CHAPTER XXVIII. JERRY FINDS A NEW RELATION.

 Ellen Barclay came over the next evening according to appointment, and had an interview with Paul. She had at first been disposed to look upon him with suspicion, as likely to divert Jerry’s money from his legal heirs, but the interview dispelled¹ all such ideas. The telegraph boy was so frank and free spoken, and showed such an interest in helping² her, that she was strongly impressed in his favor. He even told her the particulars of his first encounter with her husband, and in what manner he had defeated his plan of gaining possession of Mr. Cunningham’s money.

“Yes,” said Ellen, bitterly, “he is a husband to be proud of.”

“Has he always been as bad?” asked Paul.

“Yes; I had not been married to him a month before I found out that I was wedded³ to a criminal. He treated me brutally⁴, and I only breathed freely when he was away from home. Within a year from the wedding day, he was condemned⁵ to a year’s imprisonment⁶, and at least half the time since he has been in confinement⁷.”

“Leaving you to support yourself, I suppose?”

“Yes, I have had to support myself and the children. Even when he was a free man, he did little or nothing for the family.”

“How did you support yourself?” asked Paul.

[155]

“At first I undertook to maintain myself by the needle, but the miserable⁸ pittance⁹ I received showed me that I must try some other means of support. On inquiry¹⁰ I found that nothing paid as well as fine laundry work for ladies. It was a trial to my pride, for I was well brought up and educated, to take in washing for a living, but I would rather do that than see my children suffer. So I stifled¹¹ my pride and became a laundress. I was fortunate in securing customers, and I have wanted for nothing, neither have my children—nothing at least that was necessary to comfort. But when my husband came home lately, and proposed to put upon me the additional burden of his support, I became discouraged.”

“I hope better days are in store for you,” said Paul.

“Not while my husband lives, and can find me out,” said Ellen Barclay, sadly.

“Do you wish me to introduce you to your husband’s father?”

“Do you think it will be best?”

“We had better try the experiment at any rate. He may die, and if he does his money ought to go to you.”

“It would be a great relief to me if my children would be provided for.”

“Follow me, then.”

Following Paul, Ellen Barclay went into the chamber¹² occupied by old Jerry.

The old man looked up, noticing Paul only.

“Do you think I will get well, Paul?” he asked.

“Yes, Jerry, if you receive proper care, and have nourishing food.”

“But—I am so poor, Paul.”

“That is a mistake, Jerry, as you and I know.”

“Don’t let any one know of the few dollars I have, Paul.”

[156]

“I won’t let your son know; he is the only one of whom you need be afraid. Did you know he was married, and had two children?”

“I—I think he said something of it.”

“Would you like to see his wife?”

“I—I don’t know,” answered the old man, in an uncertain voice.

“This lady is your son’s wife,” said Paul, beckoning¹³ Ellen to come forward.

The old man regarded her with an uneasy look. “I hope you are not like James,” he said; “he is a bold, bad man!”

“No one knows that better than I, Mr. Barclay. It was a sad day when I married him.”

“You have found him out, too?”

“Yes, to my sorrow.”

“You won’t try to get my money?” asked Jerry, anxiously.

“No, but I should like to bring my children here to see their grandfather.”

“Are they—like him?”

“No, thank Heaven!”

“Then you may bring them.”

“I will. Can I do anything for you?”

“No, except to keep James away.”

“You have made a good impression on him,” said Paul, when they had left the room together.

“Thanks to you,” said Ellen, earnestly. “You are a good boy, and an unselfish one. Hereafter I shall trust you fully¹⁴.”

1 dispelled   

v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。
• The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

7 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

8 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

9 pittance   

n.微薄的薪水，少量

参考例句：

• Her secretaries work tirelessly for a pittance.她的秘书们为一点微薄的工资不知疲倦地工作。
• The widow must live on her slender pittance.那寡妇只能靠自己微薄的收入过活。

10 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

11 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 beckoning   

adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句
• He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。