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Borodino； widow of Napoleon's General； the famous
Count de Borodino； who was left with no resource by the
deceased hero but that of a table d'hote and an ecarte
table。 Second…rate dandies and roues； widow…ladies who
always have a lawsuit； and very simple English folks； who
fancy they see 〃Continental society〃 at these houses； put
down their money； or ate their meals； at Madame de
Borodino's tables。 The gallant young fellows treated the
company round to champagne at the table d'hote； rode
out with the women； or hired horses on country excursions；
clubbed money to take boxes at the play or the
opera； betted over the fair shoulders of the ladies at the
ecarte tables； and wrote home to their parents in
Devonshire about their felicitous introduction to foreign
society。
Here； as at Paris； Becky was a boarding…house queen；
and ruled in select pensions。 She never refused the
champagne； or the bouquets； or the drives into the country；
or the private boxes； but what she preferred was the
ecarte at night；and she played audaciously。 First she
played only for a little； then for five…franc pieces； then for
Napoleons； then for notes： then she would not be able
to pay her month's pension： then she borrowed from
the young gentlemen： then she got into cash again and
bullied Madame de Borodino； whom she had coaxed and
wheedled before： then she was playing for ten sous at a
time； and in a dire state of poverty： then her quarter's
allowance would come in； and she would pay off Madame
de Borodino's score and would once more take the
cards against Monsieur de Rossignol； or the Chevalier de
Raff。
When Becky left Brussels； the sad truth is that she
owed three months' pension to Madame de Borodino； of
which fact； and of the gambling； and of the drinking； and
of the going down on her knees to the Reverend Mr。
Muff； Ministre Anglican； and borrowing money of him；
and of her coaxing and flirting with Milor Noodle； son of
Sir Noodle； pupil of the Rev。 Mr。 Muff； whom she used
to take into her private room； and of whom she won
large sums at ecarteof which fact； I say； and of a
hundred of her other knaveries； the Countess de
Borodino informs every English person who stops at her
establishment； and announces that Madame Rawdon was
no better than a vipere。
So our little wanderer went about setting up her tent
in various cities of Europe； as restless as Ulysses or
Bampfylde Moore Carew。 Her taste for disrespectability
grew more and more remarkable。 She became a perfect
Bohemian ere long； herding with people whom it would
make your hair stand on end to meet。
There is no town of any mark in Europe but it has its
little colony of English raffsmen whose names Mr。
Hemp the officer reads out periodically at the Sheriffs'
Courtyoung gentlemen of very good family often； only
that the latter disowns them； frequenters of billiard…
rooms and estaminets； patrons of foreign races and
gaming…tables。 They people the debtors' prisonsthey
drink and swaggerthey fight and brawlthey run away
without payingthey have duels with French and German
officersthey cheat Mr。 Spooney at ecartethey get
the money and drive off to Baden in magnificent britzkas
they try their infallible martingale and lurk about the
tables with empty pockets； shabby bullies； penniless
bucks； until they can swindle a Jew banker with a sham
bill of exchange； or find another Mr。 Spooney to rob。
The alternations of splendour and misery which these
people undergo are very queer to view。 Their life must
be one of great excitement。 Beckymust it be owned？
took to this life； and took to it not unkindly。 She went
about from town to town among these Bohemians。 The
lucky Mrs。 Rawdon was known at every play…table in
Germany。 She and Madame de Cruchecassee kept house at
Florence together。 It is said she was ordered out of
Munich； and my friend Mr。 Frederick Pigeon avers that it
was at her house at Lausanne that he was hocussed at
supper and lost eight hundred pounds to Major Loder
and the Honourable Mr。 Deuceace。 We are bound； you
see； to give some account of Becky's biography； but of
this part； the less； perhaps； that is said the better。
They say that； when Mrs。 Crawley was particularly
down on her luck； she gave concerts and lessons in music
here and there。 There was a Madame de Raudon； who
certainly had a matinee musicale at Wildbad；
accompanied by Herr Spoff； premier pianist to the Hospodar of
Wallachia； and my little friend Mr。 Eaves； who knew
everybody and had travelled everywhere； always used to
declare that he was at Strasburg in the year 1830； when a
certain Madame Rebecque made her appearance in the
opera of the Dame Blanche； giving occasion to a furious
row in the theatre there。 She was hissed off the stage by
the audience； partly from her own incompetency； but
chiefly from the ill…advised sympathy of some persons in
the parquet； （where the officers of the garrison had their
admissions）； and Eaves was certain that the unfortunate
debutante in question was no other than Mrs。
Rawdon Crawley。
She was； in fact； no better than a vagabond upon this
earth。 When she got her money she gambled； when she
had gambled it she was put to shifts to live； who knows
how or by what means she succeeded？ It is said that she
was once seen at St。 Petersburg； but was summarily
dismissed from that capital by the police； so that there
cannot be any possibility of truth in the report that she was
a Russian spy at Toplitz and Vienna afterwards。 I have
even been informed that at Paris she discovered a
relation of her own； no less a person than her maternal
grandmother； who was not by any means a
Montmorenci； but a hideous old box…opener at a theatre on
the Boulevards。 The meeting between them； of which
other persons； as it is hinted elsewhere； seem to have
been acquainted； must have been a very affecting
interview。 The present historian can give no certain details
regarding the event。
It happened at Rome once that Mrs。 de Rawdon's half…
year's salary had just been paid into the principal
banker's there； and； as everybody who had a balance of
above five hundred scudi was invited to the balls which
this prince of merchants gave during the winter； Becky
had the honour of a card； and appeared at one of the
Prince and Princess Polonia's splendid evening entertainments。
The Princess was of the family of Pompili； lineally
descended from the second king of Rome； and Egeria
of the house of Olympus； while the Prince's grandfather；
Alessandro Polonia； sold wash…balls； essences；
tobacco； and pocket…handkerchiefs； ran errands for
gentlemen； and lent money in a small way。 All the great
company in Rome thronged to his saloonsPrinces；
Dukes； Ambassadors； artists； fiddlers； monsignori； young
bears with their leadersevery rank and condition of
man。 His halls blazed with light and magnificence； were
resplendent with gilt frames （containing pictures）； and
dubious antiques； and the enormous gilt crown and arms
of the princely owner； a gold mushroom on a crimson
field （the colour of the pocket…handkerchiefs which he
sold）； and the silver fountain of the Pompili family shone
all over the roof； doors； and panel