But if Dick was a hero, his conception of the role was all wrong, judged by the accepted standard. Instead of wearing an expression of modest pride, instead of receiving the tributes of an admiring public with blushes and murmured expostulations as, of course, every hero has done since the time of Adam, he mooned around out-of-the-way[215] corners like a bear with a sore head, while his most gracious response to the admiring public was a muttered “Oh, dry up, will you?” delivered in something between a growl7 and a groan8.
“You’re absolutely the most disappointing hero I ever heard of!” said Trevor in disgust. “Why, if I’d done a thing like that I’d be strutting9 around the yard with my head back and my thumbs in my waistcoat pockets! A chap would think you were grouchy10 about it!” Whereupon Dick turned angrily:
“Trevor, if you don’t shut up I’ll pound you good and hard! Now, I mean what I say!”
“Some are born to greatness,” murmured Trevor, “some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them—and are exceeding wroth. I have spoken!” And having spoken, he bolted out the door a fraction of a second ahead of a German dictionary thrown with much vigor11 and precision.
But, despite Dick’s displeasure, there was both truth and justice in Trevor’s charge. Dick was disappointing. And the school at large marveled, and finding that their admiration12 for the plucky13 rescue was not wanted, thereafter refrained from further mention of the matter in Dick’s presence. And that youth kept to his room a good deal, where, instead of delving14 in his books, he sat glowering15 into space, or walked restlessly around like a caged lion. He became extremely taciturn, and even rowing affairs[216] failed to arouse any but the most indifferent replies. Trevor wondered and grew alarmed.
By the burning of Coolidge’s house—due to the upsetting and subsequent explosion of a patent non-explosive lamp—seven boys found themselves homeless and less about everything save the scanty16 wardrobes in which they had made their escapes. Coolidge’s was a mere17 pile of ashes and charred18 timbers. For the family charity was unnecessary, since the house and contents had been well insured, but for the boys who had lost almost everything a scheme was speedily set on foot. A meeting was held in Society House, and the president of the senior class, Wallace Osgood, made a stirring address, which every one applauded, and then asked for suggestions as to a means of raising money to reimburse19, to some extent at least, the victims of the fire. There was no response until Malcolm Kirk, who, with several members of the Faculty, presided on the stage, moved that an amateur performance, the exact character of which was to be later decided20 upon, be given in the Town Hall. He was sure, he said, that there was enough talent in the school to afford an interesting program, and believed that enough tickets could be sold at the academy and in the village to more than fill the hall. The plan met with instant favor; Professor Wheeler indorsed it, and moved that Mr. Kirk be asked to assume charge of it; Mr. Kirk assented21 and moved, in turn, that committees to work with him be appointed from the four[217] classes; the classes made their appointments on the spot; a Saturday night some two weeks distant was chosen as the date of the entertainment, and the meeting broke up with great enthusiasm.
Boys hurried to their rooms, and brought down dusty banjos, guitars, and mandolins, and for nights afterward23 the dormitories were made hideous24 with chromatic25 scales and strange, weird26 chords. Dick found himself one of the senior committee, and throwing aside some of his lethargy worked busily with the rest. The first meeting of the joint27 committee of arrangements was held in Kirk’s room the following evening, and he outlined his plan. There was not, he thought, sufficient time before the date agreed upon in which to find performers for and rehearse anything in the way of a play. Instead, he would suggest that scenes from some well-known book be presented, each carrying only enough dialogue to make themselves clear. For instance, there was Tom Brown at Rugby; that afforded numerous opportunities for interesting stage pictures; there was Tom’s leave-taking with his father at the inn, in which the father’s excellent advice would, he thought, appeal to the risibilities of the audience. And then there was the fight with “Slogger” Williams, the hazing28 scene before the fireplace, and so on through the book. For the first part of the entertainment he suggested that the musical talent of the school could be levied29 upon; some of the fellows could undoubtedly30 sing; many could perform on some instrument or[218] other; perhaps some could give recitations; and no doubt the band would do its share. For a further attraction, to constitute a third part of the program, Kirk suggested a series of representations of various sports, each to be pictured by a single person in appropriate costume—as Football, Baseball, Bowing, Lacrosse, Cricket, Hockey, Basketball, Skating, Tobogganing, Snow-shoeing, Tennis, and so on, all to be grouped together on the stage afterward for a final tableau31.
