CHAPTER XXVIII. PROF. NUGENT.

 Chester still went three times a week to the house of Prof. Hazlitt. He was getting on fast with the professor's work.

 

"I think I shall go to press with my book before the end of the year," said the professor, one evening, as Chester was taking his leave. "In my preface I shall mention your name, Chester, as my artistic¹ collaborator²."

 

"Couldn't you mention my name, too, Uncle Edgar?" asked Arthur Burks.

 

"In what way?" inquired the professor smiling.

 

"You can say that I supervised the illustrations," answered Arthur, demurely³.

 

"I am afraid you will have to wait till you are better entitled to credit."

 

"Now, that's mean, Uncle Edgar. I know how I'll get even with you."

 

"How?"

 

"I will write a rival book, and get Chester to illustrate⁴ it better than yours."

 

"It would need better illustrations, since there would be nothing else in the work worthy⁵ of attention."

 

"Your uncle has got you there," said Chester.

 

"You'll illustrate my book, won't you?"

 

"Certainly; that is, if I can depend on prompt payment."

 

Chester and Arthur Burks were fast friends. Arthur did not shine in scholarship, but he was fond of fun, and was a warm-hearted and pleasant companion, and a true friend.

 

One afternoon he called on Chester at his room.

 

"I bring you an invitation to dinner," he said. "Uncle has a friend from Oregon visiting him, and as he is an interesting talker, you will enjoy meeting him. I believe he is a professor in Williamette University."

 

"Thank you, Arthur; I shall be very glad to come."

 

"Come with me now, if you have got through your day's work. You can have a little scientific conversation before dinner."

 

"It will be the science of baseball and tennis, I suspect, Arthur."

 

"No doubt you will find me very instructive."

 

"You always are, Arthur."

 

"Thank you. I like to be appreciated by somebody."

 

At the dinner table Chester was introduced to Prof. Nugent.

 

"This is Chester Rand, the young artist who is illustrating⁶ my ethnological work, brother Nugent," said Prof. Hazlitt.

 

"What—this boy?" Prof. Nugent exclaimed, in a tone of surprise.

 

"Yes. Boy as he is, he is a salaried contributor to The Ph?nix."

 

"You surprise me. How old are you, Mr. Rand?"

 

"Sixteen."

 

"I suppose you began your art education early?"

 

Chester smiled.

 

"No, sir," he answered. "Four months ago I was the boy in a country grocery store."

 

"This is wonderful. I shall subscribe⁷ to The Ph?nix before I go back to my Western home."

 

"I am afraid, sir, it will be too light to suit your taste."

 

"My dear young friend, don't suppose I am always grave. What says the Latin poet:

 

"'Dulce est desipere in loco.'

 

"If you don't understand it, probably Arthur can enlighten you."

 

"What does it mean, Arthur?"

 

"It means, 'When all your serious work is done, 'tis best to have a little fun,'" answered Arthur, promptly⁸.

 

"Bravo, Arthur," said Prof. Nugent, clapping his hands. "So we have a young poet as well as a young artist here."

 

"Oh, yes," answered Arthur. "I'm pretty smart, but few people find it out."

 

"You'd better ask the professor about Tacoma," suggested Arthur, during a pause in the conversation.

1 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

2 collaborator   

n.合作者，协作者

参考例句：

• I need a collaborator to help me. 我需要个人跟我合作，帮我的忙。
• His collaborator, Hooke, was of a different opinion. 他的合作者霍克持有不同的看法。

3 demurely   

adv.装成端庄地，认真地

参考例句：

• "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额，像个好哥哥那样，"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘（部分）
• Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛，低声细语，或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分

4 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

5 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

6 illustrating   

给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• He upstaged the other speakers by illustrating his talk with slides. 他演讲中配上幻灯片，比其他演讲人更吸引听众。
• Material illustrating detailed structure of graptolites has been etched from limestone by means of hydrofluoric acid. 表明笔石详细构造的物质是利用氢氟酸从石灰岩中侵蚀出来。

7 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

8 promptly   

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。