CHAPTER XXXII. FROST MERCER IS CONTRARY.

 Mrs. Mercer, the housekeeper¹, was seriously annoyed by the appearance of Paul upon the scene. For years she and her son had had charge of Mrs. Granville’s affairs, and they had taken care to turn the charge to profitable account. The wages which each received formed only a part of this advantage. They bought everything for the house, and levied² tribute from every tradesman as a compensation for turning the trade in his direction. The result was that Mrs. Granville, without being aware of it, paid a larger price than any one else for what articles she purchased, the storekeepers and others compensating³ themselves in this way for the percentage they had to pay the housekeeper and her son.

It is for this reason that Mrs. Mercer never cared to have any visitor in the house. She feared her dishonesty might be found out. She was especially afraid of any one sent by Mrs. Holbrook, who during her stay had been bold enough to interfere⁴ with the housekeeper.

When she had ushered⁵ Paul into his chamber⁶, she went out to the barn, where she found her son, not at work, but sitting on an old rocking chair which he had carried out for his convenience, smoking.

“Well, mother, what’s up?” he asked, on Mrs. Mercer’s entrance.

[174]

“We have got a visitor,” answered his mother, abruptly⁷.

“We?”

“Well, Mrs. Granville.”

“Who is it—the Holbrook woman?” queried⁸ Frost, taking his pipe from his mouth.

“No, but it’s some one she sent.”

“Man, woman, or child?”

“It’s a boy—about sixteen, he looks.”

“What on earth should she send a boy for?” asked Frost, in surprise.

“To make mischief⁹, I reckon.”

“What can a boy do?”

“I read the woman’s letter. She sends him to take your place.”

“What?” exclaimed Frost, in some alarm.

“Why, she hints that he can drive out the old lady, read to her, and make himself generally useful.”

“That will make it lighter¹⁰ for me,” said Frost, who was lazy, “if he does the driving.”

“Yes, but don’t you see what a chance he will have to work himself into the confidence of the old woman?”

“What sort of a boy does he seem to be?”

“I’ve only seen him five minutes, but I’ve found out that he is impudent¹¹. When I didn’t want to let him in, he actually defied me—asked by what right I sent away Mrs. Granville’s visitors.”

“So he is inclined to make trouble, is he?”

“Yes.”

“Suppose I give him a thrashing?”

“It won’t do, Frost.”

“You think I am not a match for a boy of sixteen?”

“No, not that; but we must not be imprudent. Better get rid of him by underhand means.”

“Such as what?”

“I don’t know yet; I will consider. Meantime I[175] thought I would come out and put you on your guard.”

“All right, mother. I guess we can checkmate the young meddler¹². Is he in the house?”

“Yes; I’ve put him in the small room.”

“Next to mine?”

“Yes.”

“All right; I’ll look him over at dinner time.”

In this, however, Frost counted without his host. Mrs. Granville was accustomed to have her meals brought up to her own room. Today she expressed the wish that Paul should dine with her. This displeased¹³ the housekeeper.

“I suppose Frost and I are not good enough company for the young man,” she said, sulkily.

“My good Mercer, you are much mistaken,” said Mrs. Granville, soothingly¹⁴. “I thought he would be company for me; besides, it will give me a chance to ask him some questions about Louisa.”

“Very well, ma’am,” said the housekeeper, but she didn’t look satisfied.

“What do you think, Frost?” she said, as she went downstairs. “Master Paul—that’s his name—is to dine with the old woman upstairs. I suppose he is too good to eat with us.”

“I don’t know as I care much, mother; I don’t want his company.”

“Nor I, for the matter of that, but it’s putting this young popinjay over our heads. They’ll be getting thick together, and the boy will be pulling our noses out of joint¹⁵.”

“If he does, I’ll pull his out of joint,” muttered Frost.

“Bide your time, Frost. We’ll put our heads together and see if we can’t send him packing.”

After dinner Mrs. Granville expressed a desire, as it was a fine day, to go out for a drive.

