Hewasafineopen-facedboy，withblueeyesandwavingflaxenhair，sturdyinlimb，butgenerousandsoftinheart，fondlyattachinghimselftoallwhoweregoodtohim——tothepony——toLordSouthdown，whogavehimthehorseheusedtoblushandglowalloverwhenhesawthatkindyoungnobleman——tothegroomwhohadchargeofthepony——toMolly，thecook，whocrammedhimwithghoststoriesatnight，andwithgoodthingsfromthedinner——toBriggs，whomheplaguedandlaughedat——andtohisfatherespecially，whoseattachmenttowardstheladwascurioustootowitness。Here，ashegrewtobeabouteightyearsold，hisattachmentsmaybesaidtohaveended。Thebeautifulmother-visionhadfadedawayafterawhile。Duringneartwoyearsshehadscarcelyspokentothechild。Shedislikedhim。Hehadthemeaslesandthehooping-cough。Heboredher。Onedaywhenhewasstandingatthelanding-place，havingcreptdownfromtheupperregions，attractedbythesoundofhismother’svoice，whowassingingtoLordSteyne，thedrawingroomdooropeningsuddenly，discoveredthelittlespy，whobutamomentbeforehadbeenraptindelight，andlisteningtothemusic。
Hismothercameoutandstruckhimviolentlyacoupleofboxesontheear。HeheardalaughfromtheMarquisintheinnerroomwhowasamusedbythisfreeandartlessexhibitionofBecky’stemperandfleddownbelowtohisfriendsofthekitchen，burstinginanagonyofgrief。
“Itisnotbecauseithurtsme。”littleRawdongaspedout——“only——only“——sobsandtearswoundupthesentenceinastorm。Itwasthelittleboy’sheartthatwasbleeding。”Whymayn’tIhearhersinging？Whydon’tsheeversingtome——asshedoestothatbaldheadedmanwiththelargeteeth？”Hegaspedoutatvariousintervalstheseexclamationsofrageandgrief。Thecooklookedatthehousemaid，thehousemaidlookedknowinglyatthefootman——theawfulkitcheninquisitionwhichsitsinjudgementineveryhouseandknowseverything——
satonRebeccaatthatmoment。
Afterthisincident，themother’sdislikeincreasedtohatred；theconsciousnessthatthechildwasinthehousewasareproachandapaintoher。Hisverysightannoyedher。Fear，doubt，andresistancesprangup，too，intheboy’sownbosom。Theywereseparatedfromthatdayoftheboxesontheear。
LordSteynealsoheartilydislikedtheboy。Whentheymetbymischance，hemadesarcasticbowsorremarkstothechild，orglaredathimwithsavage-lookingeyes。
Rawdonusedtostarehiminthefaceanddoublehislittlefistsinreturn。Heknewhisenemy，andthisgentleman，ofallwhocametothehouse，wastheonewhoangeredhimmost。OnedaythefootmanfoundhimsquaringhisfistsatLordSteyne’shatinthehall。ThefootmantoldthecircumstanceasagoodjoketoLordSteyne’scoachman；thatofficerimpartedittoLordSteyne’sgentleman，andtotheservants’hallingeneral。
Andverysoonafterwards，whenMrs。RawdonCrawleymadeherappearanceatGauntHouse，theporterwhounbarredthegates，theservantsofalluniformsinthehall，thefunctionariesinwhitewaistcoats，whobawledoutfromlandingtolandingthenamesofColonelandMrs。
RawdonCrawley，knewabouther，orfanciedtheydid。
Themanwhobroughtherrefreshmentandstoodbehindherchair，hadtalkedhercharacteroverwiththelargegentlemaninmotley-colouredclothesathisside。BonDieu！itisawful，thatservants’inquisition！Youseeawomaninagreatpartyinasplendidsaloon，surroundedbyfaithfuladmirers，distributingsparklingglances，dressedtoperfection，curled，rouged，smilingandhappy——Discoverywalksrespectfullyuptoher，intheshapeofahugepowderedmanwithlargecalvesandatrayofices——withCalumnywhichisasfatalastruthbehindhim，intheshapeofthehulkingfellowcarryingthewafer-
