第78章

Mrs。Bowls，lateFirkin，cameandlistenedgrimlyinthepassagetothehystericalsnifflingandgigglingwhichwentoninthefrontparlour。Beckyhadneverbeenafavouriteofhers。SincetheestablishmentofthemarriedcoupleinLondontheyhadfrequentedtheirformerfriendsofthehouseofRaggles，anddidnotlikethelatter’saccountoftheColonel’smenage。”Iwouldn’ttrusthim，Ragg，myboy。”Bowlsremarked；andhiswife，whenMrs。Rawdonissuedfromtheparlour，onlysalutedtheladywithaverysourcurtsey；andherfingerswerelikesomanysausages，coldandlifeless，whensheheldthemoutindeferencetoMrs。Rawdon，whopersistedinshakinghandswiththeretiredlady’smaid。ShewhirledawayintoPiccadilly，noddingwiththesweetestofsmilestowardsMissBriggs，whohungnoddingatthewindowcloseundertheadvertisement-card，andatthenextmomentwasintheparkwithahalf-dozenofdandiescanteringafterhercarriage。

Whenshefoundhowherfriendwassituated，andhowhavingasnuglegacyfromMissCrawley，salarywasnoobjecttoourgentlewoman，Beckyinstantlyformedsomebenevolentlittledomesticplansconcerningher。Thiswasjustsuchacompanionaswouldsuitherestablishment，andsheinvitedBriggstocometodinnerwithherthatveryevening，whensheshouldseeBecky’sdearlittledarlingRawdon。

Mrs。Bowlscautionedherlodgeragainstventuringintothelion’sden，“whereinyouwillrueit，MissB。，markmywords，andassureasmynameisBowls。”AndBriggspromisedtobeverycautious。TheupshotofwhichcautionwasthatshewenttolivewithMrs。Rawdonthenextweek，andhadlentRawdonCrawleysixhundredpoundsuponannuitybeforesixmonthswereover。

InWhichBeckyRevisitstheHallsofHerAncestorsSothemourningbeingready，andSirPittCrawleywarnedoftheirarrival，ColonelCrawleyandhiswifetookacoupleofplacesinthesameoldHigh-flyercoachbywhichRebeccahadtravelledinthedefunctBaronet’scompany，onherfirstjourneyintotheworldsomenineyearsbefore。HowwellsherememberedtheInnYard，andtheostlertowhomsherefusedmoney，andtheinsinuatingCambridgeladwhowrappedherinhiscoatonthejourney！Rawdontookhisplaceoutside，andwouldhavelikedtodrive，buthisgriefforbadehim。Hesatbythecoachmanandtalkedabouthorsesandtheroadthewholeway；andwhokepttheinns，andwhohorsedthecoachbywhichhehadtravelledsomanyatime，whenheandPittwereboysgoingtoEton。AtMudburyacarriageandapairofhorsesreceivedthem，withacoachmaninblack。”It’stheolddrag，Rawdon。”Rebeccasaidastheygotin。”Thewormshaveeatentheclothagooddeal——there’sthestainwhichSirPitt——ha！IseeDawsontheIronmongerhashisshuttersup——whichSirPittmadesuchanoiseabout。ItwasabottleofcherrybrandyhebrokewhichwewenttofetchforyourauntfromSouthampton。Howtimeflies，tobesure！Thatcan’tbePollyTalboys，thatbouncinggirlstandingbyhermotheratthecottagethere。Irememberheramangylittleurchinpickingweedsinthegarden。”

“Finegal。”saidRawdon，returningthesalutewhichthecottagegavehim，bytwofingersappliedtohiscrapehatband。Beckybowedandsaluted，andrecognizedpeoplehereandtheregraciously。Theserecognitionswereinexpressiblypleasanttoher。Itseemedasifshewasnotanimposteranymore，andwascomingtothehomeofherancestors。Rawdonwasratherabashedandcastdown，ontheotherhand。Whatrecollectionsofboyhoodandinnocencemighthavebeenflittingacrosshisbrain？

Whatpangsofdimremorseanddoubtandshame？

“Yoursistersmustbeyoungwomennow。”Rebeccasaid，thinkingofthosegirlsforthefirsttimeperhapssinceshehadleftthem。

“Don’tknow，I’mshaw。”repliedtheColonel。”Hullo！

here’soldMotherLock。How-dy-do，Mrs。Lock？Rememberme，don’tyou？MasterRawdon，hey？Dammyhowthoseoldwomenlast；shewasahundredwhenIwasaboy。”

Theyweregoingthroughthelodge-gateskeptbyoldMrs。Lock，whosehandRebeccainsisteduponshaking，assheflungopenthecreakingoldirongate，andthecarriagepassedbetweenthetwomoss-grownpillarssurmountedbythedoveandserpent。

“Thegovernorhascutintothetimber。”Rawdonsaid，lookingabout，andthenwassilent——sowasBecky。Bothofthemwereratheragitated，andthinkingofoldtimes。

HeaboutEton，andhismother，whomheremembered，afrigiddemurewoman，andasisterwhodied，ofwhomhehadbeenpassionatelyfond；andhowheusedtothrashPitt；andaboutlittleRawdyathome。AndRebeccathoughtaboutherownyouthandthedarksecretsofthoseearlytainteddays；andofherentranceintolifebyyondergates；andofMissPinkerton，andJoe，andAmelia。

Thegravelwalkandterracehadbeenscrapedquiteclean。Agrandpaintedhatchmentwasalreadyoverthegreatentrance，andtwoverysolemnandtallpersonagesinblackflungopeneachaleafofthedoorastheca