Chapter 19 Andy Is Discharged

 "You don't know what it means!" repeated Simon Rich in a sarcastic¹ tone. "Probably not. I understand it."

 

"Do you think I stole a watch and pawned² it, Mr. Rich?" demanded Andy, with spirit.

 

"There seems to be absolute proof of your dishonesty. Will you explain how, otherwise, this pawn³ ticket is found in your pocket?"

 

"I can't explain it, nor can I understand it. All I can say is, that I never saw it before."

 

"You must think I am a fool to be deceived by such a story."

 

"I can't believe that Andy pawned a watch," said John Crandall, hypocritically.

 

"Will you be kind enough to inform me who did, then?" asked his uncle, with pretended severity.

 

"I can't guess."

 

"Nor any one else, I fancy. Of course, Andrew, after this proof of your dishonesty, I cannot retain you in my, or rather in Mr. Flint's employment."

 

"Mr. Rich, will you do me a favor?"

 

"What is it?"

 

"Will you go with me to the pawnbroker⁴ who issued the ticket and ask him if he ever saw me before?"

 

"I have no time to go on such a foolish errand. Can you give me the ten dollars you obtained for the watch?"

 

"I didn't obtain a dollar nor a cent for the watch. I know nothing about it."

 

"Probably you have laid it away somewhere, or spent it."

 

"That is not true, and I am sure you don't believe it yourself."

 

"No impudence⁵, young man! I am forced to believe it. I have treated you kindly⁶ since Mr. Flint went away, and that is sufficient to show that I wish to do you no injustice⁷. Is this true or not?"

 

"I have no fault to find with your treatment, except now."

 

"I shall continue to act as your friend. I might have you arrested, and your conviction would be certain with the evidence I have in my possession. But I will not do it. I will redeem⁸ the watch at my own expense and be content with discharging you."

 

"I believe there is a plot against me," said Andy, pale but firm. "It will come out some time. When do you wish me to go?"

 

"At once. I will pay you to the end of the week, but I could not feel safe in retaining your services any longer. John, will you oblige me by taking Andrew's place till I have a chance to secure another boy?"

 

"Yes, Uncle Simon, but I don't want to feel that I have had anything to do with Andy's discharge."

 

"You have not. No one is responsible for it but himself."

 

"Then I will stay while you need me. I don't want to leave you in a hole."

 

Simon Rich went to the money drawer and drew out a five-dollar bill.

 

"Here is your pay to the end of the week," he said.

 

"I prefer to accept pay only to to-day," replied Andy.

 

"As you please."

 

Andy walked out of the store feeling crushed and overwhelmed. He was all at sea concerning the pawn ticket. He could not understand how it got into his pocket.

 

He formed a resolution. He would go around to the pawnbroker's and see if he could obtain any information.

 

He found the pawn shop without difficulty. It was a small apartment, but seemed quite full of goods of all varieties.

 

A small man of perhaps sixty was behind the counter. Seated in a rocking-chair, sewing, an old lady was to be seen in the rear of the shop.

 

Andy had never before been in a pawn shop, and would have been interested in examining it if his errand had not been so serious.

 

He walked up to the counter.

 

"Well, young man, what is your business?" asked the old man.

 

"Do you remember lending some money on a new gold watch last Monday?"

 

"Was the watch stolen?" asked the pawnbroker, with shade of anxiety.

 

"You will have no difficulty about it. It will be redeemed⁹."

 

"How much did I lend on it?"

 

"Ten dollars."

 

"Yes, I remember."

 

"Can you remember who brought it in?"

 

"No, except that it was a boy about your size."

 

"Did he look like me?"

 

"I can't remember. You see, I have so many customers."

 

"I remember," said the old lady, speaking up. "He was about your size."

 

"It was not I?"

 

"No; he was thinner than you, and he was dark complexioned¹⁰."

 

A light began to dawn upon Andy. This description fitted John Crandall.

 

"Do you remember what kind of an overcoat he wore?"

 

"It was a light overcoat."

 

"Thank you. Will you please remember this if you are asked?"

 

"Did the young gentleman own the watch?"

 

"He was employed by another party, but I cannot tell you any more at present. The watch will probably be redeemed by a man about thirty-five. Don't mention to him that any one has asked you questions about it."

 

"All right. I shall be glad to oblige you. You are sure it was not stolen?"

 

"The man who sent the boy was not dishonest. You will have no trouble."

 

"It was a new watch, and I thought it might be stolen. We poor pawnbrokers¹¹ have a hard time. If we take stolen property we get into trouble, but how can we tell if the rings and watches they bring in are stolen?"

