Chapter 7 An Encounter With A Tramp

 It is hardly necessary to say that Andy's parents were equally surprised and pleased at his new engagement.

 

"You will like that better than working on the farm, I expect, Andy?" said Sterling¹ Grant.

 

"Yes, father. I am willing to work, but I don't feel much interest in farming."

 

"It is hard work and poor pay, Andy, but I like it. I was brought up to it when a boy, and there is nothing else I can do."

 

"Andy is already beginning to get some advantage from his education," said Mrs. Grant.

 

Andy reported for duty, and during the first morning made up his mind that he should enjoy his new employment. Mr. Gale² really desired to acquire a knowledge of Latin and Greek, and worked faithfully.

 

To Andy it was like a review of his own studies, and he experienced a satisfaction in the rapid progress of his pupil.

 

He felt quite at home with Mr. Gale, though their acquaintance had been so brief. When twelve o'clock came he was really sorry.

 

"What time shall I come over this afternoon, Mr. Gale?" he asked.

 

"At two o'clock. Can you borrow your friend Valentine's boat? I have sent for one, but it may be several days before it arrives."

 

"Oh, yes; I am sure Val will let me have it. He is a very good-natured boy."

 

"I will be glad to pay for its use."

 

"I don't think he'd accept anything."

 

"Then I will make him a present."

 

Before he returned to the hotel, Andy saw Valentine and obtained the loan of his boat.

 

At three o'clock Mr. Gale and Andy started from the boathouse, and again Andy became a teacher.

 

The young man was a good rower, but Andy was able to give him some points. Sometimes they sat idle and let the boat float at will.

 

About four o'clock Conrad came down for his usual afternoon row. He was surprised and not altogether pleased at meeting Andy and his companion.

 

"Why are you not hoeing potatoes?" he asked.

 

"I've got a vacation," answered Andy, with a smile.

 

"Are you out for a row?" inquired Mr. Gale, pleasantly.

 

"Yes," answered Conrad, sullenly³.

 

Though Walter Gale had nothing to do with his defeat, he could not quite forgive him for awarding the prize to Andy. He felt mortified⁴ whenever he thought of it, and wished Mr. Gale to understand that he was not inferior to Andy.

 

"I was unlucky the other day," he said. "I strained my muscles or I would not have been beaten."

 

"That was lucky for me, then," said Andy, good-naturedly.

 

"I didn't care so much for the money, but if I had been in my usual form I should have gained the prize."

 

"Then you wouldn't object to a second race?" said Walter Gale, quietly.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"If you would like to try it again over the same course, I will put up five dollars."

 

Conrad hesitated.

 

He would not object to winning five dollars. Indeed, he wished very much to have that sum, but he was not quite so sure that he could beat Andy as he claimed to be.

 

Should Andy win again, he would be obliged to concede his superiority.

 

"No," he said, after a pause; "I don't think I care to race again."

 

"Then I will make you another offer, but not so good a one. I row a little myself--indeed, Andy is training me, so that I hope soon to row better. If you will row against me, I will pay you two dollars. That will be the prize."

 

"But suppose you win?"

 

"Then I keep the two dollars myself. It will cost you nothing."

 

"I'll row," said Conrad, eagerly.

 

"Very well. We will appoint Andy umpire, or referee⁵, whatever you call it."

 

Conrad was not altogether pleased with this selection, but he waived⁶ his objections and the race was rowed, Andy giving the signal.

 

Conrad won by a dozen lengths, Mr. Gale making a very good second.

 

"You have won, Conrad," said the young man, good-naturedly. "Here is the prize."

 

Conrad pocketed the bill with a good deal of satisfaction.

 

"I will row you any day," he said.

 

Walter Gale shook his head.

 

"I must wait till I have improved," he said, "or you will beat me every time."

 

Conrad would much prefer to have beaten Andy, but the two dollars gave him not a little satisfaction.

 

"Mr. Gale must be rich," he reflected. "I wish I could get in with him."

 

"As Andy has to work on the farm," he said, "I shall be glad to go out with you any afternoon."

 

"Thank you; but I have made an arrangement with Andy that will save him from the necessity of farm work."

 

Conrad opened his eyes in surprise.

 

Later in the evening, when he met Andy at the village store, he asked:

 

"How much does Mr. Gale pay you for going with him?"

 

"The arrangement is private, Conrad, or I would tell you."

