Ah! Vantitas Vanitatum! which of us happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied? –Come, children, let us shut up the box and the puppets, for our play is played out.
啊！無用的浮華！我們誰在世上活得快樂呢？我們誰得到所欲，得到了又有誰滿足呢？來，孩子們，我們關上魁儡盒吧，戲已經演完了。
看舞台劇跟看電影不一樣。電影結束以後，就是沒完沒了的工作人員名字字幕，不管電影有多好看，觀眾在這字幕要浮上來的時候就想走人了。舞台劇就不是這樣，要是一齣戲劇演得好，在結束的時候，所有的演員就會出來謝幕，不管是演好人演壞人甚至是演死人，所有的演員都會手牽手出來感謝觀眾的捧場，在熱烈的掌聲中跟大家致意。
今年農曆年的除夕夜我開始讀薩克萊的《浮華世界》（Vanity Fair），初四晚上睡不著的時候把它讀完，我就很希望在薩克萊最後那句「戲已經演完了」（our play is played out）之後，所有的小說角色可以一起手牽手出來謝幕，我一定會站起來給他們鼓掌：我很想麗貝卡。夏普（Rebecca Sharp），愛咪。席萊（Emily Sidley），喬治。奧斯朋（George Osborne），威廉。杜賓（William Dobbin），羅登。克羅雷（Rawdon Crowley）這些小說的主要角色，可以領著後面一大票的浮華世界裡面曾經恨過愛過痛苦過甚至死亡過的其他角色，一起手牽手站上舞台，接受我的喝彩。
會想到這個畫面，最重要的原因是這些角色都很可愛，實在是很想在故事結束的時候再看看他們。雖然他們在故事裡面，有時候會互相折磨、彼此憎恨，手牽手一起再站上舞台卻一點都不會顯得很突兀。薩克萊在講故事的時候，不停地呼喊著「浮華的世界」，也許一方面是在痛斥那個時代的虛偽與不實，另外一方面，也許也是在安慰著讀者與書中的角色：不要太難過了，世事無常，也不過就是一場戲。
在薩克萊的謝詞浮上來以前，是這整個故事的結局，也是三個角色再度會面的場景：
Emmy, her children, and the Colonel, coming to London some time back, found themselves suddenly before her at one of those fairs. She cast down her eyes demurely and smiled as they started away from her; Emily scurrying off on the arm of George (now grown a dashing young gentleman), and the Colonel seizing up his little Janey, of whom he is fonder than anything in the world—fonder even than his “History of Punjoub.”
“Fonder than he is of me,” Emmy thinks, with a sigh.
愛咪和兒女丈夫隔一段日子來到倫敦，發現自己突然置身於博覽會她的攤子前面。他們嚇得躲開她，她端端莊莊低頭微笑；愛咪挽著小喬治（他已經成長為漂亮的紳士了）匆忙走開，杜賓中校則拉著他的小珍妮，他疼愛女兒勝過世上的一切—甚至勝過他的《印度龐遮省的歷史》。
愛咪嘆口氣暗想，「勝過喜歡我。」
這是麗貝卡。夏普的博覽會攤子前，已經結婚、非常恩愛的威廉杜賓與愛咪看到了夏普，嚇得不敢靠近，趕忙把小孩子也一起拉開，那兩個小孩子當中，小女孩珍妮是杜賓與愛咪親生的，已經成為青年的小喬治則是愛咪與在戰場上犧牲的喬治。奧斯朋生的。其實這三人算是老朋友，應該有十幾年的交情了，可是他們這樣的互動卻很有趣，夫婦兩個好像很怕夏普。整個場面顯現出來一種詭異的溫馨感。
麗貝卡。夏普（小名叫做貝姬Becky）是個怎樣的女人？她給第一個印象大概就是精明與漂亮吧。她在故事裡面剛登場的時候是個小女孩，卻已經有了成熟女人的心思：
She was small and slight in person; pale, sandy-haired, and with eyes habitually cast down; when they looked up they were very large, odd, and attractive; so attractive, that the Reverend Mr. Crisp, fresh from Oxford, and curate to the Vicar of Chiswick, the Reverend Flowerdew, fell in love with Miss Sharp; being shot dead by a glance of her eyes which was fired all the way cross Chiswick Church from the school-pew to the reading desk. This infatuated young man used sometimes to take tea with Miss Pinkerton, to whom he had been presented by his mamma, and actually proposed something like marriage in an intercepted note, which the one-eyed apple-woman was charged to deliver. Mrs. Crisp was summoned from Buxton, and abruptly carried off her darling boy; but the idea, even, of such an eagle in the Chiswick dovecot caused a great flutter in the breast of Miss Pinkerton, who would have sent away Miss Sharp, but that she was bound to her under a forfeit, and who never could thoroughly believe the young lady’s protestations that she had never exchanged a single word with Mr. Crisp, except under her own eyes on the two occasions when she had met him at the tea.
By the side of many tall and bouncing young ladies in the establishment, Rebecca Sharp looked like a child. But she had the dismal precocity of poverty. Many a dun had she talked to, and turned away from her father’s door; many a tradesman had she coaxed and wheedled into good-humor, and into the granting of one meal more. She sat commonly with her father, who was very proud of her wit, and heard the talk of many of his wild companions—often but ill-suited for a girl to hear. But she never had been a girl, she sad; she had been a woman since she was eight years old.
