“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。”