小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Andy Gordon The Fortunes of A Young Janitor » CHAPTER XXXVII. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE TURNS UP.
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
CHAPTER XXXVII. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE TURNS UP.
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
 “Boy, does Mr. Brackett live here?”
Andy looked up from his work, and saw standing1 at a little distance a man, apparently2 about thirty years of age.
He started in amazement3, for he had no difficulty in recognizing the younger of the two highwaymen who had so nearly robbed him of the money intrusted to him by the Misses Peabody. There are cases of remarkable4 resemblance, but Andy was a close observer, and he was satisfied this was not such a case, but that the companion of Mike Hogan stood before him.
Owing to his surprise, he delayed answering the question.
“Well, boy, what are you gaping5 at?” demanded the young man, impatiently. “Did you hear my question?”
“Excuse me, sir! Yes, Mr. Brackett does live here.”
“Is Mrs. Brackett at home?” continued the newcomer.
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, pilot me in, then,” said the other, carelessly. “Are you Brackett’s hired boy?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, it seems to me he might get a smarter one.”{221}
“I was smart enough to foil you once, Mr. Highwayman,” thought Andy; but he only answered, “Very likely he might.”
“Come, that’s candid6! It makes me think better of you. Go ahead, and I’ll follow.”
“What does this robber want of Mrs. Brackett, I wonder?” thought Andy. “Ought I to warn her of his character?”
Mrs. Brackett was ironing in the kitchen, when Andy entered, followed by the stranger. She was not feeling very good-natured, and jumped to the conclusion that the intruder was a peddler.
“Henry,” said she, sharply, “what makes you bring a peddler into the house? You know I never have anything to do with them.”
Andy was going to plead in excuse that the stranger had inquired particularly for her, but he was spared the trouble.
“I must say, Lucinda,” said the young man, bursting out laughing, “that you give a curious reception to your only brother.”
“George, is it really you?” exclaimed Mrs. Brackett, laying down her flatiron, in surprise and joy.
“I reckon it is. How are you, old girl?”
Mrs. Brackett, who was really attached to her younger brother, advanced eagerly and imprinted7 a kiss on his cheek, and began to express her wonder at his sudden appearance.
Andy, concluding that his presence was no longer required, left the kitchen, and returned to work.
He, too, was full of surprise.{222}
“It is strange enough that the man who tried to rob me should be the brother of my employer’s wife,” he soliloquized. “Of course, she can’t be aware of his mode of life.”
Was Andy called upon to inform her? He decided8 not, but if this man took up his residence for any length of time at Mr. Brackett’s house, he would feel compelled to watch him narrowly, lest he should fall into his old dishonest practices.
“He didn’t recognize me,” Andy reflected, with satisfaction. “If he had, he might have tried to do me an injury lest I should betray him.”
Meanwhile, the brother and sister were chatting together in the kitchen.
“What have you been doing, George?” asked Mrs. Brackett. “Why is it that you have been silent for so long?”
“Oh, I’ve been drifting about, Lucinda!” said her brother.
“But haven’t you been engaged in any business?” asked his sister.
“Oh, well, part of the time I’ve been a collector,” said George, with a quizzical smile.
He did not care to explain that his collecting had been from unoffending travelers, nor did he care to mention that he had served a three-years’ term at Sing Sing prison, under an assumed name.
“It must be eight years since we met, George,” went on Mrs. Brackett.
“Is it as long as that?” said George, indifferently.{223}
“Yes, I know it is, for my dear little Tommy was a baby, and now he is a fine boy of eight years.”
“Inherits your sweet disposition9, Lucinda, I suppose,” said her brother, banteringly.
“You always would have your joke, George,” said Mrs. Brackett, coloring and looking annoyed.
“Have you got any more children, Lucinda?”
“Yes—three more.”
“They must be a great nuisance,” said her brother, shrugging his shoulders.
“You were a nuisance when you were a small boy,” said his sister, with spirit.
“I dare say I was. Well, how are you and Brackett getting along?”
“We ain’t getting rich,” said Mrs. Brackett, with a critical glance at her brother, as if to determine whether he was likely to want assistance.