[176]

“I shall be very happy to drive you,” said Paul, cheerfully.

“You are sure you can drive?” asked the old lady, anxiously.

“I should smile,” Paul was about to reply, when it occurred to him that this form of expression did not sound exactly proper. “I am used to driving, ma’am,” he said, instead.

“Then about two o’clock you may go out to the barn and ask Frost to harness up.”

“O, I’ll do that, Mrs. Granville.”

When he went out to the barn, he found Frost Mercer sitting at his ease, engaged at his favorite business of smoking a pipe.

“I suppose you are Frost,” he said, with a smile.

“I am Mr. Mercer,” answered Frost, in a forbidding tone.

“I beg your pardon. I will call you Mr. Mercer, if you prefer it. I am Paul Parton.”

“I don’t know as that concerns me,” said Frost, staring at Paul in an unfriendly manner.

“It is just as well you should know my name, as I am living in the house,” said Paul, independently. “Mrs. Granville wishes me to drive her out If you will show me what carriage she uses and so forth¹⁶, I will harness up.”

This was, on the whole, satisfactory to Frost, as he would not have the trouble of harnessing.

“There’s the carriage,” he said, “and there’s the harness. You can find the horses if you use your eyes.”

“Thank you; you are very obliging,” said Paul, with a little touch of sarcasm¹⁷.

“The old lady doesn’t seem to value her neck,” observed Frost.

“What makes you think so?”

“In letting you drive her.”

[177]

“O, that’s it. I think I shall bring her back safe.”

“I don’t know about that. You’re a city boy, ain’t you?”

“Yes.”

“What chance have you had to learn about horses?”

“I know a little about them.”

“Well, I wash my hands of it. If the team is upset, Mrs. Granville will have herself to blame for it.”

“I don’t think you need to worry,” said Paul. “I’ll promise to bring her back safe.”

He set to work to harness the horses. Frost surveyed him with critical eyes, but he could see no evidence of ignorance on Paul’s part. He did his work quickly and skillfully, and then, opening wide the barn doors, led the horses out. Then he jumped into the carriage and was about to drive to the house.

“Come back and shut the barn doors!” called out Frost from his rocking chair.

Paul turned and looked back.

“I don’t think it will do you any harm to do that yourself,” he said, “if you can spare the time from smoking.”

“Hey, what’s that?” demanded Frost, angrily.

“I don’t think it will be necessary to repeat it,” said Paul, coolly; “you heard me.”

“None of yer sass, boy!” said Frost, wrathfully.

Paul did not deign¹⁸ to answer him. He saw that Frost did not intend to be pleased with anything he did, and that there was no use in trying to conciliate.

“I hate that boy!” reflected Frost, following Paul with a venomous expression. “My mother is perfectly¹⁹ right. He’s a dangerous visitor. We must get rid of him one way or another.”

Paul drove around to the front of the house and found Mrs. Granville ready at the door—with the housekeeper at her side.

“I do hope you won’t meet with an accident,” said[178] Mrs. Mercer with an air of deep solicitude²⁰. “Frost is ready to drive you. It will be safer.”

“Thank you, my good Mercer, but Paul tells me he understands driving.”

“I shouldn’t mind if she broke her neck,” muttered the housekeeper, following the carriage with her eyes, “if I only knew it was all right now in her will.”

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 levied   

征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税

参考例句：

• Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
• Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。

3 compensating   

补偿，补助，修正

参考例句：

• I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
• It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。

4 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

5 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

8 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

9 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

10 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

11 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。

12 meddler   

n.爱管闲事的人，干涉者

参考例句：

• "I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler." “我知道你，这个恶棍。我以前听过你。你是福尔摩斯，爱管闲事的人。” 来自互联网

13 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。

14 soothingly   

adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地

参考例句：

• The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

16 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

17 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。

18 deign   

v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)

参考例句：

• He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
• I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。

19 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。

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。