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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Andy Gordon The Fortunes of A Young Janitor » CHAPTER XI. ANDY IS ENGAGED FOR POLICE DUTY.
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CHAPTER XI. ANDY IS ENGAGED FOR POLICE DUTY.
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 “I wonder how it is,” said Andy to himself, as he walked home, “that I am always getting into a quarrel with Herbert Ross? I don’t think it’s my fault. I couldn’t stand by and see those two little boys imposed upon without interfering1. I suppose Herbert is angrier with me than ever, and that he will report this to his father, and get him to proceed against us at once. No matter; we shall be prepared to see him.”
Andy was more than ever thankful that the all-important receipt was in his mother’s possession. Whatever the lawyer might say, he believed that he was intending to punish them in the interest of his son.
In one respect, however, Andy made a mistake. Herbert did not report this last difficulty at home.
He was aware that he had not figured to advantage in his treatment of the two little boys, and any investigation2 of the matter would reveal this fact.
It would not be long now before he would have the satisfaction of seeing Andy and his mother in serious trouble, and, though impatient,{67} he decided3 to wait for that. Then the triumph would be his.
When Andy reached home, he found that his mother had callers.
In a lonely situation, about a quarter of a mile beyond the farmhouse4 of Mr. Joshua Starr, lived two maiden5 ladies—Susan and Sally Peabody—both over fifty years of age.
Their father had died thirty years before, leaving them a cottage, with an acre of land, and some twelve thousand dollars in stocks and bonds.
Living economically, this sum had materially increased, and they were considered in the village rich ladies, as, indeed, they were, since their income amounted to more than twice their expenditures6, and they were laying up probably five hundred dollars annually7.
They were very good and kind, simple-hearted old ladies, and very much respected in the village.
The elder of these ladies, Miss Sally Peabody, Andy found in his mother’s plain sitting-room8.
As he entered, he heard Miss Peabody say:
“I should like to borrow your Andy to-night, Mrs. Gordon, if you have no objection.”
Mrs. Gordon supposed that her visitor had{68} some work which she wished Andy to do, and as the latter was always glad of a job, she answered:
“I am sure, Miss Sally, that Andy will be glad to do anything that you require.”
“I don’t want him to do anything,” answered Miss Peabody. “I want him to sleep at our house to-night.”
Mrs. Gordon looked a little puzzled, but Miss Sally went on to explain.
“You see, Mrs. Gordon, we had a sum of five hundred dollars paid in unexpectedly this morning, and we can’t get it to the bank till Monday. Now, it makes my sister nervous to think of having such a sum of money in the house. I was reading in the papers of a burglar entering a house at night in Thebes—the next village—and it might happen to us. I don’t know what we should do, as we have no man in the house.”
“Andy isn’t a man,” said Mrs. Gordon, smiling.
“No, he isn’t a man, but he is a good stout9 boy, and we should feel safer if he were in the house.”
“What an uncommonly10 sensible old lady Miss Peabody is!” thought Andy.
He felt proud of his presence being supposed to be a safeguard against housebreakers.{69}
“I’ll go, Miss Peabody,” he said, promptly11.
“But, Andy,” said his mother, “you could do no good.”
“I don’t know about that, mother,” said Andy.
“You would be no match for a bold, bad man, and I don’t like to think of your being in danger.”
“Oh, you’re a woman, mother, and don’t understand!” answered Andy, good-humoredly. “I can scare a burglar away if he tries to get in.”
“I don’t suppose, really, that there is any danger of the house being entered,” said Miss Peabody; “but still we shall feel safer with Andy in the house.”
“Why don’t you engage a man, Miss Sally?” asked the widow.
“The very man we engaged might rob us of the money.”
“But you might engage some one whom you knew.”
“Five hundred dollars would be a great temptation to one who was generally honest. No, Mrs. Gordon, I would much rather have Andy. If you will let him stay at our house to-night and to-morrow night, I will pay him for his trouble.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t ask anything for it, Miss Peabody!” said Andy.{70}
“But I should insist on paying you all the same, Andy. My sister and I make it a rule never to ask a service of any one without paying for it. With our income as large as it is, we should think ourselves mean if we acted otherwise.”
“You are very different from your neighbor, Mr. Starr,” said Mrs. Gordon.
