and fights, and
fagging. Before long, he knew the names of all the masters and the
principal boys as well as little Rawdon himself. He invited little
Rawdon's crony from school, and made both the children sick with
pastry, and oysters, and porter after the play. He tried to look
knowing over the Latin grammar when little Rawdon showed him what part
of that work he was "in." "Stick to it, my boy," he said to him with
much gravity, "there's nothing like a good classical education!
Nothing!"

Becky's contempt for her husband grew greater every day. "Do what you
like--dine where you please--go and have ginger-beer and sawdust at
Astley's, or psalm-singing with Lady Jane--only don't expect me to busy
myself with the boy. I have your interests to attend to, as you can't
attend to them yourself. I should like to know where you would have
been now, and in what sort of a position in society, if I had not
looked after you." Indeed, nobody wanted poor old Rawdon at the parties
whither Becky used to go. She was often asked without him now. She
talked about great people as if she had the fee-simple of May Fair, and
when the Court went into mourning, she always wore black.

Little Rawdon being disposed of, Lord Steyne, who took such a parental
interest in the affairs of this amiable poor family, thought that their
expenses might be very advantageously curtailed by the departure of
Miss Briggs, and that Becky was quite clever enough to take the
management of her own house. It has been narrated in a former chapter
how the benevolent nobleman had given his protegee money to pay off her
little debt to Miss Briggs, who however still remained behind with her
friends; whence my lord came to the painful conclusion that Mrs.
Crawley had made some other use of the money confided to her than that
for which her generous patron had given the loan. However, Lord Steyne
was not so rude as to impart his suspicions upon this head to Mrs.
Becky, whose feelings might be hurt by any controversy on the
money-question, and who might have a thousand painful reasons for
disposing otherwise of his lordship's generous loan. But he determined
to satisfy himself of the real state of the case, and instituted the
necessary inquiries in a most cautious and delicate manner.

In the first place he took an early opportunity of pumping Miss Briggs.
That was not a difficult operation. A very little encouragement would
set that worthy woman to talk volubly