Chapter 6 A Liberal Offer

 Thoroughly mortified¹ and crestfallen², Conrad went home. He hoped to go up to his room without observation, but his father noticed his entrance.

 

"Well, Conrad," he said, with a smile, "did you carry off the honors at the picnic?"

 

"No, I didn't," answered Conrad, bitterly.

 

"Did Valentine Burns defeat you?"

 

"No."

 

"Who did win the prize?"

 

"Andy Grant."

 

Squire³ Carter was amazed.

 

"Can he row?" he ejaculated.

 

"Yes, a little."

 

"But he beat you?"

 

"I tell you how it was, father," said Conrad, who had decided⁴ upon his story. "I was well ahead till we got halfway⁵ back, when I got a terrible pain in my arm. I must have strained it, I think. Of course I couldn't do anything after that, and Andy, who was next to me, went in and won."

 

Squire Carter never thought of doubting Conrad's story. His pride extended to his family and all connected with him, and he felt satisfied that Conrad was the best rower in the village.

 

"Where did the Grant boy learn to row?" he asked.

 

"I heard him tell Mr. Gale⁶ that he learned at the academy."

 

"You don't think he is equal to you?"

 

"Of course he isn't. I am miles ahead of him."

 

"It was very unfortunate that your arm gave out. You had better speak to your mother, and she will put some arnica on it."

 

"I will," said Conrad cunningly. "I would rather have had any boy beat me than that upstart, Andy Grant. He will put on no end of airs. Besides, I shall miss the money."

 

"That, at any rate, I can make up to you. Here are two five-dollar bills."

 

"Thank you, father," said Conrad, as, with much satisfaction, he pocketed the bills. "It was lucky I thought about the strain," he said to himself. "All the same, it is awfully⁷ humiliating to be beaten by that beggar."

 

"How do you think Conrad accounts for his defeat, Andy?" said Valentine the next day.

 

"I can't tell."

 

"He says he strained the muscles of his arm."

 

Andy smiled.

 

"If it will make him feel any better, I have no objection to that explanation."

 

"His father has given him ten dollars, so he will not lose any money. But he won't get any of the boys to believe his story."

 

"The money is very acceptable to me," said Andy. "If I had lost, my father couldn't have made it up to me."

 

At five o'clock, on his way to the post office, Andy met Mr. Gale.

 

Walter Gale was a young man about twenty-five. He had a pleasant face, and his manner was genial⁸. He had a strong sympathy with boys, and he was a favorite with them.

 

"Well, Andrew," he said; "have you recovered from your exertions⁹ in the boat race?"

 

"Oh, yes; I am used to rowing, and felt very little fatigue¹⁰."

 

"I hear that Conrad is very much mortified by his defeat."

 

"I believe he is. He felt sure of winning."

 

"And he would have done so if you had remained out of the list."

 

"He told Valentine Burns that he strained the muscles of his arm, and that this defeated him."

 

"I should think better of him if he would acknowledge that he was fairly beaten. Are you at leisure this evening?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Then call upon me at the hotel. I shall be glad to know you better."

 

This invitation Andy was very glad to accept. He was drawn¹¹ to the young man, and felt that he was likely to prove a sincere friend.

 

At seven o'clock he left the farmhouse¹², and on arriving at the hotel found Mr. Gale sitting on the piazza¹³.

 

"I was looking for you," said the young man. "Come up to my room."

 

He led the way to a front corner apartment on the second floor. It was the best room in the hotel, and he had furnished it in the most comfortable and attractive manner. Pictures hung on the walls, and there was a bookcase containing a goodly array of volumes.

 

"What a pleasant room!" exclaimed Andy.

 

"Yes; I have tried to make myself comfortable. What I lack most is society."

 

"I wonder that you are content to live in the country. Are you not accustomed to the city?"

 

"Yes; but I had a severe sickness in the spring, and the doctors recommended me to absent myself for a time from the excitement of the town and take up my residence in the country."

