Vanity Fair - Page 461/573

She dressed herself and went away unmolested this time, but alone. It

was four o'clock. She went swiftly down the streets (she had no money

to pay for a carriage), and never stopped until she came to Sir Pitt

Crawley's door, in Great Gaunt Street. Where was Lady Jane Crawley?

She was at church. Becky was not sorry. Sir Pitt was in his study, and

had given orders not to be disturbed--she must see him--she slipped by

the sentinel in livery at once, and was in Sir Pitt's room before the

astonished Baronet had even laid down the paper.

He turned red and started back from her with a look of great alarm and

horror.

"Do not look so," she said. "I am not guilty, Pitt, dear Pitt; you

were my friend once. Before God, I am not guilty. I seem so.

Everything is against me. And oh! at such a moment! just when all my

hopes were about to be realized: just when happiness was in store for

us."

"Is this true, what I see in the paper then?" Sir Pitt said--a

paragraph in which had greatly surprised him.

"It is true. Lord Steyne told me on Friday night, the night of that

fatal ball. He has been promised an appointment any time these six

months. Mr. Martyr, the Colonial Secretary, told him yesterday that it

was made out. That unlucky arrest ensued; that horrible meeting. I was

only guilty of too much devotedness to Rawdon's service. I have

received Lord Steyne alone a hundred times before. I confess I had

money of which Rawdon knew nothing. Don't you know how careless he is

of it, and could I dare to confide it to him?" And so she went on with

a perfectly connected story, which she poured into the ears of her

perplexed kinsman.

It was to the following effect. Becky owned, and with prefect

frankness, but deep contrition, that having remarked Lord Steyne's

partiality for her (at the mention of which Pitt blushed), and being

secure of her own virtue, she had determined to turn the great peer's

attachment to the advantage of herself and her family. "I looked for a

peerage for you, Pitt," she said (the brother-in-law again turned red).

"We have talked about it. Your genius and Lord Steyne's interest made

it more than probable, had not this dreadful calamity come to put an

end to all our hopes. But, first, I own that it was my object to

rescue my dear husband--him whom I love in spite of all his ill usage

and suspicions of me--to remove him from the poverty and ruin which was

impending over us. I saw Lord Steyne's partiality for me," she said,

casting down her eyes. "I own that I did everything in my power to

make myself pleasing to him, and as far as an honest woman may, to

secure his--his esteem. It was only on Friday morning that the news

arrived of the death of the Governor of Coventry Island, and my Lord

instantly secured the appointment for my dear husband. It was intended

as a surprise for him--he was to see it in the papers to-day. Even

after that horrid arrest took place (the expenses of which Lord Steyne

generously said he would settle, so that I was in a manner prevented

from coming to my husband's assistance), my Lord was laughing with me,

and saying that my dearest Rawdon would be consoled when he read of his

appointment in the paper, in that shocking spun--bailiff's house. And

then--then he came home. His suspicions were excited,--the dreadful

scene took place between my Lord and my cruel, cruel Rawdon--and, O my

God, what will happen next? Pitt, dear Pitt! pity me, and reconcile

us!" And as she spoke she flung herself down on her knees, and bursting

into tears, seized hold of Pitt's hand, which she kissed passionately.