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BareacresCastlewastheirs，too，withallitscostlypictures，furniture，andarticlesofvertu——themagnificentVandykes；thenobleReynoldspictures；theLawrenceportraits，tawdryandbeautiful，and，thirtyyearsago，deemedaspreciousasworksofrealgenius；thematchlessDancingNymphofCanova，forwhichLadyBareacreshadsatinheryouth——LadyBareacressplendidthen，andradiantinwealth，rank，andbeauty——atoothless，bald，oldwomannow——amereragofaformerrobeofstate。Herlord，paintedatthesametimebyLawrence，aswavinghissabreinfrontofBareacresCastle，andclothedinhisuniformasColoneloftheThistlewoodYeomanry，wasawithered，old，leanmaninagreatcoatandaBrutuswig，slinkingaboutGray’sInnofmorningschieflyanddiningaloneatclubs。HedidnotliketodinewithSteynenow。TheyhadrunracesofpleasuretogetherinyouthwhenBareacreswasthewinner。ButSteynehadmorebottomthanheandhadlastedhimout。TheMarquiswastentimesagreatermannowthantheyoungLordGauntof’85，andBareacresnowhereintherace——old，beaten，bankrupt，andbrokendown。HehadborrowedtoomuchmoneyofSteynetofinditpleasanttomeethisoldcomradeoften。Thelatter，wheneverhewishedtobemerry，usedjeeringlytoaskLadyGauntwhyherfatherhadnotcometoseeher。

“Hehasnotbeenhereforfourmonths。”LordSteynewouldsay。”Icanalwaystellbymycheque-bookafterwards，whenIgetavisitfromBareacres。Whatacomfortitis，myladies，Ibankwithoneofmysons’

fathers-in-law，andtheotherbankswithme！”

OftheotherillustriouspersonswhomBeckyhadthehonourtoencounteronthisherfirstpresentationtothegrandworld，itdoesnotbecomethepresenthistoriantosaymuch。TherewashisExcellencythePrinceofPeterwaradin，withhisPrincess——anoblemantightlygirthed，withalargemilitarychest，onwhichtheplaqueofhisordershonemagnificently，andwearingtheredcollaroftheGoldenFleeceroundhisneck。Hewastheownerofcountlessflocks。”Lookathisface。Ithinkhemustbedescendedfromasheep。”BeckywhisperedtoLordSteyne。Indeed，hisExcellency’scountenance，long，solemn，andwhite，withtheornamentroundhisneck，。

boresomeresemblancetothatofavenerablebell-wether。

TherewasMr。JohnPaulJeffersonJones，titularlyattachedtotheAmericanEmbassyandcorrespondentoftheNewYorkDemagogue，who，bywayofmakinghimselfagreeabletothecompany，askedLadySteyne，duringapauseintheconversationatdinner，howhisdearfriend，GeorgeGaunt，likedtheBrazils？HeandGeorgehadbeenmostintimateatNaplesandhadgoneupVesuviustogether。Mr。Joneswroteafullandparticularaccountofthedinner，whichappeareddulyintheDemagogue。Hementionedthenamesandtitlesofalltheguests，givingbiographicalsketchesoftheprincipalpeople。Hedescribedthepersonsoftheladieswithgreateloquence；theserviceofthetable；thesizeandcostumeoftheservants；enumeratedthedishesandwinesserved；theornamentsofthesideboard；andtheprobablevalueoftheplate。Suchadinnerhecalculatedcouldnotbedishedupunderfifteenoreighteendollarsperhead。

Andhewasinthehabit，untilverylately，ofsendingoverproteges，withlettersofrecommendationtothepresentMarquisofSteyne，encouragedtodosobytheintimatetermsonwhichhehadlivedwithhisdearfriend，thelatelord。Hewasmostindignantthatayoungandinsignificantaristocrat，theEarlofSouthdown，shouldhavetakenthepasofhimintheirprocessiontothedining-room。”JustasIwassteppinguptooffermyhandtoaverypleasingandwittyfashionable，thebrilliantandexclusiveMrs。RawdonCrawley。”——hewrote——“theyoungpatricianinterposedbetweenmeandtheladyandwhiskedmyHelenoffwithoutawordofapology。

IwasfaintobringuptherearwiththeColonel，thelady’shusband，astoutred-facedwarriorwhodistinguishedhimselfatWaterloo，wherehehadbetterluckthanbefellsomeofhisbrotherredcoatsatNewOrleans。”

TheColonel’scountenanceoncomingintothispolitesocietyworeasmanyblushesasthefaceofaboyofsixteenassumeswhenheisconfrontedwithhissister’sschoolfellows。IthasbeentoldbeforethathonestRawdonhadnotbeenmuchusedatanyperiodofhislifetoladies’company。WiththemenattheCluborthemessroom，hewaswellenough；andcouldride，bet，smoke，orplayatbilliardswiththeboldestofthem。Hehadhadhistimeforfemalefriendshipstoo，butthatwastwentyyearsago，andtheladieswereoftherankofthosewithwhomYoungMarlowinthecomedyisrepresentedashavingbeenfamiliarbeforehebecameabashedinthepresenceofMissHardcastle。ThetimesaresuchthatonescarcelydarestoalludetothatkindofcompanywhichthousandsofouryoungmeninVanityFairarefrequentingeveryday，whichn