“I am really afraid that Mr. Starr is too fond of money,” said Miss Sally, mildly. “I don’t want to be too severe upon him, but I am afraid he is a little too close.”
“A little too close!” replied Andy. “He is the meanest man I ever met.”
“Are you not a little too severe, Andy?” asked the spinster.
“Not a bit. He is trying to make mother pay a note over twice.”
“I can hardly believe such a thing.”
“Then I will tell you all about it,” said Andy, and he gave an account of the matter.
“And do you think you will have to pay it?” asked Miss Peabody, in a tone of sympathy.
Mrs. Gordon was about to explain why they would be spared the necessity, but a warning look from Andy prevented her.
Miss Peabody, with all her virtues12, was fond{71} of talking, and Andy’s plan of confounding his adversary13 would be spoiled.
“No, I don’t think we shall have to pay it,” Andy hastened to say. “We have a plan, but we don’t like to speak of it just yet, for fear Mr. Starr will hear of it.”
“If he really insists on his demand,” said Miss Sally, “perhaps sister Susan and I can help you. How large is the note?”
“With interest it would amount to over a hundred dollars—perhaps thirty dollars more.”
“We might advance the money, and you could give us a note.”
“You are very kind, Miss Sally,” said Mrs. Gordon, gratefully; and she paused and looked at Andy.
“We shall not pay it at all if we can help it, Miss Peabody,” said Andy, “for we don’t believe in rewarding Mr. Starr’s dishonesty; but, if we find ourselves obliged to do so, we shall remember your kind offer.”
“You are a true friend, Miss Sally,” said the widow. “We could give no security, except our furniture. We might give you a bill of sale of that.”
“As if I would take it, Mrs. Gordon! No, we have every confidence in your honesty, and even if you could not repay it, Andy would some day be able to.”{72}
“And I would do it, too, Miss Peabody,” said Andy, stoutly14. “But I don’t believe we shall need to ask you for the money.”
“It would be a pity to have to pay the note over again. I am really surprised at Mr. Starr,” said Miss Sally, who never used strong language in commenting upon the moral delinquencies of her neighbors.
“When do you want Andy to come over?” asked Mrs. Gordon.
“We should be glad to have him come to supper. It will seem pleasant to us to have company. Susan and I get tired sometimes of only seeing one another’s faces.”
“Very well, Miss Peabody, I will be on hand.”
“I suppose there is no fear of your having to fight burglars,” said Mrs. Gordon. “No burglary has been known here for years.”
“No, I suppose not,” answered Andy. “I shan’t have any chance to show off my bravery.”
He might have come to a different opinion if he had seen the villainous-looking tramp, who, skulking15 near the house, had heard, through the open window, the first and most important part of the conversation.

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1 interfering interfering     
adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词
参考例句:
  • He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事!
  • I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预,让我自己拿主意。
2 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查,调查研究
参考例句:
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
3 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
4 farmhouse kt1zIk     
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房)
参考例句:
  • We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
  • We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
5 maiden yRpz7     
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的
参考例句:
  • The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
  • The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。
6 expenditures 2af585403f5a51eeaa8f7b29110cc2ab     
n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 );使用;(尤指金钱的)支出额;(精力、时间、材料等的)耗费
参考例句:
  • We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了,下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 annually VzYzNO     
adv.一年一次,每年
参考例句:
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
8 sitting-room sitting-room     
n.(BrE)客厅,起居室
参考例句:
  • The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
  • Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。
10 uncommonly 9ca651a5ba9c3bff93403147b14d37e2     
adv. 稀罕(极,非常)
参考例句:
  • an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童
  • My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。
11 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
12 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
参考例句:
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
13 adversary mxrzt     
adj.敌手,对手
参考例句:
  • He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
  • They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。
14 stoutly Xhpz3l     
adv.牢固地,粗壮的
参考例句:
  • He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
  • Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难,但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。
15 skulking 436860a2018956d4daf0e413ecd2719c     
v.潜伏,偷偷摸摸地走动,鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • There was someone skulking behind the bushes. 有人藏在灌木后面。
  • There were half a dozen foxes skulking in the undergrowth. 在林下灌丛中潜伏着五六只狐狸。 来自辞典例句


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