Chapter 22 John Crandall Seeks To Injure Andy

 Though Simon Rich had succeeded in reinstating his nephew in the store in place of Andy, he was not altogether happy. John Crandall was naturally lazy and inefficient¹, and his temporary discharge did not seem to have improved him.

 

When sent out on errands he loitered, and had more than once put his uncle to considerable inconvenience. He obliged to admit to himself that Andy had been more satisfactory.

 

In the midst of this experience John preferred a request to have his salary raised a dollar a week.

 

"You know very well that I have no authority to raise your wages," said his uncle, sharply.

 

"Why not, Uncle Simon? You have taken me back on your own authority."

 

"And I begin to think that I have made a great mistake."

 

"Perhaps you'd like to have the country boy back again?"

 

"I am not sure but I would. He did not stay away so long on errands as you do."

 

"I wonder what he is doing?" said John, starting off on a new tack². "I don't suppose he can get a new place."

 

"If you see him, you might ask him to call," said Simon Rich.

 

"Why?" asked John, suspiciously.

 

"I may discharge you and take him back."

 

"In that case, I will tell Mr. Flint about pawning³ the watch."

 

Simon Rich looked at his nephew with anger, mingled⁴ with dismay. He began to see, now, that to a certain extent he had put himself in John's power.

 

"You treacherous⁵ young rascal⁶, I have a great mind to wring⁷ your neck!" he said, wrathfully.

 

"Uncle Simon," observed John, significantly, "I guess you'd better not act hastily."

 

"What a fool I was to put myself in the power of that cub⁸!" soliloquized the head salesman.

 

John saw the effect of his words and decided⁹ to follow them up.

 

"Don't you think you can raise my wages?" he asked.

 

"No, I don't. You will be lucky if you stay here till Mr. Flint comes back. After that, I can't protect you. He will probably be angry to see you back here. I shall have to tell him that I took you in temporarily. Now I will give you some advice. If you want to remain here permanently¹⁰, turn over a new leaf, and work faithfully. In that case I can speak well of you, and Mr. Flint may be induced to retain you."

 

John began to think that this might be good advice, and for a day or two paid more attention to his duties.

 

"I wonder I don't see Andy somewhere," he said to himself.

 

"I am out a good deal, and I ought to meet him. He is probably hunting up positions."

 

It was not till Tuesday afternoon that he did see him. Andy had been sent to the St. Denis Hotel to meet a customer of the firm. As he came out he fell in with John.

 

John was the first to see him.

 

"Hello, Andy!" he exclaimed. "How are you getting along?"

 

"Pretty well, thank you."

 

"I suppose you haven't struck a job yet?"

 

"Oh, yes, I have."

 

"You have!" ejaculated John, in surprise. "What kind of a job?"

 

"I am in a large real estate office down town."

 

"Did they take you without a recommendation?"

 

"No."

 

"My uncle wouldn't give you one."

 

"I wouldn't ask him for one."

 

"Who did recommend you, then?"

 

"Mrs. Mason, of West Fifty-sixth Street."

 

"I know. She is one of our customers."

 

"Yes."

 

"Probably she hasn't heard of your being suspected of pawning a watch from our stock."

 

"You might tell her."

 

"Perhaps I shall," John said to himself. "What pay do you get?"

 

"Five dollars a week."

 

"I didn't think you would get a place."

 

Andy smiled.

 

"I presume Mr. Rich did not care to have me get another place."

 

"He thought you would have to go back to the country."

 

"I am better off than when I was in the jewelry¹¹ store," said Andy. "How are you getting along?"

 

"Oh, first-class."

 

"I hope you will be able to keep the place."

 

"I didn't know but you might be wanting to come back."

 

"I wouldn't go back if I had the chance."

 

John was pleased to hear this. He was afraid that Mr. Flint might not be satisfied with his uncle's explanation, and that somehow the truth might come out.

 

"You must excuse me now," said Andy. "I ought to go back to the office at once."

 

John returned to the jeweler's full of excitement.

 

"Whom do you think I met just now, Uncle Simon?" he asked.

 

"Andy?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Did you speak with him?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I suppose he is hunting for a place."

 

"No; he has got one."

 

"Where is he working?"

 

"In a real estate office down town. He is getting five dollars a week."

 

"I didn't think he could get a place without a recommendation."