 

"Very true. I can see that you must sometimes be puzzled. Do those who pawn articles generally give their own names?"

 

"Very seldom. They almost always give wrong names. That sometimes leads to trouble. I remember a gentleman who mislaid his ticket, and he could not remember what name he gave. If he had we might have overlooked the loss of the pawn ticket. As it was, we did not know but he might be a fraud, though I think it was all right, and the watch he pawned was his own."

 

"Thank you for answering my questions. I am sorry to have troubled you," said Andy, politely.

 

"Oh, it is no matter," rejoined the old man, who felt very favorably impressed by Andy's good looks, and frank, open manner.

 

As Andy went out of the shop he experienced a feeling of relief. He saw that he would be able to prove his innocence¹² through the testimony¹³ of the pawnbroker and his wife. He was in no hurry. It would do when Mr. Flint returned. He did not want the friendly jeweler to think that he had been dishonest.

 

It was clear that he was the victim of a conspiracy¹⁴, and that the plot had been engineered by Simon Rich and carried out by his nephew.

 

As Andy's board was paid by Walter Gale¹⁵, he would not be distressed¹⁶ by want of employment, but would be able to remain in New York. He might obtain another position, though he foresaw that it would be useless to apply to Simon Rich for a letter of recommendation.

 

He had not gone more than a hundred feet when he met a boy whom he knew, named James Callahan.

 

"How do you happen to be here, Andy?" he asked. "Are you on an errand for the firm?"

 

"I have left them."

 

"Why is that?"

 

"They--or rather the clerk--charged me with stealing a gold watch and pawning¹⁷ it."

 

"Where?" asked the boy, in some excitement.

 

Andy pointed¹⁸ out the pawnbroker's shop from which he had just come.

 

"I saw John Crandall coming out of there yesterday."

 

"You did?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I am not surprised. The pawnbroker described to me the boy who pawned the watch, and I recognized John from the description."

 

"What does it all mean?"

 

"Mr. Flint has gone out West, and Mr. Rich and John have conspired¹⁹ to get me into trouble."

 

"When were you discharged?"

 

"Less than an hour since."

 

"Who has taken your place?"

 

"John Crandall."

 

James Callahan whistled.

 

"I see," he said. "It was thundering mean. What are you going to do about it?"

 

"Wait till Mr. Flint comes home. Give me your address. I may want to call you as a witness."

 

Callahan gave his number on Ninth Avenue.

 

"I will note it down."

 

"How are you going to get along while you are without a place?" asked James, with friendly solicitude²⁰.

 

"I have a friend who will pay my board."

 

"Good! I am glad to hear it."

 

"Now," thought Andy, "I have a chain of proof that will clear me with Mr. Flint. That is what I care most about." 

1 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

2 pawned   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He pawned his gold watch to pay the rent. 他抵当了金表用以交租。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

4 pawnbroker   

n.典当商，当铺老板

参考例句：

• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's.他从当铺赎回手表。
• She could get fifty dollars for those if she went to the pawnbroker's.要是她去当铺当了这些东西，她是可以筹出50块钱的。

5 impudence   

n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼

参考例句：

• His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。
• What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

6 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。

7 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

8 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

9 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

10 complexioned   

脸色…的

参考例句：

• My aunt Ablewhite is a large, silent, fair-complexioned woman, with one noteworthy point in her character. 艾伯怀特表姨妈是个身材高大，生性沉默的人，为人有个突出的地方。
• Both were fair complexioned and slenderly made; both possessed faces full of distinction and intelligence. 两人都脸色白皙，身材苗条，两人都相貌非凡、一副聪明的样子。

11 pawnbrokers   

n.当铺老板( pawnbroker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• To exploit this demand, pawnbrokers are shedding their dingy, Dickensian image. 为了开拓市场，典当商人正在试图摆脱他们过去阴暗的狄更斯时代的形象。 来自互联网
• Each state and territory has legislation that requires pawnbrokers to be licensed. 各个州和地区的法律都规定当铺老板必须取得特许执照。 来自互联网

12 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

15 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。

16 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

17 pawning   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的现在分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch. 他正在考虑抵押他的手表。 来自辞典例句
• My clothes were excellent, and I had jewellery; but I never even thought of pawning them. 我的衣服是很讲究的，我有珠宝；但是我从没想到要把它们当掉。 来自辞典例句

18 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

19 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

20 solicitude   

n.焦虑

参考例句：

• Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
• He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。