“Indeed, sir, what is it?” inquired Bernard, with interest. “Is it in the city?”
“No; did you particularly wish to live in the city?”
“No, sir; as long as the position is a good one, and is likely to lead to something, I am not particular.”
“You are a sensible boy. Let me say, then, that my friend Professor Puffer—Ezra Puffer—perhaps you have heard of him—requires a boy of fair education as secretary and literary assistant. Though he has never seen you, he will take you on my recommendation.”
“But, sir,” said Bernard, considerably1 amazed, “am I qualified2 to be literary assistant to a professor?”
“As to that, I don’t think anything will be required beyond the ability of a fair scholar. You have a fair education, I take it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know a little Latin and French, eh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And write a good hand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then I have no doubt you will suit my friend Puffer.”
“Of what is he professor?”
“I can’t tell you exactly, but I believe he is interested in antiquities3. By the way, he is going to Europe. I suppose you won’t object to going with him.”
“No; I shall like it,” said Bernard, in a tone of satisfaction.
“I thought you would. How soon can you be ready?”
“Whenever you wish.”
“Professor Puffer will sail to-morrow in a packet ship, and I have promised to take you on board. He is so busy making preparations that he cannot call here.”
“I should like to make his acquaintance before I start.”
“Why?” asked Mr. McCracken sharply. “Can’t you accept him on my recommendation?”
“I hope he isn’t like Mr. Snowdon.”
“You will find him to be a gentleman. Is that satisfactory?”
“Oh, yes, sir. Don’t imagine I want to make trouble. Only I had a little curiosity in regard to him; that is all. Have you any idea how I shall be employed?”
“Well, to tell the truth, I can’t give you much idea. Your labors4 will be light, and you will have a chance to see the world. Upon my word, young man, you are very fortunate. If at your age I had such an opportunity I should have been delighted. If, however, you would prefer to go back to the care of Mr. Snowdon, I won’t object to gratifying you.”
“Oh, no; I am quite satisfied,” said Bernard hastily. “I shall certainly prefer Professor Puffer. What is his appearance?”
“I should say that he was about my age. He has but one eye, the other having been destroyed by an accident when he was a young man. I think the other eye is weak, and it is probably for this reason that he requires a secretary.”
“Very likely, sir.”
Mr. Stackpole had left the city, and Bernard did not have an opportunity of seeing his father’s old friend Alvin Franklin, so that he was unable to inform either of his departure for Europe. He was sorry for this, as he looked upon both as friends, and would have liked to have had their good wishes.
Somehow he never looked upon his guardian6 as a friend. The information he had received from Mr. Franklin, moreover, had excited in his mind a suspicion as to Mr. McCracken’s honesty.
However, he was to have an opportunity of supporting himself. Mr. McCracken had told him that Professor Puffer would pay him twenty-five dollars a month, besides his board and traveling expenses, and this he rightly considered as an unusual salary for a boy of his age.
About nine o’clock the next morning he started with Mr. McCracken for the ship Vesta. It lay at a North River pier7, and half an hour or less brought them to it. It was a ship of fair size, but as Bernard knew very little about ships of any kind—he had never been on one—he was not in a condition to judge on this point.
They boarded the ship, and Mr. McCracken addressed the second mate, whom he knew slightly.
“Is Professor Puffer on board?” he asked.
“Yes, sir; he is in the cabin.”
“Thank you.”
They proceeded to the cabin, where they found the professor. He was a short, rather stout8 man, with a red face, scanty9 hair, and a green shade covering the lost eye.
Mr. McCracken went up and shook his hand.
“Professor Puffer,” he said, “I have brought Bernard Brooks10, your new secretary. I hope he will prove satisfactory.”
Professor Puffer turned his glance towards Bernard, whom he examined attentively11. Then he said, in a deep bass12 voice: “I have taken him on your recommendation, Mr. McCracken. You know what I want. If you say he will suit me I have no doubt he will. Young man, I hope we shall get on well together.”