 

"Didn't that interfere¹⁴ with your business?"

 

Walter Gale smiled.

 

"Fortunately, or unfortunately," he answered, "I have no business. Until two years since I was employed in an insurance office in the city. The death of an uncle has made me pecuniarily¹⁵ independent, so that I had leisure to be sick."

 

"You look in good health now."

 

"Yes; but I have a nervous temperament¹⁶, and am obliged to be careful. Now tell me about yourself. You have been for some time at Penhurst Academy?"

 

"Yes; for two years."

 

"Do you go back there?"

 

"No; my father has met with serious losses, and can no longer afford to send me. I must stay at home and help him."

 

"And this is a disappointment to you?"

 

"Yes; I was expecting to go to college in a few months."

 

"I believe your father is a farmer?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you expect to assist him on the farm?"

 

"Till I can get something to do. I shall try to get some business situation. Business pays better than farming."

 

"I suppose you are a good Latin and Greek scholar?"

 

"Yes; that is, I like the languages, and stood high in my classes."

 

"My own education is limited. Though I am rich now, I was a poor boy. At sixteen I had made some progress in Latin and commenced Greek, when my father's failure obliged me to seek employment. The uncle who has now made me rich would do nothing for me; so I left school half educated."

 

"You would be able to make up deficiencies now," suggested Andy.

 

"That is what I have been thinking of, if I can get a satisfactory teacher."

 

"I don't think you can find a classical teacher in Arden."

 

"I know of one, if he would be willing to undertake the task."

 

"Who is it?" asked Andy, puzzled.

 

"Andrew Grant," answered this young man, with a smile.

 

"Do you mean me?" asked Andy, with a wondering face.

 

"Certainly. You are fresh from school, and I am sure you would be competent to teach me."

 

"But I am only a boy."

 

"Age has nothing to do with a teacher's qualifications, except as to discipline. You wouldn't find me a very advanced pupil. I had read one book in _Caesar_ when I was compelled to leave school, and had begun to translate Greek a little. Now the question is, are you willing to teach me?"

 

"If you think I am competent, Mr. Gale."

 

"I don't doubt that. We will begin, if you like, next Monday. Perhaps, in order to avoid village gossip, it will be well to pass yourself off as my private secretary. Indeed, I will employ you a little in that way also."

 

"I shall be very glad to serve you in any way."

 

"Then come to-morrow morning at nine and remain with me till twelve. Now about the compensation."

 

"Fix that to suit yourself, Mr. Gale. I am almost ashamed to ask anything."

 

"The laborer¹⁷ is worthy¹⁸ of his hire, Andy. Suppose I pay you six dollars a week to begin with?"

 

"The money will be very acceptable, but I am afraid you will be overpaying me."

 

"I will take my risk of that. On the whole, I will call it nine dollars a week, and we will spend the afternoon together also. I will send to the city for a boat, and you shall give me lessons in rowing."

 

Andy's eyes sparkled. Nothing would please him better, and the prospect¹⁹ of earning nine dollars a week made him feel like a millionaire.

1 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 crestfallen   

adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的

参考例句：

• He gathered himself up and sneaked off,crushed and crestfallen.他爬起来，偷偷地溜了，一副垂头丧气、被斗败的样子。
• The youth looked exceedingly crestfallen.那青年看上去垂头丧气极了。

3 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

6 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

7 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

8 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

9 exertions   

n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使

参考例句：

• As long as they lived, exertions would not be necessary to her. 只要他们活着，是不需要她吃苦的。 来自辞典例句
• She failed to unlock the safe in spite of all her exertions. 她虽然费尽力气，仍未能将那保险箱的锁打开。 来自辞典例句

10 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

11 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

13 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

14 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

15 pecuniarily   

adv.在金钱上，在金钱方面

参考例句：

16 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

17 laborer   

n.劳动者，劳工

参考例句：

• Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。
• He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

18 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

19 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。