Ярмарка тщеславия

In Which Amelia Invades the Low Countries

           Inplaceofthewell-bredandwell-fedLondondomestics,whocouldonlyspeakEnglish,DobbinprocuredforJos’spartyaswarthylittleBelgianservantwhocouldspeaknolanguageatall;butwho,byhisbustlingbehaviour,andbyinvariablyaddressingMr.Sedleyas"Mylord,"speedilyacquiredthatgentleman’sfavour.TimesarealteredatOstendnow;oftheBritonswhogothither,veryfewlooklikelords,oractlikethosemembersofourhereditaryaristocracy.Theyseemforthemostpartshabbyinattire,dingyoflinen,loversofbilliardsandbrandy,andcigarsandgreasyordinaries.

           Butitmaybesaidasarule,thateveryEnglishmanintheDukeofWellington’sarmypaidhisway.Theremembranceofsuchafactsurelybecomesanationofshopkeepers.Itwasablessingforacommerce-lovingcountrytobeoverrunbysuchanarmyofcustomers:andtohavesuchcreditablewarriorstofeed.Andthecountrywhichtheycametoprotectisnotmilitary.Foralongperiodofhistorytheyhaveletotherpeoplefightthere.WhenthepresentwriterwenttosurveywitheagleglancethefieldofWaterloo,weaskedtheconductorofthediligence,aportlywarlike-lookingveteran,whetherhehadbeenatthebattle."Passibête"—suchananswerandsentimentasnoFrenchmanwouldowntowashisreply.But,ontheotherhand,thepostilionwhodroveuswasaViscount,asonofsomebankruptImperialGeneral,whoacceptedapennyworthofbeerontheroad.Themoralissurelyagoodone.

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