CHAPTER XXXI. A DEFEAT FOR THE HOUSEKEEPER.

 The housekeeper¹ held the door half way open, and evidently meant to prevent Paul from entering. If he had been less determined², or more easily abashed³, he would have given up his purpose. But Number 91 had a will of his own.

“I don’t accept a dismissal from you, madam,” he said, eying Mrs. Mercer with a steady glance. “I demand to see Mrs. Granville.”

“Hoity toity! Who are you, I’d like to know?” demanded the housekeeper, amazed and exasperated⁴.

“A visitor to Mrs. Granville,” answered Paul; “you, I suppose, are a servant.”

“Do you dare to call me a servant, you impudent⁵ boy?” answered Mrs. Mercer, raising her voice.

“What are you, then?” asked Paul, calmly.

“I am Mrs. Mercer, the housekeeper, I’d have you to know.”

“So I suppose, and Mrs. Granville is your employer. By what right do you dare to send away her visitors?”

Mrs. Mercer was quite unused to being defied so boldly, and she could hardly express her indignation.

“Well, I never heard of such impudence⁶!” she ejaculated.

In her anger she would have closed the door, but just at that moment a voice was heard from the floor[169] above—the voice of Mrs. Granville, who had been attracted by the housekeeper’s loud tones.

“What is all this, Mrs. Mercer?” she asked, in a tone of authority.

“It’s a boy who wants to force his way in, ma’am,” said Mrs. Mercer, in a sulky tone.

“What boy is it?” asked her mistress.

Paul answered this question himself.

“I come from New York with a letter from your niece, Mrs. Holbrook,” he said.

“Then come in at once,” said the old lady, in an imperative⁷ tone. “Why did you not admit him at once?”

“I didn’t know,” answered the housekeeper, confused.

“I beg your pardon,” said Paul, “I told you this, and you said Mrs. Granville had a headache, and would not see me.”

“What do you mean by this misrepresentation, Mrs. Mercer?” demanded the old lady, sternly.

“I offered to take the letter up to you,” said Mrs. Mercer, a little alarmed at the evident anger of her mistress.

“When Mrs. Granville reads the letter she will understand why I preferred to hand it to her myself.”

“Why did you say I had a headache? Why do you presume to send away my visitors, Mrs. Mercer?” demanded the old lady, thoroughly⁸ aroused.

“I meant it for the best,” said the woman, sulkily.

“Never presume so far again. Now, young man, come up and let me see you.”

Paul passed the discomfited⁹ housekeeper, and, going upstairs, followed the old lady into a pleasant sitting room.

“I am sorry to have been the means of disturbing you,” said Paul, politely. “Mrs. Holbrook sends you this letter, and wishes me to give you her love.”

[170]

“You are a nice looking boy,” said the old lady, letting her glance rest approvingly on Number 91. “I hope Louisa is well.”

“Very well, thank you.”

She put on her glasses, and read the letter.

“So you are Paul Parton,” she said, as she folded up the letter.

“Yes, madam.”

“A New York boy?”

“Yes, madam.”

“I am afraid you will find it dull here.”

“O no, Mrs. Granville, I am sure I shall like the country, for a while at least.”

“Do you know how to drive?”

“Oh, yes; I am used to horses.”

“On the whole, I am glad Louisa sent you down here. Frost Mercer, who usually drives me, has been getting lazy of late, and makes excuses when I want to go out.”

“I won’t do that, Mrs. Granville. I shall be only too glad to go.”

“You are sure you won’t upset me?”

“I don’t believe I shall,” answered Paul, smiling. “I don’t care about being upset myself.”

“I think, on the whole, I shall like to have a boy about,” said the old lady, thoughtfully.

“I am afraid Mrs. Mercer might object to me.”

“I am the mistress of the house. Mrs. Mercer is only the housekeeper,” said the old lady, with an unwonted assumption of dignity. “Please ring the bell, Paul.”

Paul did so.

Presently the housekeeper entered in answer to the summons. She looked askance at Paul.