He seemed very well dressed, and she hoped his circumstances were good, for, though she was attached to him, she was, on the whole, more attached to her money.
“You seem to be pretty prosperous,” said George.
“Oh, yes! We have enough to eat, and drink and wear, but we can’t save any money.”
Mrs. Brackett conveniently forgot the five hundred dollars which she had in the savings10 bank.
“Is the old man Dodge11 still living?”
“He’s living, and likely to live,” said his sister, in a dissatisfied tone.{224}
“Must be most a hundred, isn’t he?”
“He’s seventy-five, and can eat as much as a young man.”
“How about the property? Is it all fixed12 right?” asked her brother, now showing some genuine interest.
“He gave Jeremiah the farm some years ago, but he won’t give anything else, and we have to give him his board out of it.”
“Has he got much money besides?”
“He must have somewhere from ten to fifteen thousand dollars.”
“Whew! that’s a pile! It will go to you in the end, won’t it?”
“I don’t know; it ought to. But he’s got some relations off in the East, who may come in.”
“Then you must get him to make a will in your favor.”
“I wish he would. Brackett’s spoken to him about it more than once, but he can be very obstinate13 when he chooses.”
“You must introduce me to the old chap. Perhaps I can soften14 his obstinacy15. I’m rather soft-spoken when I choose to be.”
“You’ll stay and make us a visit, won’t you, George?”
“Yes, I’ll stay a few days. I am tired of work, and shall find it pleasant to rest a while. Where’s Brackett?”
“Here he is.”
Mr. Brackett entered the kitchen at this moment, and glanced with some surprise at the young man, whom he did not at first recognize.{225}
“It’s brother George, Jeremiah,” said Mrs. Brackett. “I don’t wonder you don’t recognize him, it’s so long since we’ve seen him.”
“How are you, George?” said his brother-in-law. “Where did you drop from?”
“Oh, I fancied I’d like to see you and Lucinda again, so I took the cars, and here I am.”
“Business good with you, George?”
“Rather slow! Still, I’ve managed to live. You seem pretty comfortable.”
Mr. Brackett shook his head.
“Farming’s hard work and poor pay,” he said. “I can’t get ahead at all.”
“When the old man pops off, you’ll be pretty comfortable—hey?”
“I hope so; but there is no knowing how he’ll leave the property.”
“Mr. Brackett,” said his wife, when they were alone, “we’d better not say anything to George about that money we’ve got in the savings bank. He might want to borrow it, and he was always careless about money.”
“You’re quite right, Lucindy,” said her husband, approvingly. “You’ve got a long head of your own. I shall be silent as the grave. We had too hard work in laying it up to run any risk with it.”
At supper the newcomer, George White, was introduced to Mr. Dodge and to Andy.
For the first time he seemed to see something familiar in our hero’s face.
“It seems to me I’ve seen you somewhere before,” he said.{226}
“Perhaps you have,” said Andy, indiferently. “Where?”
“I suppose I’m mistaken,” said White, looking puzzled; “but you look some like a boy I met some distance from here.”
Andy forced himself to seem uninterested, and George White dropped the subject, concluding that he was mistaken.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
2 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
3 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
4 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
5 gaping gaping     
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大
参考例句:
  • Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 candid SsRzS     
adj.公正的,正直的;坦率的
参考例句:
  • I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
  • He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。
7 imprinted 067f03da98bfd0173442a811075369a0     
v.盖印(imprint的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • The terrible scenes were indelibly imprinted on his mind. 那些恐怖场面深深地铭刻在他的心中。
  • The scene was imprinted on my mind. 那个场面铭刻在我的心中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 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。
9 disposition GljzO     
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署
参考例句:
  • He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
  • He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
10 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
11 dodge q83yo     
v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计
参考例句:
  • A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过。
  • The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。
12 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
13 obstinate m0dy6     
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的
参考例句:
  • She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了,不会让任何人帮她的。
  • The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。
14 soften 6w0wk     
v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和
参考例句:
  • Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
  • This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。
15 obstinacy C0qy7     
n.顽固;(病痛等)难治
参考例句:
  • It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
  • Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒,常常使他坚持自见,并达到执拗的地步。


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533