她身材瘦小，臉色蒼白，頭髮呈淡茶色，眼睛習慣往下垂；抬起來的時候很大，很怪，很迷人；那一雙眸子實在太迷人，剛從牛津來的克里斯普先生——契斯威克教區牧師福勞德先生的副牧師——竟愛上了夏普小姐；她的眼神由契斯威克教堂的學生席老遠射到讀經臺，他被射得一命嗚呼。這位熱戀中的青年曾經跟平克頓校長一起喝茶，由他媽媽引薦給校長，他寫過字條給女友，提到結婚之類的要求，由獨眼的蘋果女販傳遞，被校方截獲了。校方由伯克斯頓召來克里斯普太太，她斷然把兒子帶回家；不過，平克頓校長想到契斯威克鴿子籠竟出了這麼一隻獵鷹，緊張得要命，若非無處可送，她會遣走夏普小姐。小妞兒抗辯說：除了在校長監督之下和克里斯普先生共飲兩次茶，她從來沒跟他說過話，校長根本不相信。
跟學校裡許多高大、精神飽滿的女生比起來，麗貝卡。夏普簡直像小孩子。但是她因為貧窮而特別早熟。她曾和許多債主談過話，把他們趕出家門；曾哄過騙過許多生意人，使他們高高興興答應再賒一餐。父親以他的機智為榮，她常和父親坐在一起，聽許多浪子夥伴講話—內容往往不適宜女孩子聽。她說她沒當過女孩子，從八歲開始就是成熟的婦人。
在這個登場人物的肖像畫裡面牽涉到好幾個人觀看這個小女孩子的眼光：先是年輕的教師克里斯普先生（Mr. Crisp，crisp的意思是脆皮，暗示這年輕人少不更事），再來是克里斯普先生的媽媽努力保護自己的兒子不要被侵害，然後是契斯威克（Chiswick）學校的校長平克頓小姐（Ms. Pinkerton）開始把這女孩子當作洪水猛獸，最後就是夏普小姐的畫家父親（還有他身邊的一堆倫敦下層三教九流的男人）非常以自己女兒的聰明伶俐為傲。
而愛咪小姐又是一個怎樣的人？應該是很可愛（說不上很漂亮），心腸很好，卻非常不精明的女生。她在故事裡登場的時候，是一個非常受到同學與老師愛戴的畢業生：
. . . I am afraid that her nose was rather short than otherwise, and her cheeks a great deal too round and red for a heroine; and her face blushed with rosy health, and her lips with the freshest set of smiles, and she had a pair of eyes which sparkled with the brightest and honestest good humour, except indeed when they filled with tears, and that was great deal too often; for the silly thing would cry over a dead canary bird; over a mouse, that the cat haply had seized upon; or over the end of a novel, were it ever so stupid; and as for saying an unkind word to her, were any persons hard-hearted enough to do so—why, so much the worse for them. Even Miss Pinkerton, that austere and god-like woman, ceased scolding her after the first time, and though she no more comprehended sensibility than she did Algebra, gave all masters and teachers particular orders to treat Miss Sedley with the utmost gentleness, as harsh treatment was injurious to her.
說真的，她的鼻樑稍嫌短了一點，臉蛋兒太圓太紅潤，恐怕不適合當女主角，但是她的臉色紅撲撲，嘴唇笑得清新可喜，而且一雙眼睛閃著最明亮最誠實的喜悅光輝，只有含著眼淚時例外，而她是常常流淚的；這傻丫頭看到金絲雀死了會哭；看到老鼠給貓逮著會哭；不管多愚蠢的小說，她看完也會流淚；至於別人罵他嘛，若有人真的如此狠心—咦，他們可慘了。連女神般威風的校長平克頓小姐，罵了她一次以後就不再罵她，雖然校長對敏感的心性跟代數一樣缺乏理解力，她卻特別下令老師們對席雷小姐格外溫和，因為苛責會傷她的心。
平平都是學生，平克頓校長對這兩個女孩子的態度截然不同：貝姬講話信不得，可是愛咪只要眼神溼潤一點，校長就立刻下令所有老師馬上給我好聲好氣。這兩個女孩子是同一個仕女學校畢業的，愛咪念這種高格調的女生學院並不稀奇，因為她在故事開始的時候，背景是很顯赫的，她的父親席萊老先生是個很成功的證券交易商，不過夏普小姐會念這種學校就很奇怪，因為她的父親是個沒什麼社會地位的畫家，母親是個舞女（在小女生出生不久就死了），可是在這個畫家死了以後，這學校的校長平克頓小姐為了表示自己很有愛心，加上夏普小姐很會裝乖，就收留了這個孤兒。所以這兩位個性差很多，社會地位也差很多的小姐就成了同學，也成了好朋友。
暫且不論她們兩個人的家世有多麼懸殊，她們的個性有差多少，在她們從那個仕女學校畢業、兩個人一起搭著馬車離開的時候，就可以看出來。校長平克頓小姐很喜歡送畢業生山繆。約翰生（Samuel Johnson，新古典主義時期的英國重要文人）所編寫的字典，因為這個大學者曾經造訪過這所學校，所以她當然送了愛咪小姐一本，愛咪小姐淚眼婆娑地接受了，不過校長沒有送給夏普小姐，因為貝姬常常頂撞校長，這女生在進入這個學校不久，在街上培養出來的草根性就顯露出來了。可是校長旁邊有個多愁善感的妹妹助理還不知道貝姬的本性，覺得這小女生在離校的時候不像愛咪那樣受到照顧真的很可憐，就去拿了一本約翰生的字典送給貝姬。
“It’s some sandwitches, my dear,” said she to Amelia, “You may be hungry, you know; and Becky, Becky Sharp, here’s a book for you that my sister—that is, I—Johnson’s Dixonary, you know; you mustn’t leave us without that. Good-by. Drive on, coachman. God bless you!”
And the kind creature retreated into the garden, overcome with emotions.
But, lo! And just as the coach drove off, Miss Sharp put her pale face out of the window, and actually flung the book back into the garden.
