CHAPTER XL. AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE.

 The door of the sitting room was opened quickly, and two boys dashed into the room. They were Edward Granger and Chester Rand.

 

Abner Trimble turned pale and uttered an imprecation. All his plans, so carefully laid, were menaced with ignominious² defeat.

 

Floyd looked up in surprise, but did not comprehend the situation. In spite of the positive testimony³ he had given he did not even know Edward Granger by sight.

 

Mrs. Trimble uttered a wild cry, but her face lighted up with supreme⁴ joy.

 

"Edward!" she exclaimed, and half rising, opened her arms.

 

Her son sprang forward and embraced his mother.

 

"Oh, Edward!" she murmured, "are you really alive?"

 

"Very much alive, mother," answered Edward, with a smile.

 

"And I was mourning you as dead! I thought I should never see you again."

 

"I have not died that I am aware of, mother. Who told you I was dead?"

 

"Mr. Trimble and—this gentleman," looking at Floyd. "He told me he saw you drowned in New York Bay."

 

Edward regarded Floyd with curiosity.

 

"I haven't any recollection of ever seeing the gentleman," he said. "I don't know him."

 

"How do you explain this, Mr. Floyd?" asked Mrs. Trimble, suspiciously.

 

Floyd tried to speak, but faltered⁵ and stammered⁶. He was in a very awkward position, and he realized it. Abner Trimble came to his assistance.

 

"You must have been mistaken, Floyd," he said. "The young man you saw drowned must have been a stranger."

 

"Yes," returned Floyd, grasping the suggestion. "Of course I must have been mistaken. The young man I saw bore a wonderful resemblance to Mr. Granger."

 

"How long is it since you saw me drowned, Mr. Floyd?" asked Edward.

 

"About three weeks," answered Floyd, in an embarrassed tone.

 

"In New York Bay?"

 

"Yes. You were out in a boat with two other young fellows—that is, a young man who was the perfect image of you was. The boat upset, and all three were spilled out. I saved the life of one, but the others were, as I thought, drowned. I am sorry that I was mistaken."

 

"Does that mean you are sorry I was not drowned?"

 

"No; I am sorry to have harrowed up your mother's feelings by a story which proves to be untrue."

 

"I suppose Mr. Trimble brought you here," said Edward, quietly. He had in former days stood in fear of his stepfather, but now, backed up by Chester, he felt a new sense of courage and independence.

 

"Of course I brought him here," growled⁷ Trimble. "Fully¹ believing in my friend Floyd's story, for I know him to be a gentleman of truth, I thought your mother ought to know it."

 

"I was about to make my will at Mr. Trimble's suggestion, leaving him all my property," said Mrs. Trimble, regarding her husband suspiciously.

 

"Of course it was better to leave it to me than to second cousins whom you don't care anything about," interposed Trimble, sourly. "Come, Floyd, our business is at an end. We will go over to the saloon."

 

"Shan't I get anything for my trouble?" asked Floyd, uneasily, a remark which led the lawyer to regard him sharply.

 

"Your valuable time will be paid for," said Trimble, sarcastically⁸.

 

He led the way out, and Floyd followed.

 

"Mrs. Trimble," said the lawyer, rising, "allow me to congratulate you on the happy event of this day. I am particularly glad that my services are not needed."

 

"They will be needed, Mr. Coleman. Will you do me the favor of drawing up a will leaving my entire property, with the exception of a thousand dollars, to my son, Edward, and bring it here to-morrow morning, with two trusty witnesses, and I will sign it."

 

"To whom will you leave the thousand dollars?"

 

"To my—to Mr. Trimble," answered Mrs. Trimble, coldly. "I will not utterly⁹ ignore him."

 

"Very well, Mrs. Trimble. I will call at half-past ten o'clock to-morrow morning."

 

The lawyer bowed himself out, leaving Mrs. Trimble and the boys together.

 

"Mother," said Edward, "I have not yet had a chance to introduce to you my friend, Chester Rand, of New York."

 

"I am very glad to welcome any friend of yours, Edward."

 

"You have reason to do so in this case, mother. But for Chester I should not have had the money to come on from New York. He paid my traveling expenses."

 

"He shall be repaid, and promptly¹⁰, and he will accept my heartiest¹¹ thanks, also. I hope, Mr. Rand, you will make your home with us while you are in Portland."

 

"Thank you, Mrs. Trimble, but I have already secured lodgings¹² at a hotel. At some future time I may accept your invitation."

 

Chester strongly suspected that he would not be a welcome guest to Mr. Trimble when that gentleman learned that he had been instrumental in bringing home his stepson in time to defeat his plans. But he called every day till, his business being concluded, he started on his return to New York. Edward had expected to go back with him, but to this Mrs. Trimble would not listen.

 

"We have been separated long enough, Edward," she said. "Henceforth your place is at my side. I feel that I have done you injustice¹⁴, and I want to repair it. I made a mistake in marrying Mr. Trimble, but it is too late to correct that. I will not permit him, hereafter, to separate me from my son."

 

"If you wish me to remain, mother, I will," rejoined Edward. "I was not happy away from you. From this time forth¹³ I will stand by you and protect you from all that is unpleasant."

 

Edward spoke¹⁵ with a courage and manliness¹⁶ which he had not formerly¹⁷ shown. It was clear that adversity had strengthened and improved him.

 

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 ignominious   

adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的

参考例句：

• The marriage was considered especially ignominious since she was of royal descent.由于她出身王族，这门婚事被认为是奇耻大辱。
• Many thought that he was doomed to ignominious failure.许多人认为他注定会极不光彩地失败。

3 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

6 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

7 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

9 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

10 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。

11 heartiest   

亲切的( hearty的最高级 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的

参考例句：

• He was then the heartiest and sturdiest boy in the world. 他那时是世界上最诚恳、最坚强的孩子。
• We parted with them in the heartiest manner. 我们和他们在最热烈的气氛下分别了。

12 lodgings   

n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍

参考例句：

• When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。
• I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

13 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

14 injustice   

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。

15 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

16 manliness   

刚毅

参考例句：

• She was really fond of his strength, his wholesome looks, his manliness. 她真喜欢他的坚强，他那健康的容貌，他的男子气概。
• His confidence, his manliness and bravery, turn his wit into wisdom. 他的自信、男子气概和勇敢将他的风趣变为智慧。

17 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。