Herbert was firmly of the opinion that his father and himself were the two most important persons in Hamilton, and he confidently anticipated that Dr. Euclid would be overawed by his father’s visit, and meekly2 accede3 to his demand. He thought, with a pleasant sense of triumph, how it would be in his power to “crow over” the janitor4, who had so audaciously ventured to lay a finger upon his sacred person.
He looked up eagerly when his father entered the room.
“Well, father, did you see Dr. Euclid?” he asked.
“Yes,” replied the lawyer, in a tone by no means pleasant.
“Did he agree to discharge Andy Gordon?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Did you ask him to?”
“Yes.”
“Then I don’t understand.”{25}
“There are a good many things you don’t understand,” said his father, giving a kick to the unoffending cat which lay on the rug before the fire, and forcing the astonished animal to vacate her comfortable quarters.
“I should think,” Herbert ventured to say, “that Dr. Euclid wouldn’t dare to disobey you, as you are a trustee.”
“It would serve him right if you kicked him out and appointed a new principal,” insinuated7 Herbert.
Mr. Ross felt in the mood to do as his son advised, but he felt very doubtful of his ability to accomplish the displacement8 of so popular and highly esteemed9 a teacher. He was pretty sure that he could not talk over the other trustees to agree to so decided10 a step, but he was unwilling11 to confess it, even to his son. Therefore he spoke12 diplomatically.
“I cannot tell what I may do,” he said. “It will depend upon circumstances. All I can say is that Dr. Euclid will sooner or later be sorry for upholding Andrew Gordon in his lawless acts.”
“Does he uphold him?”
“He ought to be ashamed of himself!” said Herbert, provoked.
“He says,” continued Mr. Ross, who took a perverse15 pleasure in mortifying16 his son, as he had himself been mortified17, “that Andrew is your superior.”
“My superior!” exclaimed Herbert, more than ever exasperated18. “That young beggar my superior!”
“He says Andrew is a better scholar than you!”
“Then I don’t want to go to his confounded school any more. He doesn’t seem to know how to treat a gentleman.”
“You needn’t go, Herbert, if you don’t care to,” said his father, more mildly.
“May I leave the academy?” asked Herbert, eagerly.
“Yes. After the course which Dr. Euclid has seen fit to adopt, I shall not force a son of mine to remain under his instruction. I told him so this evening.”
“What did he say to that?” queried19 Herbert, who could not help thinking that Dr. Euclid would be very sorry to lose a pupil of his social importance.
“He didn’t say much,” said the lawyer, who was not disposed to repeat what the doctor actually did say.{27}
“Then,” said Herbert, “there is no use for me to study my Latin lesson for to-morrow.”
“You may omit it this evening, but of course I cannot have you give up study. I may obtain a private tutor for you, or send you to some school out of town.”
The lawyer hoped that this step, though personally inconvenient20, and much more expensive, might injure Dr. Euclid by implying that one of the trustees lacked confidence in him as a teacher.
Herbert left the room, well pleased on the whole with the upshot of the affair.
Half an hour later an old man, Joshua Starr by name, was ushered21 into the lawyer’s presence. He was a man bordering upon seventy, with pinched and wizened22 features, which bore the stamp of meanness plainly stamped upon them. By one method and another he had managed to scrape together a considerable property, not wholly in a creditable manner.
He had cheated his own brother out of three thousand dollars, but in a way that did not make him amenable23 to the law. He had lent money to his neighbors on usurious terms, showing no mercy when they were unable to make payment. Such was the man who came to the squire24 for help.
“Good-evening, Squire Ross!” he said.{28} “I’ve come to you on a little matter of business.”
“Well, Mr. Starr, state your case.”
“I’ve got a note agin’ a party in town, which I want you to collect.”
“Who is the party, Mr. Starr?”
“Waal, it’s the Widder Gordon.”
“Go on,” he said, beginning to feel interested.
“You see, I’ve got a note agin’ her husband for a hundred dollars, with interest.”
“But her husband is dead.”
“Jes’ so, jes’ so! But he borrowed the money when he was alive, in the year 1862.”
“And now it is 1866.”
“Show me the note.”
The lawyer took and scanned it carefully.
“It was to run for three months,” he said.
“Jes’ so!”
“Why didn’t you present it for payment?”
“I did,” said Starr. “But it wan’t convenient for him to pay it.”
“There’s something under this,” the lawyer thought.
“Have you presented it for payment to the widow?” asked Ross.
“Yes; and what do you think? She says her husband paid it. It’s ridikilus!”
“In that case you would have surrendered the note or given a receipt.”
“Jes’ so, jes’ so!” said Mr. Starr, eagerly. “You understand the case, square. Let her show the receipt, as I’ve got the note.”
“How does she explain your having the note?”
“She says I had mislaid the note, and her husband agreed to take a receipt instead.”
“But she don’t show the receipt.”
“Certainly, if she can’t show any receipt from you.”
“Then you can collect it for me?”
“I can try; but I don’t suppose she has any property.”
“There’s her furnitoor,” suggested the old man.
“Well, you may leave the note, and I will see what I can do. Good-night!”
“Good-night, square!”{30}
“Now, Master Andrew Gordon,” he said to himself, “I think I can make you rue31 the day when you assaulted my son. But for that, I wouldn’t have meddled32 in this business, for Starr is an old rascal33; but now it suits me to do it. The Widow Gordon and her precious son shall hear from me to-morrow!”
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1
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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janitor
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| n.看门人，管门人 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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7
insinuated
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| v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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8
displacement
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| n.移置，取代，位移，排水量 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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mortifying
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| adj.抑制的，苦修的v.使受辱( mortify的现在分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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mortified
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| 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） | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wizened
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| adj.凋谢的；枯槁的 | |
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amenable
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| adj.经得起检验的；顺从的；对负有义务的 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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outlawed
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| 宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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28
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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29
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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meddled
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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