她對愛咪麗雅說，「孩子，這是三明治。妳也許會肚子餓。還有貝姬，貝姬。夏普，這裡有一本書，是我姐姐—是我—送給你的—約翰生的字典，妳知道；你不能沒有這本書，空手離開我們。再見，走吧。車夫，上帝保佑你們！」
這位好心的小姐退入花園，激動得要命。
但是你瞧！馬車剛開動，夏普小姐就把蒼白的面孔伸出窗外，將那本書扔進花園裡。
所以就是這樣，她甚至也沒等校長妹妹沒有看到的時候才丟掉那本累贅的大部頭書，在踏上馬車的那一刻她就知道這個虛偽的學校對她已經沒有任何用處了。
那麼，在博覽會上出現，當時已經是愛咪丈夫的杜賓中校又是一個怎樣的人？基本上應該是個很健壯、很善良、很有榮譽心的軍人（不過故事結束的時候他已經退役了）。故事開始的時候，他的登場是一個笨拙可笑的中學生，大概是青春期，大手大腳不知往哪裡擺的男孩子，而且他們家裡做的是雜貨生意，經常給自以為紳士階級出身的同學們取笑：
The latter youth (who used to be called Heigh-ho Dobbin, Gee-ho Dobbin, and by many other names indicative of puerile contempt) was the quietest, the clumsiest, and as it seemed, the dullest of all Dr. Swishtail’s young gentlemen. His parent was a brocer in the city: and it was bruited abroad that he was admitted into Dr. Swishtail’s academy upon what are called “mutual principles”—that is to say, the expenses of his board and schooling were defrayed by his father in goods, not money; and he stood there—almost in the bottom of the school—in his scraggy corduroys and jacket, through the seams of which his great bones were bursting—as the representative of so many pounds of tea, candles, sugar, mottled-soap, plums (of which a very mild proportion was supplied for the puddings of the establishment), and other commodities. A dreadful day it was for young Dobbin when one of the youngsters of the school, having run into the town upon a poaching excursion for hardbake and polonies, espied the cart of Dobbin & Rudge, Grocers and Oilmen, Thames Street, London, at the Doctor’s door, discharging a cargo of the wares in which the firm dealt.
Young Dobbin had no peace after that. The jokes were frightful, and merciless against him. “Hullo, Dobbin,” one wag would say, “here’s good news in the paper. Sugars is ris’, my boy.” Another would set a sum—“If a pound of mutton-candles cost sevenpence-helf penny, how much must Dobbin cost?” and a roar would follow from all the circle of young knaves, usher and all, who rightly considered that the selling of goods by retail is a shameful and infamous practice, meriting the contempt and scorn of all real gentlemen.
“Your father’s only a merchant, Osborne,” Dobbin said in private to the little boy who had brought down the storm to him. At which the latter replied haughtily, “My father’s a gentleman, and keeps his carriage;” and Mr. William Dobbin retreated to a remote outhouse in the playground, where he passed a half-holiday in the bitterest sadness and woe.
杜賓（同學們叫他「嘿呵杜賓」、「嗟呵杜賓」和許多代表輕蔑的綽號）大概是史維斯臺爾博士的學生中最安靜、最粗拙、最遲鈍的一位。他父親是市內的雜貨商；聽說他進史維斯臺爾博士的學校，是根據「互惠原則」---也就是說他的食宿費和學費由他父親以貨品抵交，不是交現錢；他在那邊—幾乎在學校的底層—穿著瘦巴巴楞條花布和短襖，大骨頭從裂縫突出來—正是許多磅茶葉、蠟燭、糖、雜色肥皂、梅子（其中小部份拿來做學校的布丁）和其他貨物的代表。有一天，學校的一位低年級學生進城去偷買杏仁糖和臘腸，看到「倫敦湯馬士街雜貨兼油商杜賓與魯吉商號」的馬拉貨車停在博士家門口，正卸下一批該店的貨物，對杜賓來說，那天真是可怕的日子。
杜賓從此不得安寧。大家無情地捉弄他。一個滑稽客說，「嘿，杜賓，報上有好消息，糖價漲了，老兄。」另外一個則估計數目——「如果一磅羊油蠟燭值十七點五辨士，那麼杜賓值多少錢？」小學生、門房等人都爆出一陣大笑，他們知道零售商是可恥而不光榮的行業，該受紳士們的蔑視與嘲諷。
杜賓私下對那位造成風波的小男孩說，「奧斯朋，你父親也不過是個生意人。」對方傲然答道，「我父親是紳士，他養了馬車。」於是威廉。杜賓退到操場遠遠的外屋去，傷心地度過半天的休假日。
所以，取笑杜賓最嚴重的，就是喬治。奧斯朋，一個總是打扮很時髦的富商子弟，也就是未來成為愛咪的第一任丈夫、生下了小喬治、然後戰死沙場的男人。雖然這他剛開始在學校一直以嘲笑杜賓的出身為樂，他們後來卻成了好朋友，因為有一天，杜賓看到高年級的學長在欺負喬治，當場就跟那個學長幹了一架，還打贏了，之後就成為喬治的親信。從這件事情可以看出來，除了杜賓本人很耿直、很強壯、而且看不慣別人欺負弱小以外，喬治這個人也是個外強中乾的紈絝子弟，只會嘲笑比自己地位低的人，真的碰到壞人就沒了皮條。這兩個人在學校就這樣關係密切起來，而且還一起進了軍校。
那麼，杜賓、貝姬、與愛咪又怎麼會碰在一起，並且相識十幾年？因為席萊與奧斯朋兩家關係很好，愛咪跟喬治指腹為婚，這兩個小孩子其實從小也就很看對眼，覺得在一起是理所當然的事情。而杜賓可能也從小就認識愛咪，一直都暗戀著她。在仕女學校的門口，約翰生博士的字典給丟出馬車以後，愛咪就邀請貝姬到她們家玩。那時後，杜賓跟喬治也從軍隊放假，這些年輕人就聚在一起了。