biscuits。Madam，yoursecretwillbetalkedoverbythosemenattheirclubatthepublic-houseto-night。JeameswilltellChawleshisnotionsaboutyouovertheirpipesandpewterbeer-pots。SomepeopleoughttohavemutesforservantsinVanityFair——muteswhocouldnotwrite。
Ifyouareguilty，tremble。ThatfellowbehindyourchairmaybeaJanissarywithabow-stringinhisplushbreechespocket。Ifyouarenotguilty，haveacareofappearances，whichareasruinousasguilt。
“WasRebeccaguiltyornot？”theVehmgerichtofthoservants’hallhadpronouncedagainsther。
And，Ishametosay，shewouldnothavegotcredithadtheynotbelievedhertobeguilty。ItwasthesightoftheMarquisofSteyne’scarriage-lampsatherdoor，contemplatedbyRaggles，burningintheblacknessofmidnight，“thatkephimup。”asheafterwardssaid，thatevenmorethanRebecca’sartsandcoaxings。
Andso——guiltlessverylikely——shewaswrithingandpushingonwardtowardswhattheycall“apositioninsociety。”andtheservantswerepointingatheraslostandruined。SoyouseeMolly，thehousemaid，ofamorning，watchingaspiderinthedoorpostlayhisthreadandlaboriouslycrawlupit，until，tiredofthesport，sheraisesherbroomandsweepsawaythethreadandtheartificer。
AdayortwobeforeChristmas，Becky，herhusbandandhersonmadereadyandwenttopasstheholidaysattheseatoftheirancestorsatQueen’sCrawley。Beckywouldhavelikedtoleavethelittlebratbehind，andwouldhavedonesobutforLadyJane’surgentinvitationstotheyoungster，andthesymptomsofrevoltanddiscontentwhichRawdonmanifestedatherneglectofherson。”He’sthefinestboyinEngland。”thefathersaidinatoneofreproachtoher，“andyoudon’tseemtocareforhim，Becky，asmuchasyoudoforyourspaniel。Heshan’tbotheryoumuch；athomehewillbeawayfromyouinthenursery，andheshallgooutsideonthecoachwithme。”
“Whereyougoyourselfbecauseyouwanttosmokethosefilthycigars。”repliedMrs。Rawdon。
“Irememberwhenyouliked’emthough。”answeredthehusband。
Beckylaughed；shewasalmostalwaysgood-humoured。
“ThatwaswhenIwasonmypromotion，Goosey。”shesaid。”TakeRawdonoutsidewithyouandgivehimacigartooifyoulike。”
Rawdondidnotwarmhislittlesonforthewinter’sjourneyinthisway，butheandBriggswrappedupthechildinshawlsandcomforters，andhewashoistedrespectfullyontotheroofofthecoachinthe。darkmorning，underthelampsoftheWhiteHorseCellar；andwithnosmalldelighthewatchedthedawnriseandmadehisfirstjourneytotheplacewhichhisfatherstillcalledhome。Itwasajourneyofinfinitepleasuretotheboy，towhomtheincidentsoftheroadaffordedendlessinterest，hisfatheransweringtohimallquestionsconnectedwithitandtellinghimwholivedinthegreatwhitehousetotheright，andwhomtheparkbelongedto。Hismother，insidethevehicle，withhermaidandherfurs，herwrappers，andherscentbottles，madesuchato-dothatyouwouldhavethoughtsheneverhadbeeninastage-coachbefore——
muchless，thatshehadbeenturnedoutofthisveryonetomakeroomforapayingpassengeronacertainjourneyperformedsomehalf-scoreyearsago。
ItwasdarkagainwhenlittleRawdonwaswakeneduptoenterhisuncle’scarriageatMudbury，andhesatandlookedoutofitwonderingasthegreatirongatesflewopen，andatthewhitetrunksofthelimesastheysweptby，untiltheystopped，atlength，beforethelightwindowsoftheHall，whichwereblazingandcomfortablewithChristmaswelcome。Thehall-doorwasflungopen——abigfirewasburninginthegreatoldfire-place——acarpetwasdownoverthechequeredblackflags——“It’stheoldTurkeyonethatusedtobeintheLadies’Gallery。”thoughtRebecca，andthenextinstantwaskissingLadyJane。
SheandSirPittperformedthesamesalutewithgreatgravity；butRawdon，havingbeensmoking，hungbackratherfromhissister-in-law，whosetwochildrencameuptotheircousin；and，whileMatildaheldoutherhandandkissedhim，PittBinkieSouthdown，thesonandheir，stoodaloofratherandexaminedhimasalittledogdoesabigdog。
