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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Adrift in New York » CHAPTER XII. A FRIEND, THOUGH A DUDE.
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CHAPTER XII. A FRIEND, THOUGH A DUDE.
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 Percy de Brabazon looked sincerely glad to meet Florence, and she herself felt some pleasure in meeting one who reminded her of her former life.
 
But it was quite impossible that she should allow him to accompany her to her poor home on the East Side.
 
“Thank you, Mr. de Brabazon, but my engagements this morning will hardly permit me to accept your escort,” she said.
 
“I suppose that means that you are going shopping; but I don’t mind it, I assure you, and I will carry your bundles,” he added, magnanimously.
 
“That would never do. What! the fashionable Mr. de Brabazon carrying bundles? You would lose your social status.”
 
“I don’t mind, Miss Florence, as long as you give me—aw—an approving smile.”
 
“I will give it now, as I bid you good-morning.”
 
“May I—aw—have the pleasure of calling upon you to-morrow evening, Miss Linden?”
 
“It is evident that you have not heard that I am no longer residing with my uncle.”
 
Mr. de Brabazon looked surprised.
 
“No, I had not heard. May I ask—aw—where you are wesiding?”
 
“With friends,” answered Florence, briefly1. “As you are a friend and will be likely to hear it, I may as well mention that my uncle is displeased2 with me, and has practically disowned me.”
 
“Then, Miss Florence,” said Mr. de Brabazon, eagerly, “won’t you accept—aw—my heart and hand? My mother will be charmed to receive you, and I—aw—will strive to make you happy.”
 
“I appreciate your devotion, I do, indeed, Mr. de Brabazon,” said Florence, earnestly; “but I must decline your offer. I will not marry without love.”
 
“I don’t mind that,” said Percy, “if you’ll agree to take a feller; you’ll learn in time to like him a little. I am wich—I know you don’t care for that—but I can give you as good a home as your uncle. If you would give me hope—aw——”
 
“I am afraid I cannot, Mr. de Brabazon, but if you will allow me to look upon you as a friend, I will call upon you if I have need of a friend’s services.”
 
“Will you, weally?”
 
“Yes, there is my hand on it. I ought to tell you that I must now earn my own living, and am to give lessons to a young pupil in West —— Street, three hours daily.”
 
“You don’t mean to say you are actually poor?” said Mr. de Brabazon, horrified3.
 
“Yes, indeed, I am.”
 
“Then, won’t you let me lend you some money? I’ve got more than I need, I have, ’pon my honor.”
 
“Thank you, I promise to call upon you if I need it.”
 
Mr. de Brabazon looked pleased.
 
“Would you mind telling me where you are going to teach, Miss Florence?”
 
Florence hesitated, but there was something so sincere and friendly in the young man’s manner—dude though he was—that she consented to grant his request.
 
“I am to teach the daughter of Mr. Robert Leighton.”
 
“Why, Miss Leighton is my cousin,” said Percy, in joyous4 excitement.
 
“Indeed! Had I known that I would hardly have told you.”
 
“Don’t be afwaid! I will be vewy discreet,” said Mr. de Brabazon.
 
“Thank you, and good-morning.”
 
Florence went on her way, cheered and encouraged in spite of herself, by her success in obtaining employment, and by the friendly offers of Mr. de Brabazon.
 
“It is wrong to get discouraged,” she said to herself. “After all, there are warm hearts in the world.”
 
When she entered her humble5 home, she found Dodger6 already there. There was an eagerness in his manner, and a light in his eye, that seemed to indicate good news.
 
“Well, Dodger, what is it?”
 
“I’ve been waitin’ half an hour to see you, Florence,” he said. “I’ve got some work for you.”
 
“What is it—sewing on a button, or mending a coat?”
 
“No, I mean workin’ for money. You can play on the pianner, can’t you?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“They want a young lady to play the pianner at a dime7 museum, for nine dollars a week. It’s a bully8 chance. I just told the manager—he’s a friend of mine—that I had a young lady friend that was a stunnin’ player, and he wants you to come around and see him.”
 
It was a preposterous9 idea—so Florence thought—that she should consent to play at such a place; but she couldn’t expect Dodger to look at the matter in the same light, so she answered, very gently and pleasantly:
 
“You are very kind, Dodger, to look out for me, but I shall not need to accept your friend’s offer. I have secured a chance to teach uptown.”
 
“You have? What’ll you get?”
 