這時候還有一個年輕人也不能不提，就是愛咪的哥哥約瑟。席萊（Joseph Sedley），是個收稅官，是個很會賺錢的胖子，平常自以為很帥，常常把自己打扮得很新潮，有個女孩子給他拋個媚眼，他就可以神魂顛倒個好幾天。那時候他也放假，從印度回到倫敦的家裡跟家人相聚。
所以，大肥呆約瑟就這樣給登門作客的貝姬耍得團團轉。對於貝姬來說，這當然是個進入豪門的千載難逢的機會，所以她在年輕人們一起出去玩的時候，就會去挨著約瑟講話、開玩笑捏捏約瑟的肥肉、或是很專心很有興趣地聽約瑟在印度的無聊故事。在她快要成功的時候，約瑟其實本來也打算跟她求婚了，偏偏想講話的那個晚上胖子喝醉了沒求成，還有約瑟的家人，以及喬治都看出來貝姬這個下女想要攀龍附鳳，開始從中作梗，貝姬的計謀在故事的第四章就宣告失敗。
許多許多年之後，約瑟又碰見貝姬，同樣又給她迷得神魂顛倒，這次他的家人都不在身邊（妹妹跟杜賓結婚去了，父母也都過世了），就真的給貝姬騙到傾家蕩產，還簽下好幾千磅的壽險然後死個不明不白。這是杜賓夫婦再度見到貝姬時，感到慌張害怕的其中一個原因。
所以貝姬不是一個簡單的人物，杜賓雖然老實，可是他可以直覺到這女人的危險，始終都跟她保持著距離，愛咪卻是慢慢才了解貝姬的機心（不過說實話，貝姬也很少對這個好朋友耍什麼詭計，她其實很愛護這個善良的朋友），繼勾引約瑟的事情之後，貝姬表現出來，她一生的目標就是要進入上流社會，當個吃香喝辣的少奶奶。在離開席萊家之後，她就進入克羅雷從男爵（Baronet Crowley 或稱匹特老男爵Sir Pitt Crowley）家裡面當家庭教師，這個從男爵是個不太像貴族的老番顛，他在自己的第一任老婆死了以後，娶了一個小他很多的平民女孩子，從薩克萊對第二任克羅雷夫人的描述，大概就可以知道這老人有多沒水準：
As the only endowments with which Nature had gifted Lady Crawley were those of pink cheeks and a white skin, and as she had no sort of character, nor talents, nor occupations, nor amusements, nor the vigor of soul and ferocity of temper which often falls to the lot of entirely foolish women, her hold upon Sir Pitt’s affections was not very great. Her roses faded out of her cheeks, and the pretty freshness left her figure after the birth of a couple of children, and she became a mere machine in her husband’s house, of no more use than the late Lady Crawley’s grand piano. Being a light-complexioned woman, she wore light clothes, as most blondes will, and appeared, in preference, in draggled sea-green, or slatternly sky-blue. She worked that worsted day and night, or other pieces like it. She had counterpanes in the course of a few years to all in beds in Crawley. She had a small flower-garden, for which she had rather an affection; but beyond this no other like of disliking. When her husband was rude to her she was apathetic: whenever he struck her she cried. She had not character enough to take to drinking, and moaned about, slip-shod and in curl-papers all day.
因為上蒼只給克羅雷夫人嫣紅的臉頰和雪白的肌膚，她既無個性、才華、主見，又無工作和娛樂，更沒有傻女人通常具有的精力和狠脾氣，她對匹特老爵士的情感掌握力並不強。生了兩個女兒之後，她的臉蛋不再嫣紅，身材不再美妙，她在丈夫家也就成了一架機器，用途和已故克羅雷夫人的大鋼琴差不多。她膚色很淺，像大多數金髮碧眼兒一樣，常穿淺色的衣服，而且偏愛邋遢的海綠。她日夜織絨線，或者其他類似的女紅活兒。幾年內她已經為克羅雷家所有的床鋪織了罩單。她有一個小花園，似乎很喜歡；此外就沒有什麼好惡了。丈夫對她兇的時候，她冷冷漠漠；他打她，她就哭。她不敢酗酒，整天哭喪著連走來走去，腳穿塌跟鞋，頭上夾著髮卷。
新任的克羅雷夫人就是傻傻的，本來是個鐵匠的女兒，因為老爵士要娶她，就把當時正在交往的一個（沒什麼地位的）年輕人給甩了，以為從此飛上枝頭當鳳凰，結果前後當了老爵士性發洩與情緒發洩的機器。從這傻女人所受的待遇也可以看到，老匹特爵士也不是什麼紳士，就是一個好色又暴躁的老頭子。果然，在這一任的克羅雷夫人去世以後（本來身體就很差），老爵士還沒服喪完，就跟年輕的貝姬求婚。
老匹特看上了貝姬，除了看她年輕貌美以外，也看出來她真的是個很有腦袋的女孩子。她在進入克羅雷領地不久，就把兩個小姐教育得不錯，還幫忙老爵士管帳，幫忙管理佃農，還有其他一些大大小小的雜事，把原來因為老人因為脾氣不好腦袋昏聵（常常在跟別人打不必要的官司）而管得亂七八糟的封邑管得井井有條。
不過貝姬沒有接受老爵士的求婚，這可能是她在胖子約瑟之後的第二個失敗，她又失去了一次當貴族少奶奶的機會。因為，在這個求婚之前，她已經先跟另外一個人結婚了。所以事情大概是這樣：老匹特爵士有兩個兒子，大兒子小匹特是個弱不經風愛唸書的年輕人，二兒子羅登。克羅雷是個愛賭愛喝的軍人，老人家還有個有錢的老姐姐克羅雷小姐（一直沒有結婚），很喜歡羅登這個侄子，本來想把財產留給羅登。在貝姬為了處理事務而往返於克羅雷老爵士與老小姐之間的住所時，老姑姑看到貝姬的聰明伶俐，也很喜歡她。可是，就在大家都不知道的情況之下，這兩個年輕人居然私下結婚了。畢竟這是個浮華世界，老姑姑再怎麼喜歡他們，也不能接受克羅雷家的人去嫁給低三下四的家教老師，所以就修改了遺囑，改讓羅登的哥哥小匹特繼承她龐大的遺產。所以，如果貝姬嫁給羅登，是因為他有可能在老姑姑死了以後變成有錢的貴族，這陰謀，繼胖約瑟與老匹特的勾勾搭搭之後，又是轉眼間一敗塗地。
不過，看完這本小說我有想到，貝姬真的是因為愛錢與地位才嫁給羅登的嗎？雖然這聰明貌美的小姑娘跟前面兩個又胖又老的角色沒戲唱，她是有表現出失落的感覺，是不是也顯現出來，她其實下意識地還是想要逃避這些愚蠢猥瑣又醜陋的男人，然後找到自己的如意郎君？會有這個想法，是因為想起羅登在故事中剛登場的樣子：
This worthy old lady took a fancy to Rawdon Crawley when a boy, sent him to Cambridge (in opposition to his brother in Oxford), and, when the young man was requested by the authorities of the first-named University to quit after a residence of tow years, she bought him his commission in the Life Guards Green.
