梅克皮斯名利场综合.pdfVIP

VanityFairbyWillikepeaceThackeray

Chapter8

Privateand

MissRebeccaSharptoMissAmeliaSedley,RussellSquare,London.

(.–PittCrawley.)

Mydearest,sweetestAmelia,

Withwhatmingledjoyandsorrowtakeupthepentowritetomy

dearestfriend!Oh,whhangweento-dayandyesterday!NowI

amfriendlessandalone;yesterdayIwasathome,inthesweet

ofasister,whomIshallever,evercherish!

IwillnotlyouinwhattearsandsadnessIpassedthefatalnightin

whichIseparatedfromyou.YouwentonTuesdaytojoyandhappiness,

withyourmotherandyourdevotedyoungsoldierbyyourside;andI

thoughtofyouallnight,dancingatthePerkins’s,theprettiest,Iamsure,

ofalltheyoungladiesattheBall.Iwasbroughtbythegroomintheold

carriagetoSirPittCrawley’stownhouse,where,afterJohnthegroom

hadbehavedmostrudelyandinsolentlytome(alas!‘twassafetoinsult

povertyandmisfortune!),IwasgivenovertoSirP.’scare,andmadeto

passthenightinanoldgloomybed,andbythesideofahorridgloomy

oldcharwoman,whokeepsthehouse.Ididnotsleeponesinglewinkthe

wholenight.

SirPittisnotwhatwesillygirls,whenweusedtoreadCeciliaat

Chiswick,imaginedabarmusthavebeen.Anything,indeed,less

likeLordOrvillecannotbeimagined.Fancyanold,stumpy,short,

vulgar,andverydirtyman,inoldclothesandshabbyoldgaiters,who

smokesahorridpipe,andcookshisownhorridsupperinasaucepan.He

speakswithacountryaccent,andsworeagreatdealattheold

charwoman,atthehackneycoaanwhodroveustotheinnwherethe

coachwentfrom,andonwhichImadethejourneyoutsideforthe

greaterpartoftheway.

Iwasawakenedatdaybreakbythecharwoman,andhavingarrivedat

theinn,wasatfirstcedinsidethecoach.