“Mrs. Mercer,” said her mistress, “you will prepare a room for this young gentleman. He will remain here, for the present.”

[171]

Mrs. Mercer looked disagreeably surprised.

“Perhaps you had better read this letter from my niece, Mrs. Holbrook, as it will save explanations.”

The housekeeper read the letter, and her thin lips tightened¹⁰ with displeasure.

“There is no need of your getting a boy to drive you around, ma’am,” she said. “My son is perfectly¹¹ able to do it.”

“Your son is very apt to be engaged when I want to drive out,” returned the old lady, dryly.

“I will see that it don’t happen again,” said the housekeeper, anxious to keep Paul out of the house.

“There is no occasion for that. Mind, I don’t blame your son. Paul here will have nothing else to do, and can drive me as well as not. Besides, he will read to me, and spare my eyes.”

“Frost would be willing to read to you.”

Mrs. Granville smiled.

“I don’t think reading aloud is one of your son’s accomplishments,” she said. “His voice is not exactly musical.”

This was certainly true, for Frost Mercer had a voice deep and croaking¹², like a frog’s.

“I am sorry you are so prejudiced against my poor boy,” said Mrs. Mercer, mortified¹³ and displeased¹⁴.

“You are a foolish woman, Mrs. Mercer. I am only going to make it easier for Frost, and give this young gentleman something to do. Paul, you may go with Mrs. Mercer, and take possession of your room. Go where you please, till half past twelve, our dinner hour. After dinner, I may take a drive.”

“You’d better get your life insured, then, ma’am,” muttered Mrs. Mercer. “Boys ain’t to be trusted with horses.”

“Is your horse very lively or skittish¹⁵?” asked Paul.

“No,” answered Mrs. Granville. “He is very gentle and tractable¹⁶.”

[172]

“Then I don’t think there is any need of insuring your life, Mrs. Granville.”

“I wouldn’t ride out with you,” said the housekeeper, spitefully.

“Perhaps you will think better of me after a while, Mrs. Mercer,” said Paul, good naturedly.

The housekeeper closed her lips firmly and shook her head.

“I’ve made one enemy, that’s clear,” said Paul to himself—“probably two, for the housekeeper’s son isn’t likely to be my friend.”

Mrs. Mercer led the way to a small room on the next floor.

“You can go in there,” she said, ungraciously.

“Thank you,” said Paul.

It occurred to him to wonder why so small a room should be assigned him, while there seemed to be plenty of larger ones. In the arrangement of the room, however, there was nothing to be desired. Everything was neat and comfortable. To Paul, accustomed to a shabby tenement¹⁷ house, it seemed luxurious¹⁸, and he was disposed to enjoy it for the time, be it long or short.

1 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 abashed   

adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked suitably abashed. 他怪罪的一瞥，朱丽叶自然显得很窘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The girl was abashed by the laughter of her classmates. 那小姑娘因同学的哄笑而局促不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

5 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

6 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。

7 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

8 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

9 discomfited   

v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败

参考例句：

• He was discomfited by the unexpected questions. 意料不到的问题使得他十分尴尬。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He will be particularly discomfited by the minister's dismissal of his plan. 部长对他计划的不理会将使他特别尴尬。 来自辞典例句

10 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

11 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

12 croaking   

v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说

参考例句：

• the croaking of frogs 蛙鸣
• I could hear croaking of the frogs. 我能听到青蛙呱呱的叫声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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》

14 displeased   

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。

15 skittish   

adj.易激动的，轻佻的

参考例句：

• She gets very skittish when her boy-friend is around.她男朋友在场时，她就显得格外轻佻。
• I won't have my son associating with skittish girls.我不准我的儿子与轻佻的女孩交往。

16 tractable   

adj.易驾驭的；温顺的

参考例句：

• He was always tractable and quiet.他总是温顺、恬静。
• Gold and silver are tractable metals.金和银是容易加工的金属。

17 tenement   

n.公寓；房屋

参考例句：

• They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里。
• She felt very smug in a tenement yard like this.就是在个这样的杂院里，她觉得很得意。

18 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。