“What’stherowabout，Crawley，myboy？”saidtheoldwarrior。”Nomoregamblingbusiness，hay，likethatwhenweshotCaptainMarker？”
　　“It’sabout——aboutmywife。”Crawleyanswered，castingdownhiseyesandturningveryred。
　　Theothergaveawhistle。”Ialwayssaidshe’dthrowyouover。”hebegan——indeedtherewerebetsintheregimentandattheclubsregardingtheprobablefateofColonelCrawley，solightlywashiswife’scharacteresteemedbyhiscomradesandtheworld；butseeingthesavagelookwithwhichRawdonansweredtheexpressionofthisopinion，Macmurdodidnotthinkfittoenlargeuponitfurther。
　　“Istherenowayoutofit，oldboy？”theCaptaincontinuedinagravetone。”Isitonlysuspicion，youknow，or——orwhatisit？Anyletters？Can’tyoukeepitquiet？
　　Bestnotmakeanynoiseaboutathingofthatsortifyoucanhelpit。”“Thinkofhisonlyfindingheroutnow。”theCaptainthoughttohimself，andrememberedahundredparticularconversationsatthemess-table，inwhichMrs。
　　Crawley’sreputationhadbeentorntoshreds。
　　“There’snowaybutoneoutofit。”Rawdonreplied——
　　“andthere’sonlyawayoutofitforoneofus，Mac——doyouunderstand？Iwasputoutoftheway——arrested——I
　　found’emalonetogether。Itoldhimhewasaliarandacoward，andknockedhimdownandthrashedhim。”
　　“Servehimright。”Macmurdosaid。”Whoisit？”
　　RawdonanswereditwasLordSteyne。
　　“Thedeuce！aMarquis！theysaidhe——thatis，theysaidyou——“
　　“Whatthedevildoyoumean？”roaredoutRawdon；
　　“doyoumeanthatyoueverheardafellowdoubtaboutmywifeanddidn’ttellme，Mac？”
　　“Theworld’sverycensorious，oldboy。”theotherreplied。”Whatthedeucewasthegoodofmytellingyouwhatanytom-foolstalkedabout？”
　　“Itwasdamnedunfriendly，Mac。”saidRawdon，quiteovercome；and，coveringhisfacewithhishands，hegavewaytoanemotion，thesightofwhichcausedthetougholdcampaigneroppositehimtowincewithsympathy。
　　“Holdup，oldboy。”hesaid；“greatmanornot，we’llputabulletinhim，damnhim。Asforwomen，they’reallso。”
　　“Youdon’tknowhowfondIwasofthatone。”
　　Rawdonsaid，half-inarticulately。”Damme，Ifollowedherlikeafootman。IgaveupeverythingIhadtoher。I’mabeggarbecauseIwouldmarryher。ByJove，sir，I’vepawnedmyownwatchinordertogetheranythingshefancied；
　　andsheshe’sbeenmakingapurseforherselfallthetime，andgrudgedmeahundredpoundtogetmeoutofquod。”Hethenfiercelyandincoherently，andwithanagitationunderwhichhiscounsellorhadneverbeforeseenhimlabour，toldMacmurdothecircumstancesofthestory。Hisadvisercaughtatsomestrayhintsinit。
　　“Shemaybeinnocent，afterall。”hesaid。”Shesaysso。Steynehasbeenahundredtimesalonewithherinthehousebefore。”
　　“Itmaybeso。”Rawdonansweredsadly，“butthisdon’tlookveryinnocent“：andheshowedtheCaptainthethousand-poundnotewhichhehadfoundinBecky’spocket-book。”Thisiswhathegaveher，Mac，andshekepitunknowntome；andwiththismoneyinthehouse，sherefusedtostandbymewhenIwaslockedup。”TheCaptaincouldnotbutownthatthesecretingofthemoneyhadaveryuglylook。
　　Whilsttheywereengagedintheirconference，RawdondispatchedCaptainMacmurdo’sservanttoCurzonStreet，withanordertothedomestictheretogiveupabagofclothesofwhichtheColonelhadgreatneed。Andduringtheman’sabsence，andwithgreatlabourandaJohnson’sDictionary，whichstoodtheminmuchstead，Rawdonandhissecondcomposedaletter，whichthelatterwastosendtoLordSteyne。CaptainMacmurdohadthehonourofwaitingupontheMarquisofSteyne，onthepartofColonelRawdonCrawley，andbeggedtointimatethathewasempoweredbytheColoneltomakeanyarrangementsforthemeetingwhich，hehadnodoubt，itwashisLordship’sintentiontodemand，andwhichthecircumstancesofthemorninghadrenderedinevitable。CaptainMacmurdobeggedLordSteyne，inthemostpolitemanner，toappointafriend，withwhomheCaptainM’M。