A perfect and celebrated “blood” or dandy about town, was this young officer. Boxing, rat-hunting, the fives’ court, and four-in-hand driving were then the fashion for our British aristocracy; and he was an apt in all these noble sciences. And though he belonged to the household troops, who, as it was their duty to rally round the Prince Regent, had not shown their valour in foreign service yet, Rawdon Crawley had already (apropos of play, of which he was immoderately fond) fought three bloody duels, in which he gave ample proofs of his contempt for death.
“And for what follows after death,” would Mr. Crawley observe, throwing his gooseberry-coloured eyes up to the ceiling. He was always thinking of his brother’s soul, or of the souls of those who differed with him in opinion: it is a sort of comfort which many of the serious give themselves.
Silly, romantic Miss Crawley, far from being horrified at the courage of her favourite, always used to pay his debts after his duels; and would not listen to a word that was whisper against his morality: “He will sow his wild oats,” she would say, “and is worth far more than that puling hypocrite of a brother of his.”
羅登。克羅雷少年時代。這位高貴的老太太很喜歡他，送他去劍橋大學（與唸牛津的哥哥對抗），年輕人唸了兩年，奉大學當局之命離校，她便安排他在「綠衣近衛軍」任職。
這位青年軍官是城裡有名的「紈絝子」或花花公子。當時我們大英貴族流行打打拳、獵鼠、打手球、駕四馬大車；他精通所有的貴族玩意兒。他雖然屬於本土軍，職責是跟隨攝政親王，沒到外國打仗、但是羅登。克羅雷已經（他動輒表演，很喜歡這一套）生死決鬥了三回，充分證明他不怕死。
他哥哥克羅雷先生經一雙醋栗色的眸子轉向天花板說，「他也不怕死後有報應。」他隨時想著弟弟的靈魂，或者那些意見不合者的靈魂：這是許多嚴肅的人對自己的安慰。
愚蠢而浪漫的克羅雷小姐不但不為寵兒的勇氣而擔憂，反而經常在決鬥後替他還債；若有人說他不好，她一句都聽不進去。她常說，「他會浪子回頭，比他那哭哭啼啼的偽君子哥哥強多了。」
藉由哥哥的假道學醋栗眼光和姑姑對青年活力極度嚮往的浪漫態度，這個年輕人的形象就出現了，就是一個愛玩不愛唸書更不屑別人說教的賭徒型人物，這種人跟貝姬實在是太相配了。再加上這個人又是個軍官，基本上也是個強壯威武的人，小女孩子看了怦然心動也是很正常的事情，更重要的是，貝姬並沒有在老姑姑改掉遺囑之後馬上想要換掉這個男人。結婚好幾年之後，在她知道繼承沒望的時候，她處心積慮地想要再替自己的丈夫（這時已經算退役了）找到一個理想的職位。
故事的第十章，貝姬瀟灑不羈的丈夫登場，一對個性契合的男女相愛然後結婚（當然還是帶了點心機）。到了故事的第五十三章（大約是初一到初三），這樣的場面出現時，卻是讓人感到世事無常的遺憾，雖然以一個很嚴格的婦德角度來說，貝姬是咎由自取：
Rawdon opened the door and went in. A little table with a dinner was laid out—and wine and plate. Steyne was hanging over the sofa on which Becky sat. The wretched woman was in a brilliant full toilette, her arms and all her fingers sparkling with bracelets and rings; and the brilliants on her breast which Steyne had given her. He had her hand in his, and was bowing over to kiss it, when Becky started up with a faint scream as she caught sight of Rawdon’s white face. At the next instant she tried a smile, a horrid smile, as if to welcome her husband: and Steyne rose up, grinding his teeth, pale, and with fury in his looks.
He, too, attempted a laugh—and came forward holding out his hand. “What, come back! How d’ye do, Crawley?” He said, the nerves of his mouth twitching as he tried to grin at the intruder.
There was that in Rawdon’s face which caused Becky to fling herself before him. “I am innocent, Rawdon,” she said; “before God, I am innocent.” She clung hold of his coat, of his hands; her own were all covered with serpents, and rings, and baubles. “I am innocent. –Say I am innocent,” she said to Lord Steyne.
He thought a trap had been laid for him, and was as furious with the wife as with the husband. “You innocent! Damn you,” he screamed out, “You innocent! Why every trinket you have on your body is paid for by me. I have given you thousands of pounds which this fellow has spent, and for which he had sold you. Innocent, by--! You are as innocent as your mother, the ballet girl, and your husband the bully. Don’t think to frighten me as you have done others. Make way, sir, and let me pass;” the Lord Steyne seized up his hat, and, with flame in his eyes, and looking his enemy fiercely in the face, marched upon him, never for a moment doubting that the other would give way.
But Rawdon Crawley springing out, seized him by the neck-cloth, until Steyne, almost stangled, writhed, and bent under his arm. “You lie, you dog!” said Rawdon, “You lie, you coward and villain!” And he struck the peer twice over the face with his open hand, and flung him bleeding to the ground. It was all done, before Rebecca could interpose. She stood there trembling before him. She admired her husband, strong, brave, and victorious.
“Come here,” he said—she came up at once.
“Take off those things.”—she began, trembling, pulling the jewels from her arms, and the rings from her shaking fingers, and held them all in a heap, quivering, and looking up at him. “Throw them down,” he said, and she dropped them. He tore the diamond ornament out of her breast, and flung it at Lord Steyne. It cut him on his bald forehead. Steyne wore the scar to his dying day.