The plan was adopted, and for the next two weeks every one was very busy, Kirk and Dick especially, since rowing affairs claimed more and more of their attention every day. May had brought fine, clear weather and sunny skies, under which it was a pleasure to work. The little chilling breezes that had been ruffling32 the blue waters of the Hudson had crept away in the track of winter, and the valley was green with fresh verdure and warm with the spring sunshine. Each day brought fresh hope to those who were interested in the success of the crew. The eight members of the varsity worked together with something approaching accord, and even Taylor’s continued absence from the boat was no longer a reason for constant dismay; for Jones, by dint33 of eternal vigilance and much tongue-lashing, had at last made of himself a fairly acceptable Number 7. Taylor was still laid up, for the fire and his efforts to fight his way from the building before Dick’s arrival had set back his recovery at least a fortnight.
[219]
Many times Waters had brought word to Dick that Taylor had asked to see him, and Dick had as many times answered that he would go over to Waters’s room as soon as he found time. But he took good care never to allow himself opportunity. Trevor told him he was a brute34. Dick growled35.
On the Saturday afternoon preceding the entertainment the varsity and second crews met for their first tussle36 on the water, and the result was surprising even to the varsity. The two boats raced from the down-stream end of Long Isle37 up the river for a half mile, and the varsity’s victory was too decisive to allow of its being explained by crediting the second with unusually slow work. In fact, even the second made favorable time for the course, while the varsity, which finished twelve lengths to the good, came within a few seconds of equaling the best record. But this was a fact known only to Kirk, Dick, and Keene, for the former pointed22 out dryly that it wouldn’t do them any harm if their rivals at Marshall continued to believe them in poor shape. “It may lead to overconfidence on St. Eustace’s part,” said Kirk, “and overconfidence is usually a winning card—for the other side.”
But, despite the brightening prospects38, Dick was not happy. In fact, he didn’t remember of ever having been so utterly39 miserable40 and out of humor with himself. He didn’t pretend to misunderstand the cause; he was, he told himself savagely41, at least honest with Dick Hope, no matter[220] how much of a scoundrel he was in reality. He knew that if he went to Roy Taylor like a man and absolved42 him from the promise so villainously extorted43, he would, in a measure at least, recover his self-respect. He tried at first to justify44 his conduct to himself by craftily45 pointing out the fact that he had used Taylor’s own weapons; that if Taylor had not acted like a thief there would have been no call for Dick to act like one; and that, when the matter was observed dispassionately, he had only taken advantage of his opportunity to work for the good of the crew and the school. But the pose of disinterested46 public benefactor47 didn’t satisfy him, and, although he ground his teeth and knit his brows and doggedly48 determined49 to hold on to the vantage he had gained, he was not happy, but, on the contrary, loathed50 himself heartily51, hated Trevor because that youth insisted upon thinking him a high-minded hero, detested52 Taylor because the latter was primarily to blame for it all, and lost his appetite, didn’t half know his lessons, and was, in short, at odds53 with the whole world.
And then came the night of the benefit performance in the Town Hall. St. Eustace had subscribed54 for fifty tickets at a dollar apiece, and had then returned them to the committee to be resold. As a result of this, and of the activity of the class ticket-sellers, the hall on the night of the entertainment was altogether too small for the purpose. The villagers had responded generously to the appeal, and had bought seats until it had begun to look as though there[221] would be no places left for the students. But every one in the end managed to squeeze in somehow; and as every member of the audience, whether he saw the performance from a comfortable seat in the front of the hall or only caught an occasional glimpse of it from behind a wall of less fortunate persons, paid a dollar for the privilege; and as the expenses were almost nil55, the exchequer56 when the curtain went up held the very satisfactory total of $354, a fraction over $50 for each of the fire victims.
