第89章

Themarriageatfirstwasahappyandprosperousone。

MyLordGeorgeGauntcouldnotonlyread，butwriteprettycorrectly。HespokeFrenchwithconsiderablefluency；andwasoneofthefinestwaltzersinEurope。Withthesetalents，andhisinterestathome，therewaslittledoubtthathislordshipwouldrisetothehighestdignitiesinhisprofession。Thelady，hiswife，feltthatcourtswerehersphere，andherwealthenabledhertoreceivesplendidlyinthosecontinentaltownswhitherherhusband’sdiplomaticdutiesledhim。Therewastalkofappointinghimminister，andbetswerelaidattheTravellers’thathewouldbeambassadorerelong，whenofasudden，rumoursarrivedofthesecretary’sextraordinarybehaviour。

Atagranddiplomaticdinnergivenbyhischief，hehadstartedupanddeclaredthatapatedefoiegraswaspoisoned。HewenttoaballatthehoteloftheBavarianenvoy，theCountdeSpringbock-Hohenlaufen，withhisheadshavedanddressedasaCapuchinfriar。Itwasnotamaskedball，assomefolkswantedtopersuadeyou。Itwassomethingqueer，peoplewhispered。Hisgrandfatherwasso。Itwasinthefamily。

HiswifeandfamilyreturnedtothiscountryandtookuptheirabodeatGauntHouse。LordGeorgegaveuphispostontheEuropeancontinent，andwasgazettedtoBrazil。Butpeopleknewbetter；heneverreturnedfromthatBrazilexpedition——neverdiedthere——neverlivedthere——neverwasthereatall。Hewasnowhere；hewasgoneoutaltogether。”Brazil。”saidonegossiptoanother，withagrin——“BrazilisSt。John’sWood。RiodeJaneiroisacottagesurroundedbyfourwalls，andGeorgeGauntisaccreditedtoakeeper，whohasinvestedhimwiththeorderoftheStrait-Waistcoat。”ThesearethekindsofepitaphswhichmenpassoveroneanotherinVanityFair。

Twiceorthriceinaweek，intheearliestmorning，thepoormotherwentforhersinsandsawthepoorinvalid。

Sometimeshelaughedather(andhislaughterwasmorepitifulthantohearhimcry)；sometimesshefoundthebrilliantdandydiplomatistoftheCongressofViennadraggingaboutachild’stoy，ornursingthekeeper’sbaby’sdoll。SometimesheknewherandFatherMole，herdirectorandcompanion；oftenerheforgother，ashehaddonewife，children，love，ambition，vanity。Butherememberedhisdinner-hour，andusedtocryifhiswine-and-waterwasnotstrongenough。

Itwasthemysterioustaintoftheblood；thepoormotherhadbroughtitfromherownancientrace。Theevilhadbrokenoutonceortwiceinthefather’sfamily，longbeforeLadySteyne’ssinshadbegun，orherfastsandtearsandpenanceshadbeenofferedintheirexpiation。Theprideoftheracewasstruckdownasthefirst-bornofPharaoh。Thedarkmarkoffateanddoomwasonthethreshold——thetalloldthresholdsurmountedbycoronetsandcanedheraldry。

Theabsentlord’schildrenmeanwhileprattledandgrewonquiteunconsciousthatthedoomwasoverthemtoo。Firsttheytalkedoftheirfatheranddevisedplansagainsthisreturn。Thenthenameofthelivingdeadmanwaslessfrequentlyintheirmouth——thennotmentionedatall。Butthestrickenoldgrandmothertrembledtothinkthatthesetooweretheinheritorsoftheirfather’sshameaswellasofhishonours，andwatchedsickeningforthedaywhentheawfulancestralcurseshouldcomedownonthem。

ThisdarkpresentimentalsohauntedLordSteyne。HetriedtolaythehorridbedsideghostinRedSeasofwineandjollity，andlostsightofitsometimesinthecrowdandroutofhispleasures。Butitalwayscamebacktohimwhenalone，andseemedtogrowmorethreateningwithyears。”Ihavetakenyourson。”itsaid，“whynotyou？ImayshutyouupinaprisonsomedaylikeyoursonGeorge。Imaytapyouontheheadto-morrow，andawaygopleasureandhonours，feastsandbeauty，friends，flatterers，Frenchcooks，finehorsesandhouses——inexchangeforaprison，akeeper，andastrawmattresslikeGeorgeGaunt’s。”Andthenmylordwoulddefytheghostwhichthreatenedhim，forheknewofaremedybywhichhecouldbaulkhisenemy。

Sotherewassplendourandwealth，butnogreathappinessperchance，behindthetallcanedportalsofGauntHousewithitssmokycoronetsandciphers。ThefeaststherewereofthegrandestinLondon，buttherewasnotovermuchcontenttherewith，exceptamongtheguestswhosatatmylord’stable。HadhenotbeensogreataPrinceveryfewpossiblywouldhavevisitedhim；butinVanityFairthesinsofverygreatpersonagesarelookedatindulgently。”Nousregardonsadeuxfois“(astheFrenchladysaid)beforewecondemnapersonofmylord’sundoubtedquality。SomenotoriouscarpersandsqueamishmoralistsmightbesulkywithLordSteyne，buttheyweregladenoughtocomewhenheaskedthem。

“LordSteyneisreallytoobad。”LadySlingstonesaid。”buteverybodygoes，andofcourseIshallseethatmygirlscometonoharm。”“Hislord