羅登開門進去。小餐桌擺了筵席—有美酒和餐具。貝姬坐在沙發上，史坦因站在他身邊。這個賤女人濃妝艷抹，打扮得漂亮極了，手臂和手指戴滿手鐲和鑽戒，亮晶晶的，胸口掛著史坦因送她的鑽石。史坦因握住貝姬的小手，彎身吻它。這時候貝姬瞥見慘白的面孔，尖叫一聲跳起來。接著她裝出一抹微笑。一抹可怕的微笑，假意歡迎她的丈夫。史坦因也挺起身子，咧咧嘴巴，眼含憤怒的凶光。
他也擠出一絲笑容—伸手走上前去。他說，「什麼，回來啦！你好，克羅雷？」勉強咧嘴，嘴部神經抽個不停。
貝姬看到羅登的臉色，立刻拜倒在他跟前，她說，「羅登，我是清白的，在上帝面前發誓，我是清白的。」她抓住他的外套，他的雙手；她自己手上佈滿蛇紋、戒指和飾物。她轉向史坦因侯爵說，「我是清白的—告訴他我是清白的。」
侯爵以為這是夫妻佈好的圈套，對羅登和貝姬都很不滿。他大叫說，「妳清白！滾妳的。妳清白！咦，你身上的每一件首飾都是我買的。我給過妳幾千磅，被這傢伙花掉了，他等於出賣妳，收了賣身錢。清白，媽的！妳跟妳的舞女媽媽一樣清白，跟妳的流氓丈夫一樣清白。你們嚇得了別人，嚇不了我。讓開，先生，讓我過去，」史坦因侯爵抓起帽子，滿眼凶光，狠狠瞪著敵人的面孔，向他走過去，心裡料定對方會讓開。
沒想到羅登。克羅雷一躍而起，抓住他的領結，史坦因幾乎被勒死，在他的手臂下掙扎。羅登說，「你撒謊，你這老狗！你撒謊，你這懦夫和無賴！」他攤開手掌，打了侯爵兩個耳光，把他甩在地上，鮮血直流。麗貝卡來不及干預，這一切就發生了。她站在他面前發抖。她景仰她的丈夫，強壯、勇敢、勝利在握。
「過來，」他說—她立刻上前。
「脫下那些玩意兒，」她抖抖顫顫一一拉下手臂上的珠寶，指尖的戒指，全部揉成一堆，打著哆嗦仰視他。「丟掉。」他說，她乖乖丟掉。他扯下她胸口的鑽石飾物，扔向史坦因侯爵。結果把侯爵光禿禿的額頭弄傷了。史坦因臨死前，那道傷疤還在。
從這個可怕的衝突就可以大概猜出來貝姬跟羅登結婚以後是過著怎樣的日子。這小倆口在一起以後受到有錢姑媽的冷落，靠著賭博跟賒貸過日子，羅登打牌贏錢，貝姬則是靠著伶俐的手腕借錢維持一個體面的生活。然後，滑鐵盧之役爆發，羅登在戰場上立功，把官階賣了退役，兩個人還是用老方法在過日子。不過貝姬一心想要自己的丈夫當官當貴族，就到處去參加舞會擴展人脈，然後就碰到了在這裡禿頭給鑽石打傷的史坦因侯爵（Lord Steyne），這人大概是比之前出現的老匹特爵士高級一點的老色狼，一直想染指羅登的老婆，貝姬就利用這個優勢，使盡渾身解數請老侯爵幫羅登弄個官位。侯爵也確實幫忙羅登成為某個偏遠地方的總督，不過在這裡，羅登在痛扁老侯爵的時候還不知道。在貝姬穿金戴銀努力招待老侯爵的前一天，羅登因為欠錢不還被抓去欠債監獄關了一個晚上，這本來也不是什麼大不了的事情，他常常在欠錢，跟欠債監獄的執行官也都熟到可以一起吃晚飯，而且他在進監牢不到一天老婆就會保他出來。偏偏這次貝姬忙著準備酬謝史坦因侯爵，累到沒有去保羅登，男人心情鬱悶從監獄回來，就看到這個很容易讓人誤會的場面。
貝姬精明一世，到最後栽在自己的計謀裡。不過，這個場面不只是「這愛慕虛榮的女子罪有應得」而已，她在虛華生活的執著仍然閃現着一點真情，表現在她不願背叛丈夫，表現在她跪倒在丈夫前驚慌顫抖的模樣中。「她景仰她的丈夫，強壯、勇敢、勝利在握。」在這整個火爆場面中，這是敘述者給貝姬的一點同情，在嚇人的正義之聲裡面的一抹委婉的調子。
所以這並不只是一本痛罵這個世界如何虛偽的小說而已。我感覺它比較像在說，這個世界的虛假無法避免，每個人汲汲營營穿梭其中，可能也不過是為了守住自己最後的那麼一點真。
當初跟貝姬一起搭馬車，看到朋友丟掉偉大畢業紀念品而花容失色的愛咪小姐是一個很真心的姑娘，或者說應該是個因為太過真誠而看不清楚紅塵的傻姑娘，至少她看不到自己的白馬王子喬治是個不中用的小白臉，也沒有去想過，家人為她安排的婚姻只是兩個富商家庭壯大自己的手段。在兩個小姑娘畢業的娜個相聚之後，貝姬去克羅雷家裡當家教、結婚、然後搞出一個大紕漏的同時，席雷家的事業每況愈下，喬治。奧斯朋的父親老喬治先生就覺得這樁婚姻不合算了，就叫兒子疏遠席雷家的愛咪小姐，準備取另外一家有錢的小姐。喬治本來就是個很愛玩的公子哥，本來就已經開始在疏遠單純（也就是無趣）的愛咪了，當他的父親表達這個意思時，富家公子也覺得沒什麼不好。不過這個時候，癡情的威廉。杜賓介入了。憨厚老實、大手大腳的杜賓上尉（那時候還沒有升中校）不忍看到愛咪為了喬治傷心難過，就用強的把喬治抓去見愛咪，而喬治那時候雖然還是愛玩又虛榮，看到愛咪為了他傷心難過的樣子，也就心軟了。接著就在杜賓的強力支持之下，兩個人就私下結婚了。老奧斯朋先生知道以後就非常非常的生氣，直接修改遺囑說，喬治不能繼承他的遺產。
羅登，喬治跟杜賓都是軍隊裡面的人，喬治與愛咪結婚的同時，也差不多是羅登與貝姬結婚的時候。兩對夫婦就在部隊的行進與交接之間慢慢熟了起來。喬治很愛賭博，羅登很會打牌，所以兩個男人聚在一起就是打牌賭錢，而且大概都是喬治輸錢，在克羅雷老姑姑拒絕給這對年輕的克羅雷夫婦任何經濟援助以後，喬治就變成他們的主要經濟來源。
然後本來給放逐的拿破崙又東山再起，英國軍隊出征去打滑鐵盧戰爭。歐洲聯軍雖然打敗了法國，喬治卻戰死了。而羅登跟杜賓都因為有功而晉了官階。羅登賣掉官階，杜賓則是一直待在軍隊裡，他的薪餉有一部份拿去支援剛剛成為寡婦的愛咪小姐，因為愛咪的娘家雖然願意迎接女兒回去，可是家道中落，也不能給她很好的生活環境（不過那個胖子哥哥事業做得不錯，還是會定時寄錢回家）。
而且，愛咪是不能傷心太久而傷了自己的身體，因為她懷孕了。然後，小說結束時，那個長成英俊青年紳士的小喬治就出生了。這小孩子跟他那不成材的爸爸長得非常像，讓媽媽一整個忘掉了喪夫的悲傷心情。這時候，杜賓也常常來看這對母子。不過，後來軍隊駐地改變，杜賓必須離開倫敦好一陣子，就來跟愛咪道別：
“I am come to say good-bye, Amelia,” said he, taking her slender little white hand gently.
“Good-bye? and where are you going?” she said, with a smile.
“Send the letters to the agents,” he said; “they will forward them; for you will write to me, will you? I shall be away a long time.”
“I’ll write to you about Georgy,” she said. “Dear William, how good you have been to him and to me. Look at him. Isn’t he like an angel?”