“I hope so, sir.”
“Has your guardian acquainted you with the details of your engagement?”
“He hasn’t told me exactly what I will have to do.”
“You will learn in good time,” said the professor, with a wave of his hand.
“Whatever the duties are I will try to give you satisfaction.”
“All right!”
“You can look about the vessel, Bernard,” said Mr. McCracken, “while the professor and I have a little conversation.”
“All right, sir. I shall be glad to do so.”
So Bernard walked about the ship and watched with interest the preparations for departure. It was all new to him, and he could not help feeling elated when he reflected that he was about to see something of foreign countries, while at the same time earning his living.
He was obliged to confess that Professor Puffer did not come up to his expectations. In fact, he looked like anything but a literary man or professor. Bernard had imagined a tall, slender man, with a high intellectual brow, a pale face, an air of refinement13 and cultivation14, and a quiet manner. Professor Puffer was quite the reverse. He looked more like a sailor, and his red face seemed to indicate that he was not a member of a total abstinence society.
“I never in the world should think that he was a professor,” reflected Bernard. “However, appearances are not always to be trusted, and he may be very intellectual, though he certainly does not look so. I do hope we shall get along well together.”
He was interrupted in his reflections by the appearance of Mr. McCracken on deck.
“I shall have to say good-by, Bernard,” said his guardian, “as the vessel is about ready to start. I hope you will be a good boy and give satisfaction to Professor Puffer. If you do not, you cannot expect me to do anything more for you.”
“No, sir, I won’t. I thank you for procuring15 me the situation. I will try to justify16 your recommendation.”
“All right! Well, good-by.”
It might have been supposed that Mr. McCracken would have shaken hands with Bernard now that he was about to go away to a distant point and for an indefinite time, but he did not offer to do it, and Bernard on the whole was glad to have it so. He felt a physical repulsion for Mr. McCracken which he could not explain, and preferred to dispense17 with all signs of friendliness18.
He felt rather relieved, too, when Mr. McCracken had left the vessel, and he had seen the last of him, for a time at least.
The preparations for departure continued. The sailors were busy, and soon the vessel left her wharf19, and was towed out into the stream. Bernard watched the shipping20 in the harbor, the ferry-boats darting21 here and there, the Jersey22 shore, and later the spires23 and warehouses24 of the great city on the other side of the river. He rather wondered why he did not see Professor Puffer, but that gentleman had gone below. At length Bernard thought it time to inquire the whereabouts of his employer. The steward25 led him below, and pointed26 to the door of a stateroom. He knocked at the door, and did not at first have a reply. A second knock elicited27 an indistinct sound which he interpreted as “Come in!”
He opened the door and saw the professor lying in the lower berth28 in what appeared to be a stupor29.
“Don’t you feel well, Professor Puffer?” asked Bernard.
“Who are you?” returned the professor, with a tipsy hiccough.
This, with the undeniable smell of liquor, and a whisky bottle on the floor, showed clearly enough what was the matter with the professor.
Bernard was shocked. He had always had a horror of intemperance30, and he regarded his corpulent employer with ill-concealed disgust.
“I am Bernard Brooks, your new secretary,” he answered.
“Thatsh all right! Take a drink,” returned the professor, trying to indicate the bottle.
“No, thank you. I am not thirsty,” said Bernard.
“Give it to me, then.”
Much against his will Bernard handed the bottle to his learned employer, who poured down the small amount that was left in it.
“Thatsh good!” he ejaculated.
“Have I got to occupy the room with a man like that?” thought Bernard, with disgust. “I hope there are very few professors like Professor Puffer.”
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1
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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2
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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3
antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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4
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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5
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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6
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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7
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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9
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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10
brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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11
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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12
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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13
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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14
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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15
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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16
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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18
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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19
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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20
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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22
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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24
warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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29
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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30
intemperance
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| n.放纵 | |
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