 

"He was recommended by one of our customers--Mrs. Mason."

 

"I see. Well, that is lucky for him."

 

Simon Rich spoke¹² indifferently. He was rather glad that Andy had found a place, as Mr. Flint would be less likely to find fault with his dismissal.

 

Not so John. He had never forgiven Andy for superseding¹³ him, and he felt aggrieved¹⁴ that he had so soon found employment. Thinking it over, there came to him a mean suggestion. He might be able to get Andy discharged from his present place.

 

As his uncle seemed indifferent, and might not approve of his contemplated¹⁵ action, he decided to say nothing about it.

 

That evening, after supper, he made his way up to West Fifty-sixth Street, and sought out the residence of Mrs. Mason.

 

He rang the bell.

 

"Can I see Mrs. Mason?" he asked.

 

"What name shall I mention?"

 

"Say it is a boy from Mr. Flint's."

 

Mrs. Mason received the message in some surprise. What could a boy from Flint's have to say to her?

 

However, she entered the parlor¹⁶, where John Crandall was waiting to see her.

 

"You are from Mr. Flint's?" she asked.

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

"What business can you have with me? I have bought no jewelry lately."

 

"I know it, Mrs. Mason. It isn't about jewelry I wish to speak."

 

"What, then?"

 

"I met, to-day, a boy who was lately employed by our firm--Andrew Grant."

 

"Well?"

 

"He said you had recommended him to a real estate firm down town."

 

"I did so."

 

"Perhaps you didn't know that he had been discharged from our place for dishonesty."

 

"I begin to understand," thought Mrs. Mason, and she sat down and examined John curiously¹⁷.

 

"Did he steal anything?"

 

"Yes, ma'am," answered John, glibly¹⁸. "He took a watch--a gold watch out of the case and pawned¹⁹ it."

 

"That was bad. And you have come up to tell me of it? You are very considerate. Did Mr. Rich send you, or do you come of your own accord?"

 

"I came of my own accord. I thought you were deceived in the boy."

 

"What do you think I ought to do?"

 

"I thought you would take back the recommendation and get the boy discharged."

 

"Can you wait here half an hour while I consider what is best to be done?"

 

"Oh, yes, ma'am." ("I guess I've put a spoke in his wheel," thought John.)

 

In about half an hour the door opened, and to John's amazement²⁰ Andy walked in.

 

"You here!" he gasped²¹.

 

"Yes; I hear you have been warning Mrs. Mason against me."

 

"I thought she ought to know that you were sent away from our store in disgrace."

 

"I have something to say to you," said Andy, quietly. "I have been to the pawnbroker's, and got a description of the boy who pawned the watch!"

 

John turned pale.

 

"I see you understand," Andy went on, "who did it. So do I, and so does Mrs. Mason. You won't make anything by your attempt to injure me. Good-evening!"

 

John Crandall left the house without a word. He began to be alarmed.

 

"Suppose Andy tells Flint," he soliloquized. "No matter; he can't prove it."

 

But he felt uneasy, nevertheless. He did not say anything to his uncle about his visit. 

1 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

2 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

3 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

4 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

5 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

6 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

7 wring   

n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭

参考例句：

• My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿，我不得不拧干它们。
• I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩，我就拧断你的脖子。

8 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

9 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。

10 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

11 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 superseding   

取代，接替( supersede的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This mechanism has such functions as integrating relations, resolving contradictions, superseding the old, improving efficiency. 公务员流动机制具有整合关系、化解矛盾、新陈代谢、提高效能等功能。
• The issuance, revision, superseding, and withdrawal of all documents should be controlled by maintaining revision histories. 11所有文件的发放、修订、替换和收回应当通过保存修订历史来控制。

14 aggrieved   

adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He felt aggrieved at not being chosen for the team. 他因没被选到队里感到愤愤不平。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is the aggrieved person whose fiance&1& did not show up for their wedding. 她很委屈，她的未婚夫未出现在他们的婚礼上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

16 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

17 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

18 glibly   

adv.流利地，流畅地；满口

参考例句：

• He glibly professed his ignorance of the affair. 他口口声声表白不知道这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He put ashes on his head, apologized profusely, but then went glibly about his business. 他表示忏悔，满口道歉，但接着又故态复萌了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 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》

20 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

21 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》