　　mightcommunicate，anddesiredthatthemeetingmighttakeplacewithaslittledelayaspossible。
　　InapostscripttheCaptainstatedthathehadinhispossessionabank-noteforalargeamount，whichColonelCrawleyhadreasontosupposewasthepropertyoftheMarquisofSteyne。Andhewasanxious，ontheColonel’sbehalf，togiveupthenotetoitsowner。
　　Bythetimethisnotewascomposed，theCaptain’sservantreturnedfromhismissiontoColonelCrawley’shouseinCurzonStreet，butwithoutthecarpet-bagandportmanteau，forwhichhehadbeensent，andwithaverypuzzledandoddface。
　　“Theywon’tgive’emup。”saidtheman；“there’saregularshintyinthehouse，andeverythingatsixesandsevens。Thelandlord’scomeinandtookpossession。Theservantswasadrinkin’upinthedrawingroom。Theysaid——theysaidyouhadgoneoffwiththeplate，Colonel“——themanaddedafterapause——“Oneoftheservantsisoffalready。AndSimpson，themanaswasverynoisyanddrunkindeed，saysnothingshallgooutofthehouseuntilhiswagesispaidup。”
　　TheaccountofthislittlerevolutioninMayFairastonishedandgavealittlegaietytoanotherwiseverytristeconversation。ThetwoofficerslaughedatRawdon’sdiscomfiture。
　　“I’mgladthelittle’unisn’tathome。”Rawdonsaid，bitinghisnails。”Yourememberhim，Mac，don’tyou，intheRidingSchool？Howhesatthekickertobesure！
　　didn’the？”
　　“Thathedid，oldboy。”saidthegood-naturedCaptain。
　　LittleRawdonwasthensitting，oneoffiftygownboys，intheChapelofWhitefriarsSchool，thinking，notaboutthesermon，butaboutgoinghomenextSaturday，whenhisfatherwouldcertainlytiphimandperhapswouldtakehimtotheplay。
　　“He’saregulartrump，thatboy。”thefatherwenton，stillmusingabouthisson。”Isay，Mac，ifanythinggoeswrong——ifIdrop——Ishouldlikeyouto——togoandseehim，youknow，andsaythatIwasveryfondofhim，andthat。And——dashit——oldchap，givehimthesegoldsleeve-
　　buttons：it’sallI’vegot。”Hecoveredhisfacewithhisblackhands，overwhichthetearsrolledandmadefurrowsofwhite。Mr。Macmurdohadalsooccasiontotakeoffhissilknight-capandrubitacrosshiseyes。
　　“Godownandordersomebreakfast。”hesaidtohismaninaloudcheerfulvoice。”What’llyouhave，Crawley？
　　Somedevilledkidneysandaherring——let’ssay。And，Clay，layoutsomedressingthingsfortheColonel：wewerealwaysprettymuchofasize，Rawdon，myboy，andneitherofusridesolightaswedidwhenwefirstenteredthecorps。”Withwhich，andleavingtheColoneltodresshimself，Macmurdoturnedroundtowardsthewall，andresumedtheperusalofBell’sLife，untilsuchtimeashisfriend’stoilettewascompleteandhewasatlibertytocommencehisown。
　　This，ashewasabouttomeetalord，CaptainMacmurdoperformedwithparticularcare。Hewaxedhismustachiosintoastateofbrilliantpolishandputonatightcravatandatrimbuffwaistcoat，sothatalltheyoungofficersinthemess-room，whitherCrawleyhadprecededhisfriend，complimentedMaconhisappearanceatbreakfastandaskedifhewasgoingtobemarriedthatSunday。
　　InWhichtheSameSubjectisPursuedBeckydidnotrallyfromthestateofstuporandconfusioninwhichtheeventsofthepreviousnighthadplungedherintrepidspirituntilthebellsoftheCurzonStreetChapelswereringingforafternoonservice，andrisingfromherbedshebegantoplyherownbell，inordertosummontheFrenchmaidwhohadlefthersomehoursbefore。
　　Mrs。RawdonCrawleyrangmanytimesinvain；andthough，onthelastoccasion，sherangwithsuchvehemenceastopulldownthebell-rope，MademoiselleFifinedidnotmakeherappearance——no，notthoughhermistress，inagreatpet，andwiththebell-ropeinherhand，cameouttothelanding-placewithherhairoverhershouldersandscreamedoutrepeatedlyforherattendant。
