第70章

RaggleslovedandadoredtheCrawleyfamilyastheauthorofallhisprosperityinlife。Hehadasilhouetteofhismistressinhisbackshop，andadrawingofthePorter’sLodgeatQueen’sCrawley，donebythatspinsterherselfinIndiaink——andtheonlyadditionhemadetothedecorationsoftheCurzonStreetHousewasaprintofQueen’sCrawleyinHampshire，theseatofSirWalpoleCrawley，Baronet，whowasrepresentedinagildedcardrawnbysixwhitehorses，andpassingbyalakecoveredwithswans，andbargescontainingladiesinhoops，andmusicianswithflagsandpenwigs。IndeedRagglesthoughttherewasnosuchpalaceinalltheworld，andnosuchaugustfamily。

Asluckwouldhaveit，Raggles’houseinCurzonStreetwastoletwhenRawdonandhiswifereturnedtoLondon。

TheColonelknewitanditsownerquitewell；thelatter’sconnectionwiththeCrawleyfamilyhadbeenkeptupconstantly，forRaggleshelpedMr。BowlswheneverMissCrawleyreceivedfriends。AndtheoldmannotonlylethishousetotheColonelbutofficiatedashisbutlerwheneverhehadcompany；Mrs。RagglesoperatinginthekitchenbelowandsendingupdinnersofwhicholdMissCrawleyherselfmighthaveapproved。Thiswastheway，then，Crawleygothishousefornothing；forthoughRaggleshadtopaytaxesandrates，andtheinterestofthemortgagetothebrotherbutler；andtheinsuranceofhislife；andthechargesforhischildrenatschool；andthevalueofthemeatanddrinkwhichhisownfamily——andforatimethatofColonelCrawleytoo——consumed；andthoughthepoorwretchwasutterlyruinedbythetransaction，hischildrenbeingflungonthestreets，andhimselfdrivenintotheFleetPrison：yetsomebodymustpayevenforgentlemenwholivefornothingayear——andsoitwasthisunluckyRaggleswasmadetherepresentativeofColonelCrawley’sdefectivecapital。

IwonderhowmanyfamiliesaredriventorogueryandtoruinbygreatpractitionersinCrawlersway？——howmanygreatnoblemenrobtheirpettytradesmen，condescendtoswindletheirpoorretainersoutofwretchedlittlesumsandcheatforafewshillings？WhenwereadthatanoblenoblemanhasleftfortheContinent，orthatanothernoblenoblemanhasanexecutioninhishouse——andthatoneorotherowessixorsevenmillions，thedefeatseemsgloriouseven，andwerespectthevictiminthevastnessofhisruin。Butwhopitiesapoorbarberwhocan’tgethismoneyforpowderingthefootmen’sheads；

orapoorcarpenterwhohasruinedhimselfbyfixingupornamentsandpavilionsformylady’sdejeuner；orthepoordevilofatailorwhomthestewardpatronizes，andwhohaspledgedallheisworth，andmore，togettheliveriesready，whichmylordhasdonehimthehonourtobespeak？Whenthegreathousetumblesdown，thesemiserablewretchesfallunderitunnoticed：astheysayintheoldlegends，beforeamangoestothedevilhimself，hesendsplentyofothersoulsthither。

RawdonandhiswifegenerouslygavetheirpatronagetoallsuchofMissCrawley’stradesmenandpurveyorsaschosetoservethem。Somewerewilling，enough，especiallythepoorones。ItwaswonderfultoseethepertinacitywithwhichthewasherwomanfromTootingbroughtthecarteverySaturday，andherbillsweekafterweek。

Mr。Raggleshimselfhadtosupplythegreengroceries。Thebillforservants’porterattheFortuneofWarpublichouseisacuriosityinthechroniclesofbeer。Everyservantalsowasowedthegreaterpartofhiswages，andthuskeptupperforceaninterestinthehouse。Nobodyinfactwaspaid。Nottheblacksmithwhoopenedthelock；

northeglazierwhomendedthepane；northejobberwholetthecarriage；northegroomwhodroveit；northebutcherwhoprovidedthelegofmutton；northecoalswhichroastedit；northecookwhobastedit；northeservantswhoateit：andthisIamgiventounderstandisnotunfrequentlythewayinwhichpeopleliveelegantlyonnothingayear。

Inalittletownsuchthingscannotbedonewithoutremark。Weknowtherethequantityofmilkourneighbourtakesandespythejointorthefowlswhicharegoinginforhisdinner。So，probably，200and202inCurzonStreetmightknowwhatwasgoingoninthehousebetweenthem，theservantscommunicatingthroughthearea-railings；butCrawleyandhiswifeandhisfriendsdidnotknow200and202。Whenyoucameto201therewasaheartywelcome，akindsmile，agooddinner，andajollyshakeofthehandfromthehostandhostessthere，justforalltheworldasiftheyhadbeenundisputedmastersofthreeorfourthousandayear——andsotheywere，notinmoney，butinproduceandlabour——ifthey