Thenthekindhostessconductedhergueststothesnugapartmentsblazingwithcheerfulfires。ThentheyoungladiescameandknockedatMrs。Rawdon’sdoor，underthepretencethattheyweredesiroustobeuseful，butinrealitytohavethepleasureofinspectingthecontentsofherbandandbonnet-boxes，andherdresseswhich，thoughblack，wereofthenewestLondonfashion。AndtheytoldherhowmuchtheHallwaschangedforthebetter，andhowoldLadySouthdownwasgone，andhowPittwastakinghisstationinthecounty，asbecameaCrawleyinfact。Thenthegreatdinner-bellhavingrung，thefamilyassembledatdinner，atwhichmealRawdonJuniorwasplacedbyhisaunt，thegood-naturedladyofthehouse，SirPittbeinguncommonlyattentivetohissister-in-lawathisownrighthand。
LittleRawdonexhibitedafineappetiteandshowedagentlemanlikebehaviour。
“Iliketodinehere。”hesaidtohisauntwhenhehadcompletedhismeal，attheconclusionofwhich，andafteradecentgracebySirPitt，theyoungersonandheirwasintroduced，andwasperchedonahighchairbytheBaronet’sside，whilethedaughtertookpossessionoftheplaceandthelittlewine-glasspreparedforhernearhermother。”Iliketodinehere。”saidRawdonMinor，lookingupathisrelation’skindface。
“Why？”saidthegoodLadyJane。
“IdineinthekitchenwhenIamathome。”repliedRawdonMinor，“orelsewithBriggs。”ButBeckywassoengagedwiththeBaronet，herhost，pouringoutafloodofcomplimentsanddelightsandraptures，andadmiringyoungPittBinkie，whomshedeclaredtobethemostbeautiful，intelligent，noble-lookinglittlecreature，andsolikehisfather，thatshedidnotheartheremarksofherownfleshandbloodattheotherendofthebroadshiningtable。
Asaguest，anditbeingthefirstnightofhisarrival，RawdontheSecondwasallowedtositupuntilthehourwhenteabeingover，andagreatgiltbookbeinglaidonthetablebeforeSirPitt，allthedomesticsofthefamilystreamedin，andSirPittreadprayers。Itwasthefirsttimethepoorlittleboyhadeverwitnessedorheardofsuchaceremonial。
ThehousehadbeenmuchimprovedevensincetheBaronet’sbriefreign，andwaspronouncedbyBeckytobeperfect，charming，delightful，whenshesurveyeditinhiscompany。AsforlittleRawdon，whoexamineditwiththechildrenforhisguides，itseemedtohimaperfectpalaceofenchantmentandwonder。Therewerelonggalleries，andancientstatebedrooms，therewerepicturesandoldChina，andarmour。ThereweretheroomsinwhichGrandpapadied，andbywhichthechildrenwalkedwithterrifiedlooks。”WhowasGrandpapa？”heasked；andtheytoldhimhowheusedtobeveryold，andusedtobewheeledaboutinagarden-chair，andtheyshowedhimthegarden-chaironedayrottingintheout-houseinwhichithadlainsincetheoldgentlemanhadbeenwheeledawayyondertothechurch，ofwhichthespirewasglitteringovertheparkelms。
ThebrothershadgoodoccupationforseveralmorningsinexaminingtheimprovementswhichhadbeeneffectedbySirPitt’sgeniusandeconomy。Andastheywalkedorrode，andlookedatthem，theycouldtalkwithouttoomuchboringeachother。AndPitttookcaretotellRawdonwhataheavyoutlayofmoneytheseimprovementshadoccasioned，andthatamanoflandedandfundedpropertywasoftenveryhardpressedfortwentypounds。
“Thereisthatnewlodge-gate。”saidPitt，pointingtoithumblywiththebamboocane，“IcannomorepayforitbeforethedividendsinJanuarythanIcanfly。”
“Icanlendyou，Pitt，tillthen。”Rawdonansweredratherruefully；andtheywentinandlookedattherestoredlodge，wherethefamilyarmswerejustnewscrapedinstone，andwhereoldMrs。Lock，forthefirsttimethesemanylongyears，hadtightdoors，soundroofs，andwholewindows。