Vanity Fair - Page 348/573

The gravel walk and terrace had been scraped quite clean. A grand

painted hatchment was already over the great entrance, and two very

solemn and tall personages in black flung open each a leaf of the door

as the carriage pulled up at the familiar steps. Rawdon turned red,

and Becky somewhat pale, as they passed through the old hall, arm in

arm. She pinched her husband's arm as they entered the oak parlour,

where Sir Pitt and his wife were ready to receive them. Sir Pitt in

black, Lady Jane in black, and my Lady Southdown with a large black

head-piece of bugles and feathers, which waved on her Ladyship's head

like an undertaker's tray.

Sir Pitt had judged correctly, that she would not quit the premises.

She contented herself by preserving a solemn and stony silence, when in

company of Pitt and his rebellious wife, and by frightening the

children in the nursery by the ghastly gloom of her demeanour. Only a

very faint bending of the head-dress and plumes welcomed Rawdon and his

wife, as those prodigals returned to their family.

To say the truth, they were not affected very much one way or other by

this coolness. Her Ladyship was a person only of secondary

consideration in their minds just then--they were intent upon the

reception which the reigning brother and sister would afford them.

Pitt, with rather a heightened colour, went up and shook his brother by

the hand, and saluted Rebecca with a hand-shake and a very low bow.

But Lady Jane took both the hands of her sister-in-law and kissed her

affectionately. The embrace somehow brought tears into the eyes of the

little adventuress--which ornaments, as we know, she wore very seldom.

The artless mark of kindness and confidence touched and pleased her;

and Rawdon, encouraged by this demonstration on his sister's part,

twirled up his mustachios and took leave to salute Lady Jane with a

kiss, which caused her Ladyship to blush exceedingly.

"Dev'lish nice little woman, Lady Jane," was his verdict, when he and

his wife were together again. "Pitt's got fat, too, and is doing the

thing handsomely." "He can afford it," said Rebecca and agreed in her

husband's farther opinion "that the mother-in-law was a tremendous old

Guy--and that the sisters were rather well-looking young women."

They, too, had been summoned from school to attend the funeral

ceremonies. It seemed Sir Pitt Crawley, for the dignity of the house

and family, had thought right to have about the place as many persons

in black as could possibly be assembled. All the men and maids of the

house, the old women of the Alms House, whom the elder Sir Pitt had

cheated out of a great portion of their due, the parish clerk's family,

and the special retainers of both Hall and Rectory were habited in

sable; added to these, the undertaker's men, at least a score, with

crapes and hatbands, and who made goodly show when the great burying

show took place--but these are mute personages in our drama; and having

nothing to do or say, need occupy a very little space here.