneralTufto，CrawleywouldhavebeensentbacktoEngland；andhedidnotplay，exceptwithcivilians，forsomeweeksafter。

But，inspiteofRawdon’sundoubtedskillandconstantsuccesses，itbecameevidenttoRebecca，consideringthesethings，thattheirpositionwasbutaprecariousone，andthat，evenalthoughtheypaidscarcelyanybody，theirlittlecapitalwouldendonedaybydwindlingintozero。”Gambling。”shewouldsay，“dear，isgoodtohelpyourincome，butnotasanincomeitself。Somedaypeoplemaybetiredofplay，andthenwherearewe？”

Rawdonacquiescedinthejusticeofheropinion；andintruthhehadremarkedthatafterafewnightsofhislittlesuppers，&c。，gentlemenweretiredofplaywithhim，and，inspiteofRebecca’scharms，didnotpresentthemselvesveryeagerly。

EasyandpleasantastheirlifeatPariswas，itwasafterallonlyanidledallianceandamiabletrifling；andRebeccasawthatshemustpushRawdon’sfortuneintheirowncountry。Shemustgethimaplaceorappointmentathomeorinthecolonies，andshedeterminedtomakeamoveuponEnglandassoonasthewaycouldbeclearedforher。AsafirststepshehadmadeCrawleyselloutoftheGuardsandgoonhalf-pay。Hisfunctionasaide-de-camptoGeneralTuftohadceasedpreviously。

Rebeccalaughedinallcompaniesatthatofficer，athistoupee(whichhemountedoncomingtoParis)，athiswaistband，athisfalseteeth，athispretensionstobealady-killeraboveall，andhisabsurdvanityinfancyingeverywomanwhomhecamenearwasinlovewithhim。ItwastoMrs。Brent，thebeetle-browedwifeofMr。CommissaryBrent，towhomthegeneraltransferredhisattentionsnow——hisbouquets，hisdinnersattherestaurateurs’，hisopera-boxes，andhisknick-knacks。PoorMrs。Tuftowasnomorehappythanbefore，andhadstilltopasslongeveningsalonewithherdaughters，knowingthatherGeneralwasgoneoffscentedandcurledtostandbehindMrs。Brent’schairattheplay。Beckyhadadozenadmirersinhisplace，tobesure，andcouldcutherrivaltopieceswithherwit。But，aswehavesaid，she。

wasgrowingtiredofthisidlesociallife：opera-boxesandrestaurateurdinnerspalleduponher：nosegayscouldnotbelaidbyasaprovisionforfutureyears：andshecouldnotliveuponknick-knacks，lacedhandkerchiefs，andkidgloves。Shefeltthefrivolityofpleasureandlongedformoresubstantialbenefits。

AtthisjuncturenewsarrivedwhichwasspreadamongthemanycreditorsoftheColonelatParis，andwhichcausedthemgreatsatisfaction。MissCrawley，therichauntfromwhomheexpectedhisimmenseinheritance，wasdying；theColonelmusthastetoherbedside。Mrs。

Crawleyandherchildwouldremainbehinduntilhecametoreclaimthem。HedepartedforCalais，andhavingreachedthatplaceinsafety，itmighthavebeensupposedthathewenttoDover；butinsteadhetookthediligencetoDunkirk，andthencetravelledtoBrussels，forwhichplacehehadaformerpredilection。Thefactis，heowedmoremoneyatLondonthanatParis；andhepreferredthequietlittleBelgiancitytoeitherofthemorenoisycapitals。

Herauntwasdead。Mrs。CrawleyorderedthemostintensemourningforherselfandlittleRawdon。TheColonelwasbusyarrangingtheaffairsoftheinheritance。Theycouldtakethepremiernow，insteadofthelittleentresolofthehotelwhichtheyoccupied。Mrs。Crawleyandthelandlordhadaconsultationaboutthenewhangings，anamicablewrangleaboutthecarpets，andafinaladjustmentofeverythingexceptthebill。Shewentoffinoneofhiscarriages；herFrenchbonnewithher；thechildbyherside；theadmirablelandlordandlandladysmilingfarewelltoherfromthegate。GeneralTuftowasfuriouswhenheheardshewasgone，andMrs。Brentfuriouswithhimforbeingfurious；LieutenantSpooneywascuttotheheart；andthelandlordgotreadyhisbestapartmentsprevioustothereturnofthefascinatinglittlewomanandherhusband。Heserredthetrunkswhichsheleftinhischargewiththegreatestcare。TheyhadbeenespeciallyrecommendedtohimbyMadameCrawley。Theywerenot，however，foundtobeparticularlyvaluablewhenopenedsometimeafter。

ButbeforeshewenttojoinherhusbandintheBelgiccapital，Mrs。CrawleymadeanexpeditionintoEngland，leavingbehindherherlittlesonuponthecontinent，underthecareofherFrenchmaid。

ThepartingbetweenRebeccaandthelittleRawdondidnotcauseeitherpartymuchpain。Sh