The little pink hands of the child closed mechanically round the honest soldier’s finger, and Amelia looked up in his face with bright maternal pleasure. The cruelest looks could not have wounded him more than that glance of hopeless kindness. He bent over the child and mother. He could not speak for a moment. And it was with all his strength that he could force himself to say a God bless you. “God bless you,” said Amelia, and held up her face and kissed him.
“Hush! Don’t wake Georgy!” she added, as William Dobbin went to the door with heavy steps. She did not hear the noise of his cab-wheels as she drove away: she was looking at the child, who was laughing in his sleep.
「愛咪麗亞，我來道別。」他輕輕握住她雪白的纖手。
「道別？你要去哪裡？」她微微笑說。
他說：「來信寄給代理人，他們會轉寄；妳會寫信給我吧？我要走好長一段時間。」
她說：「我會寫信給你，報告小喬治的事情。威廉，你對他和對我真好！看看他，他不是活像天使嗎？」
嬰兒粉紅色的小手不自覺捏住杜賓伸過去的手指頭，愛咪麗雅懷著母愛的喜悅，抬頭看他的臉孔，最殘酷的表情都不像這善意的眼神那麼叫他傷心。他低頭看看這對母子。他一時說不出話來，他用盡全力，才說了一聲「上帝保佑妳。」愛咪仰起臉蛋吻他一下說，「上帝保佑你。」
杜賓用沈重的腳步走到門口，她又說，「噓！別吵醒小喬治！」她沒聽見出租馬車開走的車輪聲。她正在看小傢伙，小傢伙在睡夢中咯咯笑哩。
讀到第六十六章以下的段落，我又想到第三十五章愛咪母子的相依相偎與杜賓傷心的背影，繼貝姬與羅登的破裂之後，再次感覺到今年初一到初四這短短幾天之間的世事無常。
“And so this devil is still going on with her intrigues,” thought William. “I wish she were a hundred miles from here. She brings mischief wherever she goes.” And he was pursuing these forebodings and this uncomfortable train of thought, with his head between his hands, and the “Pumpernickel Gazette” of last week unread under his nose, when somebody tapped his shoulder with a parasol, and he looked up and saw Mrs. Amelia.
This woman has a way of tyrannizing over Major Dobbin (for the weakest of all people will domineer over somebody), and she ordered him about, and patted him, and made him fetch and carry just as if he was a great Newfoundland dog. He liked, so to speak, to jump into the water if she said “High, Dobbin!” and to trot behind her with her reticule in his mouth. This history has been written to very little purpose if the reader has not perceived that the Major was a spooney.
“Why did you not wait for me, sir, to escort me down-stairs?” she said, giving a little toss of her head, and a most sarcastic curtsey.
“I couldn’t stand up in the passage,” he answered, with a comical deprecatory look; and, delighted, to give her his arm, and to take her out of the horrid smoky place, he would have walked off without even so much as remembering the waiter, had not the young fellow run after him and stopped him on the threshold of the Elephant, to make him pay for the beer which he had not consumed. Emmy laughed: she called him a naughty man, who wanted to run away in debt: and, in fact, made some jokes suitable to the occasion and the small-beer. She was in high spirits and good humour, and tripped across the market very briskly.
