第83章

Thereonhistable，hissister’sletterlayreproachinghim。Hetookitup，ashamedratherofhisnegligenceregardingit，andpreparedhimselfforadisagreeablehour’scommuningwiththatcrabbed-handedabsentrelative……ItmayhavebeenanhouraftertheMajor’sdeparturefromtheColonel’shouse——SirMichaelwassleepingthesleepofthejust；Glorvinahadarrangedherblackringletsintheinnumerablelittlebitsofpaper，inwhichitwasherhabittoconfinethem；LadyO’Dowd，too，hadgonetoherbedinthenuptialchamber，ontheground-floor，andhadtuckedhermusquitocurtainsroundherfairform，whentheguardatthegatesoftheCommanding-Officer’scompoundbeheldMajorDobbin，inthemoonlight，rushingtowardsthehousewithaswiftstepandaveryagitatedcountenance，andhepassedthesentinelandwentuptothewindowsoftheColonel’sbedchamber。

“O’Dowd——Colonel！”saidDobbinandkeptupagreatshouting。

“Heavens，Meejor！”saidGlorvinaofthecurl-papers，puttingoutherheadtoo，fromherwindow。

“Whatisit，Dob，meboy？”saidtheColonel，expectingtherewasafireinthestation，orthattheroutehadcomefromheadquarters。

“I——Imusthaveleaveofabsence。ImustgotoEngland——onthemosturgentprivateaffairs。”Dobbinsaid。

“Goodheavens，whathashappened！”thoughtGlorvina，tremblingwithallthepapillotes。

“Iwanttobeoff——now——to-night。”Dobbincontinued；

andtheColonelgettingup，cameouttoparleywithhim。

InthepostscriptofMissDobbin’scross-letter，theMajorhadjustcomeuponaparagraph，tothefollowingeffect：——“IdroveyesterdaytoseeyouroldACQUAINTANCE，Mrs。Osborne。Thewretchedplacetheyliveat，sincetheywerebankrupts，youknow——Mr。S。，tojudgefromaBRASSPLATEonthedoorofhishut(itislittlebetter)

isacoal-merchant。Thelittleboy，yourgodson，iscertainlyafinechild，thoughforward，andinclinedtobesaucyandself-willed。Butwehavetakennoticeofhimasyouwishit，andhaveintroducedhimtohisaunt，MissO。，whowasratherpleasedwithhim。Perhapshisgrandpapa，notthebankruptone，whoisalmostdoting，butMr。Osborne，ofRussellSquare，maybeinducedtorelenttowardsthechildofyourfriend，HISERRINGAND

SELF-WILLEDSON。AndAmeliawillnotbeill-disposedtogivehimup。ThewidowisCONSOLED，andisabouttomarryareverendgentleman，theRev。Mr。Binny，oneofthecuratesofBrompton。Apoormatch。ButMrs。O。

isgettingold，andIsawagreatdealofgreyinherhair——

shewasinverygoodspirits：andyourlittlegodsonoveratehimselfatourhouse。Mammasendsherlovewiththatofyouraffectionate，AnnDobbin。”

CHAPTERXLIV

ARound-aboutChapterbetweenLondonandHampshireOuroldfriendstheCrawleys’familyhouse，inGreatGauntStreet，stillboreoveritsfrontthehatchmentwhichhadbeenplacedthereasatokenofmourningforSirPittCrawley’sdemise，yetthisheraldicemblemwasinitselfaverysplendidandgaudypieceoffurniture，andalltherestofthemansionbecamemorebrilliantthanithadeverbeenduringthelatebaronet’sreign。Theblackouter-coatingofthebrickswasremoved，andtheyappearedwithacheerful，blushingfacestreakedwithwhite：

theoldbronzelionsoftheknockerweregilthandsomely，therailingspainted，andthedismallesthouseinGreatGauntStreetbecamethesmartestinthewholequarter，beforethegreenleavesinHampshirehadreplacedthoseyellowingoneswhichwereonthetreesinQueen’sCrawleyAvenuewhenoldSirPittCrawleypassedunderthemforthelasttime。

Alittlewoman，withacarriagetocorrespond，wasperpetuallyseenaboutthismansion；anelderlyspinster，accompaniedbyalittleboy，alsomightberemarkedcomingthitherdaily。ItwasMissBriggsandlittleRawdon，whosebusinessitwastoseetotheinwardrenovationofSirPitt’shouse，tosuperintendthefemalebandengagedinstitchingtheblindsandhangings，topokeandrummageinthedrawersandcupboardscrammedwiththedirtyrelicsandcongregatedtrumperiesofacoupleofgenerationsofLadyCrawleys，andtotakeinventoriesofthechina，theglass，andotherpropertiesintheclosetsandstore-rooms。

Mrs。RawdonCrawleywasgeneral-in-chiefoverthesearrangements，withfullordersfromSirPitttosell，barter，confiscate，orpurchasefurniture，andsheenjoyedherselfnotalittleinanoccupationwhichgavefullscopetohertasteandingenuity。TherenovationofthehousewasdetermineduponwhenSirPittcametotowninNovembertoseehislawyers，andwhenhepassednearlyaweekinCurzonStreet，undertheroofofhisaffectionatebrotherandsister。

Hehadputupatanhotelatfirst，but，Becky，assoonassheheardoftheBaronet’sarrival，wentoffalonetogreethim，andreturnedinanhourtoCurzonStreetwithSirPittinthecarriagebyherside。Itwasimpossiblesometimestoresistthisartlesslittlecreature’shospitalities，sokindlywe