 

"How much are you with him?"

 

"I go to the hotel at nine o'clock in the morning."

 

"What do you do then?"

 

"He calls me his private secretary."

 

"Do you get as much as three dollars a week?"

 

"I am sorry, I can't tell you."

 

"Oh, well, if it is such a profound secret. You seem to have got in with him."

 

"He treats me very kindly⁷."

 

"Is he rich?"

 

"I don't know, but I presume he is."

 

"I don't see what keeps him in such a dull hole as Arden, when he could live in the city and be in the midst of things."

 

"At any rate, it is lucky for me that he chooses to stay here."

 

"What on earth does he want of a private secretary?" demanded Conrad.

 

"Perhaps you had better ask him."

 

"Probably he only hires you out of pity."

 

"I won't trouble myself about his motives⁸, as long as he appears to like having me with him."

 

Several days passed. The mornings were spent in study, the afternoons on the pond.

 

There had been no change in the program, so that Andy was surprised when, one morning, Mr. Gale said:

 

"We will omit our lessons this morning; I am going to send you to Benton on an errand."

 

"Very well, sir."

 

"I have an account with the bank, and will send a check by you to be cashed."

 

"All right, sir."

 

"I will engage a top buggy for you at the hotel stable. I suppose you are used to driving?"

 

"Oh, yes, sir."

 

"And I suppose you know the way to Benton?"

 

"I have been there a good many times."

 

"Then there will be no trouble."

 

"When do you want me to start?"

 

"At eleven o'clock. That would get you home late to dinner. You may, therefore, stop and dine at the hotel in Benton."

 

This would make it a day's excursion. Andy liked driving, and the visit to Benton would be a pleasure to him.

 

"I will run home and tell mother I shall not be back to dinner," he said.

 

"Very well. Be back here at eleven o'clock."

 

"All right, sir."

 

When Andy reached the hotel on his return he found the buggy ready. Harnessed to it was the best horse in the hotel stable.

 

"A pleasant journey to you!" said Walter Gale, smiling at Andy from the piazza⁹.

 

"Thank you, sir."

 

Andy drove off at good speed. It was a bright, clear morning. The air was invigorating, and his spirits rose.

 

He reflected upon his good luck in having found such a friend as Walter Gale. He had been unfortunate, to be sure, in being compelled to leave school, but the hardship was very much mitigated¹⁰ by Mr. Gale's friendship.

 

He had gone two-thirds of the way when he overtook a man whose bloated look and shabby clothing proclaimed him to belong to the large class of tramps whose business seems to be to roam through the country in quest of plunder¹¹.

 

The man looked up as Andy reached him.

 

"I say, boy," he called out, "give me a lift, won't you?"

 

Andy was kind-hearted, but he was repelled¹² by the unsavory look of the man who asked him this favor. He felt that it would be very unpleasant to have such a man sitting beside him in the buggy.

 

"I think you must excuse me," he said.

 

"What for?" asked the man, with a scowl¹³. "Are you too proud to take in a poor man?"

 

"I don't object to you being poor," answered Andy; "but you look as if you had been drinking."

 

The man replied by an oath, and, bending over, he picked up a good-sized stone and flung it at the young driver. Fortunately his condition made his aim unsteady, and the stone flew wide of the mark.

 

Andy whipped up the horse, and was soon out of danger.

1 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

2 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。

3 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

4 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》

5 referee   

n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人

参考例句：

• The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。
• The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

6 waived   

v.宣布放弃( waive的过去式和过去分词 )；搁置；推迟；放弃（权利、要求等）

参考例句：

• He has waived all claim to the money. 他放弃了索取这笔钱的权利。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I waived the discourse, and began to talk of my business. 我撇开了这个话题，开始讲我的事情。 来自辞典例句

7 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

8 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

9 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。

10 mitigated   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cost of getting there is mitigated by Sydney's offer of a subsidy. 由于悉尼提供补助金，所以到那里的花费就减少了。 来自辞典例句
• The living conditions were slightly mitigated. 居住条件稍有缓解。 来自辞典例句

11 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

12 repelled   

v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开

参考例句：

• They repelled the enemy. 他们击退了敌军。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The minister tremulously, but decidedly, repelled the old man's arm. 而丁梅斯代尔牧师却哆里哆嗦地断然推开了那老人的胳臂。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

13 scowl   

vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容

参考例句：

• I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
• The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色，清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。