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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Andy Gordon The Fortunes of A Young Janitor » CHAPTER V. A MESSENGER OF BAD TIDINGS.
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CHAPTER V. A MESSENGER OF BAD TIDINGS.
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 The next day was Friday—the last day of the school week. Andy went to school as usual, wondering how Herbert would treat him after their little difficulty of the day before; not that he cared particularly, but he felt some curiosity on the subject.
But Herbert was absent. We know that his father had agreed to take him away from school, but this was not suspected by Andy, nor, indeed, by Dr. Euclid, notwithstanding the threat of Mr. Ross.
The doctor could hardly believe the lawyer would be so foolish as to deprive his son of school privileges merely on account of a boyish difficulty with one of his fellow students.
Herbert was often absent for a single day.{31} Sometimes he had a convenient headache in the morning, when he felt indisposed to go, and neither his father nor mother interfered2 with him on such occasions.
Mr. Ross left his son quite independent, as long as Herbert did not contravene3 his own plans, and Mrs. Ross was foolishly indulgent.
“I suppose Herbert is sulking at home,” thought Andy. “Well, he can do it, if he wants to. I shan’t allow him to interfere1 with my work, even if he is a rich man’s son and I am only a janitor4.”
Andy felt gratified at Dr. Euclid’s evident approval of his conduct. The principal was strict, but just, and thus gained the respect of all his students.
There is nothing boys more strongly resent than injustice5 and undeserved reproof6, and no teacher who expects to retain his influence will permit himself to indulge in either.
It is hardly necessary to say that Squire7 Ross had communicated to Herbert the business which Mr. Starr had intrusted to him, and that Herbert was very much pleased to hear it.
“That’s good!” he said, emphatically. “Won’t you let me go with you when you call on the Gordons?”{32}
“No, Herbert. I can’t do that.”
“What harm will it do?” pleaded Herbert, disappointed.
“It wouldn’t look well, and the neighbors would be sure to criticise8.”
“It won’t make any difference if they do. You are a rich man, and can laugh at them.”
“Still, I don’t want to become unpopular. I think of running for office by and by. I stand a good chance of being nominated for State senator next fall, and it won’t do to give people a chance to talk against me.”
“Why don’t you run for member of Congress, pa?”
“So I may, in good time. The State senatorship would be a good stepping-stone to it.”
“When are you going to call on Mrs. Gordon?”
“To-night, probably.”
“I hope Andrew will be at home. It will make him feel blue.”
Herbert carefully abstained9 from calling our hero Andy, as everyone else did. He was afraid this familiarity would be interpreted into an admission of his social equality, and this he was far from being willing to concede.
When Herbert stayed home from school on{33} an ordinary week day, he found it rather hard to pass the time, having no companions to play with, and not being especially fond of reading.
It struck him that it might be a very good idea to be sauntering along the road between the academy and the Widow Gordon’s, and, intercepting10 Andy, give him a hint that something disagreeable awaited him.
He proceeded to carry this plan into effect, and so it happened that Andy encountered Herbert, as he supposed, by accident.
Now Andy was not a boy to bear malice11, and he accordingly accosted12 Herbert in his usual pleasant tone.
“Why weren’t you at school to-day, Herbert?” he asked. “Were you sick?”
“No, I’m well enough,” answered the young aristocrat13.
“Got up late, I suppose?” said Andy.
“No, I didn’t. I don’t think I shall go to the academy any more.”
“Why not?” inquired Andy, considerably14 surprised.
“Dr. Euclid’s an old fogy.”
“Dr. Euclid is an excellent teacher,” said Andy, warmly.
“He don’t know how to treat a gentleman,” said Herbert.{34}
“How do you make that out?”
“I’ll tell you. He ought to have given you a thrashing for insulting me,” said Herbert, darting15 a look of anger and hostility16 at his schoolfellow.
“Oh, that’s what you mean!” said Andy, laughing. “I don’t think that would be treating a gentleman properly.”
“Do you mean yourself?” demanded Herbert.
“Of course.”
“Do you call yourself a gentleman?”
This was asked with such insulting emphasis that Andy, good-natured as he was, flushed with indignation.
Still he answered, calmly:
“I mean to behave like a gentleman, and, as long as I do that, I call myself one.”
Herbert laughed scornfully.
“Perhaps when you are living in the poorhouse you will call yourself a gentleman,” he said.
“What have I got to do with the poorhouse?” Andy asked, looking Herbert steadily17 in the eye.
“I refer you to my father,” said Herbert, mockingly.
“Explain yourself, or perhaps I may not treat you like a gentleman,” said Andy, in a{35} tone which caused Herbert to draw back involuntarily.
“My father has gone to see your mother on business,” said Herbert. “If you care to know what sort of business, you had better go home and find out.”
Andy was taken by surprise. He could not conceive what business the lawyer could have with his mother, but he was oppressed by a presentiment18 of evil. He left Herbert and hurried home.

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1 interfere b5lx0     
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。
2 interfered 71b7e795becf1adbddfab2cd6c5f0cff     
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉
参考例句:
  • Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 contravene 1YNzg     
v.违反,违背,反驳,反对
参考例句:
  • The moves contravene the peace plan agreed by both sides.这些举措违反了双方同意的和平方案。
  • He said the article did not contravene the industry's code of conduct.他说这一条款并未违反行业的行为准则。
4 janitor iaFz7     
n.看门人,管门人
参考例句:
  • The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
  • The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。
5 injustice O45yL     
n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利
参考例句:
  • They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
  • All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。
6 reproof YBhz9     
n.斥责,责备
参考例句:
  • A smart reproof is better than smooth deceit.严厉的责难胜过温和的欺骗。
  • He is impatient of reproof.他不能忍受指责。
7 squire 0htzjV     
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句:
  • I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
  • The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。
8 criticise criticise     
v.批评,评论;非难
参考例句:
  • Right and left have much cause to criticise government.左翼和右翼有很多理由批评政府。
  • It is not your place to criticise or suggest improvements!提出批评或给予改进建议并不是你的责任!
9 abstained d7e1885f31dd3d021db4219aad4071f1     
v.戒(尤指酒),戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 );弃权(不投票)
参考例句:
  • Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成,五人反对,两人弃权。
  • They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 intercepting 610ea325c8da487d3cb8c3e52877af6a     
截取(技术),截接
参考例句:
  • The police had been intercepting my mail, ie reading it before it was delivered. 警方一直截查我的邮件。
  • We've been intercepting radio transmissions from Moscow. 我们已从莫斯科拦截到无线电信号。
11 malice P8LzW     
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋
参考例句:
  • I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
  • There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。
12 accosted 4ebfcbae6e0701af7bf7522dbf7f39bb     
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭
参考例句:
  • She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上,一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
  • His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 aristocrat uvRzb     
n.贵族,有贵族气派的人,上层人物
参考例句:
  • He was the quintessential english aristocrat.他是典型的英国贵族。
  • He is an aristocrat to the very marrow of his bones.他是一个道道地地的贵族。
14 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
参考例句:
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
15 darting darting     
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
16 hostility hdyzQ     
n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争
参考例句:
  • There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
  • His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。
17 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
18 presentiment Z18zB     
n.预感,预觉
参考例句:
  • He had a presentiment of disaster.他预感会有灾难降临。
  • I have a presentiment that something bad will happen.我有某种不祥事要发生的预感。


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