威廉暗想，「原來這個惡魔還繼續玩她的奸計。我希望她離這兒一百哩。她不管到哪裡，都要帶來禍害。」他正在想這些預兆，一串不愉快的思緒湧上心頭，他兩手夾著腦袋，上星期的《龐普尼歌公報》原封不動擱在他面前，這時候有人用陽傘拍拍他的肩膀，他抬頭移看，原來是愛咪麗亞。
這個女人習慣壓制杜賓少校（最軟弱的人也會找個人來壓制啊），她把他支來支去，拍拍他，叫他拿東拿西，將他當作紐芬蘭大狗。她若說，「來，杜賓！」他恨不得跳進水裡，嘴巴夾著她的手提袋，跟在她後頭。讀者若看不出杜賓少校是個癡情漢，那這本書可就白寫了。
「先生，你為什麼不等我，陪我走下樓？」她說著甩甩腦袋，行了一個諷刺性的請安禮。
他擺出滑稽的哀求神色說，「我在走廊受不了。」然後高高興興讓她挽著，帶她離開烏烟瘴氣的地方，若不是小侍者追出來，在「大象」的門檻上攔住他，叫他付端上桌而他碰都沒碰的啤酒錢，他甚至會忘記侍者的存在哩。愛咪笑了，她叫他賴債的壞人；還說了幾則切合時宜，跟小啤酒有關的笑話。
這邊杜賓講的「惡魔」就是貝姬。距離杜賓傷心的別離大約三百頁的光景，應該有十幾年了吧，這十幾年中，老奧斯朋先生對於自己拒絕兒子滿懷著罪惡感，後來接納了愛咪母子，愛咪（在父親的生意失敗多年之後）也算是重新回到了上流社會。在外面征戰的杜賓少校（升官了）也回到英國來，還是常常去看愛咪與她的家人，小喬治的性格跟父親很像，就是很有當公子哥的天賦，在他爺爺的寵愛之下，性子有點浪費跟浮誇，杜賓叔叔這時候就負起了教育的責任。有一次杜賓跟小喬治一起去看戲的時候，本來買的位置是後排，小喬治吵着說沒有包廂不想看，杜賓叔叔（雖然依然老實，卻也有點世故了），就讓他去坐包廂，自己悠哉悠哉地坐在後排看戲，看沒多久小少爺就乖乖下來坐他旁邊了。也就這樣，杜賓漸漸成為一個稱職的父親角色。老奧斯朋過世了，財產留給愛咪母子，這之前，貝姬夫婦分居，羅登還是去當了總督，而貝姬則是臭名在外，在歐洲遊蕩着。在愛咪小姐，小喬治，胖子約瑟，還有杜賓少校一起去德國玩的時候，又碰到了貝姬，上面那個段落裡面的「大象」（the Elephant），就是貝姬住的下等社區裡的一個小酒館。愛咪去看老朋友，杜賓少校（一如往常地）哈巴狗一般跟隨著，卻不想進去貝姬的住所，在外面一邊喝著啤酒一邊擔心這個城府太深的女人可能帶給愛咪跟小喬治不好的影響。
不過在這個場景裡面，杜賓少校跟愛咪小姐的關係已經有了大大的改變啊，老實人杜賓對愛咪多年的苦戀總算有了一些進展。從愛咪對他開玩笑，還有用雨傘碰碰他，然後挽着他走出我的視線，相對於這個故事剛開始時，清純小姐從來沒把他放眼裡的樣子，真是覺得時間過得好快，十幾二十年的故事已經到了一個尾聲。
愛咪想要支助落魄的貝姬，可是杜賓卻一直都覺得不妥，愛咪對杜賓很生氣，罵了他一頓，杜賓心灰意冷，他覺得這些年來，愛咪都沒有接收到自己真正的心意。他說，在十幾年的痴戀之後，他一直沒有得到確切的回應，接著以這句話做結論：「收兵吧，我們都累了。」（Let it end. We are both weary of it）然後就自己一個人離開了歐陸，留下驚慌失措的愛咪與困惑的小喬治。
偷聽到他們爭吵的貝姬，這時候卻想著：「啊，我若有這麼一個，有感情又有腦筋的男人當丈夫，我不會在乎他的大腳丫。」（. . . if I could have had such a husband that—a man with a heart and brains too! I would not have minded his large feet.）然後她看到好友本來就已經習慣了杜賓的陪伴，現在一整個失魂落魄了起來，貝姬也私自下了決心：「這個小傻瓜。她還在為她那傻丈夫哭哭啼啼—都死掉（活該！）十五年了。。。她應該嫁給那個竹竿。」（. . . she is still whimpering after that gaby of husband—dead (and served right) these fifteen years. . . she shall marry the bamboo-cane.）
愛咪的床邊一直都放著亡夫的畫像，死掉的喬治的面容，加上小喬治與父親外貌的相似，都讓她很難接受新的感情。貝姬這時候就告訴這個多年的老友，其實，喬治在出征之前，還寫給自己情書想搞外遇啊。
聽到這件往事，愛咪很震驚，不過，她講了一個讓貝姬更震驚的事情。早在好幾天前，她就寄了信給杜賓。
貝姬整死約瑟並且弄到他的家產與保險金，已經是愛咪與杜賓重逢並且結婚好一陣子以後的事情了。愛咪因為哥哥的事情對貝姬有了戒心，和杜賓一樣，看到這女人的時候，總會擔憂自己身邊的人是不是也要碰到麻煩，可是想到當初一起搭着馬車迎向這個世界，卻也不能否認自己跟她的緣分吧。
所以在這人生大戲落幕的同時，如果愛咪牽著貝姬的手出來謝幕，後面跟著大腳丫軍人杜賓中校（又升官了），威武的羅登總督，已經成仙的奧斯朋父子還有胖哥約瑟，猥瑣的老匹特爵士，頭上有傷疤的史坦因伯爵，老天真羅德雷姑姑，還有其他數以百計在這個小說裡面出現過的角色，應該也是個很自然的畫面。貝姬的精明與矯捷在她美麗的大眼睛裡若隱若現，影響着別人也融入別人的身影裡，愛咪的眼神滿盈著包容、善良與傻氣，也許在時移事往的過程當中，漸漸地多了點滄桑。這兩種眼神映照出這個虛實交雜的世界千變萬化的面孔，而她們的聯繫，訴說着浮華世界裡，真心與虛偽交織的，也不過就是緣分而已。
