CHAPTER XV BILLY, THE CREDULOUS

After the advent¹ and disappearance² of the exciting Mr. Jones, Miss Minerva, much to Billy's joy, had a telephone put in the house. He sat in the hall the day it was put in waiting for it to ring.

Jimmy, coming up on the front porch and through the half-open door and seeing him sitting there, rang the door bell just for a joke, ready to burst into a laugh when the other little boy turned around and saw who it was. Billy, however, in his eagerness mistook the ring for the telephone bell and joyfully³ climbed up on the chair, which he had stationed in readiness. He took down the receiver as he had seen Jimmy do in his home and, without once seeing that little boy standing⁵ a few feet from him, he yelled at the top of his lungs:

“Hello! Who is that?”

“This is Marie Yarbrough,” replied Jimmy from the doorway⁶, instantly recognizing Billy's mistake.

Marie Yarbrough was a little girl much admired by the two boys, as she had a pony⁷ and cart of her very own. However, she lived in a different part of the town and attended another Sunday-School, so they had no speaking acquaintance with her.

“I jus' wanted to talk to you,” went on the counterfeit⁸ Marie, stifling⁹ a laugh and trying to talk like a girl. “I think you're 'bout¹⁰ the sweetest little boy they is and I want you to come to my party.”

“I sho' will,” screamed the gratified Billy, “if Aunt Minerva'll lemme. What make you talk so much like Jimmy?”

“Who?—that little old Jimmy Garner¹¹? I hope I don't talk like that chicken, he's 'bout the measliest boy they is and I like you 'nother sight better 'n him; you're a plumb¹² jim-dandy, Billy,” came from the doorway.

“So's you,” howled back the delighted and flattered Billy.

Jimmy thought he would pop wide open in his efforts to keep from laughing.

“How 'd you like to be my sweetheart?” he asked.

“I's already promise' to marry Miss Cecilia when I puts on long pants, but if we ever gits a 'vorce I'd 'nother sight ruther have you 'n anybody. You can be my ladyfrien', anyhow,” was the loud reply.

“I'm coming for you to go riding in my little pony and cart,” said a giggling¹³ Jimmy.

“All right, I's going to ask Aunt Minerva to lemme go. Can't we take Jimmy too?”

This was too much for the little boy. He had held himself in as long as possible. He burst into a peal¹⁴ of laughter so merry and so loud that Billy, turning, quickly, almost fell out of the chair.

“What you doin', a-listening to me talk to Marie Yarbrough th'oo the telephone?” he questioned angrily.

“Marie your pig's foot,” was the inelegant response. “That was just me a-talking to you all the time. You all time think you talking to little girls and all time 'tain't nobody but me.”

A light dawned upon the innocent one. He promptly¹⁵ hung up the receiver and got down out of the chair. Before Jimmy was fully⁴ aware of his intention, Billy had thrown him to the floor and was giving him a good pommeling.

“Say you got 'nough?” he growled¹⁷ from ibis position astride of the other boy.

“I got 'nough, Billy,” repeated Jimmy.

“Say you sorry you done it.”

“I say I sorry I done it,” abjectly¹⁸ repeated the younger child. “Get up, Billy, 'fore¹⁶ you bust¹⁹ my stommick open.”

“Say you ain't never a-goin' to tell nobody, cross yo' heart,” was the next command.

“I say I ain't never going to tell nobody, cross my heart. Get up, Billy, 'fore you make me mad, and ain't no telling what I'll do to you if I get mad.”

“Say you's a low-down Jezebel skunk²⁰.”

“I ain't going to say I'm nothing of the kind,” spiritedly replied the under-dog. “You all time wanting somebody to call theirselfs someping. You're a low-down Isabella skunk yourself.”

“You got to say it,” insisted the victor, renewing hostilities²¹.

“I'll say I'm a Isabella 'cause Isabella discovered America and's in the Bible,” replied the tormented²² one; “Miss Cecilia 'splained it to me.”

Billy accepted his compromise and Jimmy's flattened²³ stomach, relieved of its burden, puffed²⁴ out to its usual roundness as that little boy rose to his feet, saying:

“Sam Lamb would 'a' died a-laughing, Billy, if he 'd seen you telephoning.”

“He 'd better never hear tell of it,” was the threatening rejoinder.

1 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

2 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

3 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

7 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

8 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

9 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

10 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

11 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

12 plumb   

adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深

参考例句：

• No one could plumb the mystery.没人能看破这秘密。
• It was unprofitable to plumb that sort of thing.这种事弄个水落石出没有什么好处。

13 giggling   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑，叫我真受不了，那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 peal   

n.钟声；v.鸣响

参考例句：

• The bells of the cathedral rang out their loud peal.大教堂响起了响亮的钟声。
• A sudden peal of thunder leaves no time to cover the ears.迅雷不及掩耳。

15 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

16 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

17 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 abjectly   

凄惨地； 绝望地； 糟透地； 悲惨地

参考例句：

• She shrugged her shoulders abjectly. 她无可奈何地耸了耸肩。
• Xiao Li is abjectly obedient at home, as both his wife and daughter can "direct" him. 小李在家里可是个听话的顺民，妻子女儿都能“领导”他。

19 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

20 skunk   

n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥

参考例句：

• That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了，你这卑鄙的家伙！
• The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。

21 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

22 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

23 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

24 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》