“I am to be employed three hours daily, at fifty cents an hour.”
 
“Geewhillikens! that’s good! You’d have to work as much as twelve hours at the museum for the same pay.”
 
“You see, therefore, that I am provided for—that is, if I suit.”
 
Dodger was a little disappointed. Still, he could not help admitting that it would be better for Florence to teach three hours, than to work ten or twelve. As to her having any objection to appearing at a dime museum, that never occurred to him.
 
Florence had sent for her trunk, and it was now in her room.
 
Dodger accompanied an expressman to the house, and luckily saw Jane, who arranged everything for him.
 
“How’s the old gentleman?” asked Dodger. “Florence wanted me to ask.”
 
“He’s feeble,” said Jane, shaking her head.
 
“Does he miss Florence?”
 
“That he do.”
 
“Why don’t he send for her, then, to come back?” asked Dodger, bluntly.
 
“Because Curtis Waring makes him believe she’ll come around and ask forgiveness, if he only holds out. I tell you, Dodger, that Curtis is a viper10.”
 
“So he is,” answered Dodger, who was not quite clear in his mind as to what a viper was. “I’d like to step on his necktie.”
 
“If it wasn’t for him, my dear young mistress would be back in the house within twenty-four hours.”
 
“I don’t see how the old gentleman can let him turn Florence out of the house.”
 
“He’s a snake in the grass, Dodger. It may be wicked, but I just wish something would happen to him. And how is Miss Florence lookin’, poor dear?”
 
“She’s lookin’ like a daisy.”
 
“Does she worry much?”
 
“She did at first, but now she’s workin’ every day, and she looks more cheerful-like.”
 
“Miss Florence workin’! She that was always brought up like a lady!”
 
“She’s teachin’ a little girl three hours a day.”
 
“Well, that isn’t so bad!” said Jane, relieved. “Teachin’ is genteel. I wish I could see her some day. Will you tell her, Dodger, that next Sunday is my day out, and I’ll be in Central Park up by the menagerie at three o’clock, if she’ll only take the trouble to be up there?”
 
“I’ll tell her, Jane, and I’m sure she’ll be there.”
 
A day or two afterward11 Curtis Waring asked: “Have you heard from my Cousin Florence since she went away?”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
“Indeed! Where is she staying?”
 
“She didn’t send me word.”
 
“How, then, did you hear from her?”
 
“Dodger came with an expressman for her trunk.”
 
Curtis Waring frowned.
 
“And you let him have it?” he demanded, sternly.
 
“Of course I did. Why shouldn’t I?”
 
“You should have asked me.”
 
“And what business have you with Miss Florence’s trunk, I’d like to know?” said Jane, independently.
 
“Never mind; you ought to have asked my permission.”
 
“I didn’t think you’d want to wear any of Miss Florence’s things, Mr. Waring.”
 
“You are silly and impertinent,” said Curtis, biting his lips. “Did that boy tell you anything about her?”
 
“Only that she wasn’t worryin’ any for you, Mr. Curtis.”
 
Curtis glanced angrily at his cousin’s devoted12 friend, and then, turning on his heel, left the room.
 
“I’ll bring her to terms yet,” he muttered. “No girl of seventeen shall defy me!”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
2 displeased 1uFz5L     
a.不快的
参考例句:
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。
  • He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。
3 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句:
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
4 joyous d3sxB     
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的
参考例句:
  • The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
  • They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。
5 humble ddjzU     
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
参考例句:
  • In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
  • Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
6 dodger Ku9z0c     
n.躲避者;躲闪者;广告单
参考例句:
  • They are tax dodgers who hide their interest earnings.他们是隐瞒利息收入的逃税者。
  • Make sure she pays her share she's a bit of a dodger.她自己的一份一定要她付清--她可是有点能赖就赖。
7 dime SuQxv     
n.(指美国、加拿大的钱币)一角
参考例句:
  • A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
  • The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。
8 bully bully     
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮
参考例句:
  • A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
  • The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
9 preposterous e1Tz2     
adj.荒谬的,可笑的
参考例句:
  • The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。
  • It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。
10 viper Thlwl     
n.毒蛇;危险的人
参考例句:
  • Envy lucks at the bottom of the human heart a viper in its hole.嫉妒潜伏在人心底,如同毒蛇潜伏在穴中。
  • Be careful of that viper;he is dangerous.小心那个阴险的人,他很危险。
11 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
12 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
参考例句:
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。


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