　　Thetruthis，shehadquittedthepremisesformanyhours，anduponthatpermissionwhichiscalledFrenchleaveamongusAfterpickingupthetrinketsinthedrawing-room，Mademoisellehadascendedtoherownapartments，packedandcordedherownboxesthere，trippedoutandcalledacabforherself，broughtdownhertrunkswithherownhand，andwithouteversomuchasaskingtheaidofanyoftheotherservants，whowouldprobablyhaverefusedit，astheyhatedhercordially，andwithoutwishinganyoneofthemgood-bye，hadmadeherexitfromCurzonStreet。
　　Thegame，inheropinion，wasoverinthatlittledomesticestablishment。Fifinewentoffinacab，aswehaveknownmoreexaltedpersonsofhernationtodoundersimilarcircumstances：but，moreprovidentorluckythanthese，shesecurednotonlyherownproperty，butsomeofhermistress’sifindeedthatladycouldbesaidtohaveanypropertyatall——andnotonlycarriedoffthetrinketsbeforealludedto，andsomefavouritedressesonwhichshehadlongkepthereye，butfourrichlygiltLouisQuatorzecandlesticks，sixgiltalbums，keepsakes，andBooksofBeauty，agoldenamelledsnuff-boxwhichhadoncebelongedtoMadameduBarri，andthesweetestlittleinkstandandmother-of-pearlblottingbook，whichBeckyusedwhenshecomposedhercharminglittlepinknotes，hadvanishedfromthepremisesinCurzonStreettogetherwithMademoiselleFifine，andallthesilverlaidonthetableforthelittlefestinwhichRawdoninterrupted。TheplatedwareMademoiselleleftbehindherwastoocumbrous，probablyforwhichreason，nodoubt，shealsoleftthefireirons，thechimney-glasses，andtherosewoodcottagepiano。
　　Aladyverylikehersubsequentlykeptamilliner’sshopintheRueduHelderatParis，whereshelivedwithgreatcreditandenjoyedthepatronageofmyLordSteyne。ThispersonalwaysspokeofEnglandasofthemosttreacherouscountryintheworld，andstatedtoheryoungpupilsthatshehadbeenaffreusementvolebynativesofthatisland。ItwasnodoubtcompassionforhermisfortuneswhichinducedtheMarquisofSteynetobesoverykindtoMadamedeSaint-Amaranthe。Maysheflourishasshedeserves——sheappearsnomoreinourquarterofVanityFair。
　　Hearingabuzzandastirbelow，andindignantattheimpudenceofthoseservantswhowouldnotanswerhersummons，Mrs。Crawleyflunghermorningroberoundheranddescendedmajesticallytothedrawing-room，whencethenoiseproceeded。
　　Thecookwastherewithblackenedface，seatedonthebeautifulchintzsofabythesideofMrs。Raggles，towhomshewasadministeringMaraschino。Thepagewiththesugar-loafbuttons，whocarriedaboutBecky’spinknotes，andjumpedaboutherlittlecarriagewithsuchalacrity，wasnowengagedputtinghisfingersintoacreamdish；thefootmanwastalkingtoRaggles，whohadafacefullofperplexityandwoe——andyet，thoughthedoorwasopen，andBeckyhadbeenscreamingahalf-dozenoftimesafewfeetoff，notoneofherattendantshadobeyedhercall。”Havealittledrop，do’eenow，Mrs。Raggles。”thecookwassayingasBeckyentered，thewhitecashmeredressing-gownflouncingaroundher。
　　“Simpson！Trotter！”themistressofthehousecriedingreatwrath。”Howdareyoustayherewhenyouheardmecall？Howdareyousitdowninmypresence？Where’smymaid？”Thepagewithdrewhisfingersfromhismouthwithamomentaryterror，butthecooktookoffaglassofMaraschino，ofwhichMrs。Raggleshadhadenough，staringatBeckyoverthelittlegiltglassasshedraineditscontents。Theliquorappearedtogivetheodiousrebelcourage。
　　“YOURsofy，indeed！”Mrs。Cooksaid。”I’masettin’onMrs。Raggles’ssofy。Don’tyoustir，Mrs。Raggles，Mum。
　　I’masettin’onMr。andMrs。Raggles’ssofy，whichtheyboughtwithhonestmoney，andverydearitcost’em，too。AndI’mthinkin’ifIsethereuntilI’mpaidmywages，Ishallsetapreciouslongtime，Mrs。Raggles；
　　andsetIwill，too——ha！ha！”andwiththisshefilledherselfanotherglassoftheliquoranddrankitwithamorehideouslysatiricalair。
　　“Trotter！Simpson！turnthatdrunkenwretchout。”
　　screamedMrs。Crawley。
　　“Ishawn’t。”saidTrotterthefootman；“turnoutyourself。Payourselleries，andturnmeouttoo。WE’LL
　　gofastenough。”