There is not space enough here to do justice to the excellency of the program. It will serve to say that some twenty boys sang, played on a marvelous variety of instruments, from accordion57 to piano, and recited. Williams gave operatic selections on a zither, and for encore rendered Way Down Upon the Suwanee River; a youth named Billings sang Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Ground, not so much because it was intensely musical as because it was about the only thing that accommodated itself to his voice; Todd sat down in a straight-backed chair at the front of the stage and did all kinds of stunts58 on a banjo, which pleased his audience vastly; Osgood sang The New Bully59 in a manner that sent the younger boys into spasms60 of laughter; Trevor, attired61 in hastily improvised62 costume, sang a number of coster songs in a sweet tenor63, and gained much applause; Jones recited the tragic64 termination of the baseball career of one named Casey; and so it went. And when Part First had come to an end the stage was set for the first of the[222] Scenes from Tom Brown at Rugby, and it fell to Dick, as his contribution to the evening’s entertainment, to go before the curtain and explain what was to follow. His appearance was greeted with the heartiest65 applause that had thus far fallen to the lot of any. The audience was in good humor, Dick was a hero, and here was an opportunity to show approval of the gallant66 rescuer. The boys cheered, the villagers clapped and stamped applause, the less polite members of the community that fringed the gathering67 yelled vociferously68, and Dick—well, he did a most unaccountable thing: he grew pale, faltered69, and even turned toward the wing as though meditating70 escape. “Such modesty71!” breathed a kind-hearted lady in the second row. But after the first impulse toward flight Dick waited for silence, white-faced, unsmiling, and when it came made his speech calmly, in well-modulated but unenthusiastic voice, bowing himself off finally under a second bombardment of applause. Then the curtain arose on Tom Brown and his father in the tap-room of the inn. Mr. Brown, Sr., impersonated by Crocker of the varsity crew, was a hale and hearty72 country squire73 in wig74, long coat, and top-boots; while a small junior, in ridiculous long trousers and chimney-pot hat, made up excellently as a rather nervous Tom. Crocker delivered his speech of advice in a manner that captured the audience, Boots appeared at the door to announce that the stage-coach was waiting and the curtain descended75 amid applause.
Dick, however, saw nothing of this. Having gained the wings he seized his hat from a chair, and, unobserved, made his way out of the door into the rear hall, clattered76 down the stairs and into the darkness. From the brightly lighted building came the sound of clapping hands and laughter; ahead the village street stretched in semidarkness. A yellow gaslight flared77 at each corner of the little triangle known as The Park. Dick almost ran. As he passed Watson’s stables a challenging bark told him that Muggins had heard his footsteps. On the next corner stood Bradford’s boarding-house. Dick found the front door unlocked, and after a moment’s hesitation78 climbed the stairs. On the landing above five portals confronted him, but from under only one of them did any light shine. He knocked. A voice bade him enter. Obeying, he found himself in a long, low-studded room, handsomely, almost luxuriously79 furnished. On a broad couch under the strong light of a big bronze lamp, a book in his hand and his listless eyes turned inquiringly toward the door, lay Roy Taylor.
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1
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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2
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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3
instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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4
waylaid
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| v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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6
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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8
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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9
strutting
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| 加固，支撑物 | |
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grouchy
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| adj.好抱怨的；愠怒的 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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14
delving
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| v.深入探究，钻研( delve的现在分词 ) | |
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15
glowering
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| v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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16
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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18
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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19
reimburse
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| v.补偿，付还 | |
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20
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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21
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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25
chromatic
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| adj.色彩的，颜色的 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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28
hazing
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| n.受辱，被欺侮v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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29
levied
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| 征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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31
tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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32
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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35
growled
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| 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 | |
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tussle
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| n.&v.扭打，搏斗，争辩 | |
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37
isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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39
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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41
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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42
absolved
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| 宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责） | |
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43
extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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44
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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45
craftily
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| 狡猾地，狡诈地 | |
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46
disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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47
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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48
doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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49
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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50
loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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51
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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52
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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54
subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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55
nil
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| n.无，全无，零 | |
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56
exchequer
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| n.财政部；国库 | |
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57
accordion
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| n.手风琴；adj.可折叠的 | |
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58
stunts
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| n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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59
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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60
spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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61
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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63
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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64
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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65
heartiest
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| 亲切的( hearty的最高级 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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66
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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67
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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68
vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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69
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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70
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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71
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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72
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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73
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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74
wig
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| n.假发 | |
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75
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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76
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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77
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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78
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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79
luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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