This letter, with a huge black border and seal, was accordingly despatched by Sir Pitt Crawley to his brother the Colonel, in London.Rawdon Crawley was but half-pleased at the receipt of it."What's the use of going down to that stupid place?" thought he."I can't stand being alone with Pitt after dinner, and horses there and back will cost us twenty pound."He carried the letter, as he did all difficulties, to Becky, upstairs in her bedroom--with her chocolate, which he always made and took to her of a morning.
He put the tray with the breakfast and the letter on the dressing-table, before which Becky sat combing her yellow hair.She took up the black-edged missive, and having read it, she jumped up from the chair, crying "Hurray!" and waving the note round her head.
"Hurray?" said Rawdon, wondering at the little figure capering about in a streaming flannel dressing-gown, with tawny locks dishevelled."He's not left us anything, Becky.I had my share when I came of age.""You'll never be of age, you silly old man," Becky replied."Run out now to Madam Brunoy's, for I must have some mourning: and get a crape on your hat, and a black waistcoat--I don't think you've got one; order it to be brought home to-morrow, so that we may be able to start on Thursday.""You don't mean to go?" Rawdon interposed.
"Of course I mean to go.I mean that Lady Jane shall present me at Court next year.I mean that your brother shall give you a seat in Parliament, you stupid old creature.I mean that Lord Steyne shall have your vote and his, my dear, old silly man; and that you shall be an Irish Secretary, or a West Indian Governor: or a Treasurer, or a Consul, or some such thing.""Posting will cost a dooce of a lot of money," grumbled Rawdon.
"We might take Southdown's carriage, which ought to be present at the funeral, as he is a relation of the family: but, no--I intend that we shall go by the coach.
They'll like it better.It seems more humble--""Rawdy goes, of course?" the Colonel asked.
"No such thing; why pay an extra place? He's too big to travel bodkin between you and me.Let him stay here in the nursery, and Briggs can make him a black frock.Go you, and do as I bid you.And you had best tell Sparks, your man, that old Sir Pitt is dead and that you will come in for something considerable when the affairs are arranged.He'll tell this to Raggles, who has been pressing for money, and it will console poor Raggles." And so Becky began sipping her chocolate.
When the faithful Lord Steyne arrived in the evening, he found Becky and her companion, who was no other than our friend Briggs, busy cutting, ripping, snipping, and tearing all sorts of black stuffs available for the melancholy occasion.
"Miss Briggs and I are plunged in grief and despondency for the death of our Papa," Rebecca said."Sir Pitt Crawley is dead, my lord.We have been tearing our hair all the morning, and now we are tearing up our old clothes.""Oh, Rebecca, how can you--" was all that Briggs could say as she turned up her eyes.
"Oh, Rebecca, how can you--" echoed my Lord."So that old scoundrel's dead, is he? He might have been a Peer if he had played his cards better.Mr.Pitt had very nearly made him; but he ratted always at the wrong time.What an old Silenus it was!""I might have been Silenus's widow," said Rebecca.
"Don't you remember, Miss Briggs, how you peeped in at the door and saw old Sir Pitt on his knees to me?"Miss Briggs, our old friend, blushed very much at this reminiscence, and was glad when Lord Steyne ordered her to go downstairs and make him a cup of tea.
Briggs was the house-dog whom Rebecca had provided as guardian of her innocence and reputation.Miss Crawley had left her a little annuity.She would have been content to remain in the Crawley family with Lady Jane, who was good to her and to everybody; but Lady Southdown dismissed poor Briggs as quickly as decency permitted; and Mr.Pitt (who thought himself much injured by the uncalled-for generosity of his deceased relative towards a lady who had only been Miss Crawley's faithful retainer a score of years) made no objection to that exercise of the dowager's authority.Bowls and Firkin likewise received their legacies and their dismissals, and married and set up a lodging-house, according to the custom of their kind.
