CHAPTER XIV. A NEW HOME.

 Mrs. Mordaunt was apprised¹ by Fanny that Dan had gone up town with a lady, and therefore was not alarmed when he did not return home at the usual time. She hoped he would clear fifty cents, but had no idea to what extent their fortunes would be advanced by Dan's evening's work.

 

"I will save Dan some supper," she said to herself. "He will be hungry."

 

So, mother-like, she supped economically herself, on a cup of tea and some dry bread, and bought a bit of steak for Dan's supper, for she thought he would be very hungry at so late an hour.

 

It was nearly half-past eight when she heard Dan's well known step on the stairs.

 

She opened the door to welcome him, but the cheerful welcome upon her lips died away in surprise when she saw his companion.

 

"Who is this, Dan?" she asked.

 

"She is going to be my little sister, mother," said Dan, gayly.

 

[Pg 110]

 

"Will you be my mother?" said Althea, releasing Dan's hand, and putting her own confidingly² in that of Mrs. Mordaunt.

 

"Yes, my dear," said the widow, her heart quite won by the little girl's innocent confidence, and she bent³ over and kissed her.

 

"What does it all mean, Dan?" she asked, in bewilderment.

 

"It means that Althea is to board with us, and be company for you. I have agreed with her aunt that you will take her."

 

"But does her aunt know that we live in such a poor place?" asked his mother in a tone of hesitation⁴.

 

"Yes, mother, but that makes no difference, as we shall move up town to-morrow."

 

"I am sure you have acted for the best, Dan, but it seems so strange."

 

"Will it seem strange to receive fifty dollars a month for Althea's board?" asked Dan.

 

"Fifty dollars a month!" repeated the widow, incredulously.

 

"That's the figure, mother. I didn't suppose we ought to charge more."

 

"More, Dan! Why, it is a fortune!"

 

"I don't know. That depends on Althea's appetite. Are you a great eater, Althea?"

 

"Sometimes I am," said the little girl, naively⁵.

 

[Pg 111]

 

"Never mind, I guess there will be enough."

 

"I nearly forgot, Dan. You will want some supper. I didn't know there would be two, but I will go cut and buy some more meat, if you can wait."

 

"I have had supper, mother, or dinner rather. I dined with Althea and her aunt at the Fifth Avenue Hotel."

 

Here was another surprise.

 

"Has Althea been stopping there, Dan?"

 

"Yes, mother."

 

"Then how can she stay even one night in this poor place?"

 

"I will ask her. Althea, do you mind stopping here just one night? We will go to a better place to-morrow."

 

"No, Dan, I don't care."

 

"There, mother, I told you so, Althea is a brick."

 

"What a funny boy you are, Dan! How can I be a brick? A brick is red and ugly, and I am not."

 

"No, Althea, you are not ugly, but your cheeks are red."

 

"They don't look like a brick, Dan."

 

"No, they don't. I take it all back."

 

"I had got your supper all ready, Dan," said his mother, regretfully.

 

"Then eat it yourself, mother."

 

"I have had my supper."

 

[Pg 112]

 

"You didn't have any meat, I'll warrant. Now, like a good mother, sit down and eat the steak."

 

Assured that Dan had supped well, Mrs. Mordaunt didn't resist his advice.

 

Dan looked on, and saw with pleasure that his mother relished⁶ the meat.

 

"We will be able to live better hereafter, mother," he said. "There won't be any stinting⁷. Fifty dollars will go a good ways, and then, besides, there will be my earnings⁸. I forgot to tell you, mother, that I have probably got a place."

 

"Our good fortune is coming all at once, Dan," said Mrs. Mordaunt, cheerfully.

 

"So it seems, mother. I think it has come to stay, too."

 

"I feel so tired," said Althea, at this point. "Can I go to bed?"

 

"Certainly, my dear child. You can go at once."

 

In twenty minutes the little girl was in a sound sleep. Dan was not sorry, for he wanted to tell his mother about the days adventures, and he could do so more freely without any one to listen.

 

"So, mother," he concluded, "we are going to turn over a new leaf. We can't go back to our old style of living just yet, but we can get out of this tenement-house, and live in a respectable neighborhood."

 

[Pg 113]

 

"God has been good to us, Dan. We ought to feel grateful to Him."

 

"I know it, mother, but somehow I don't think of that as quick as you. Who do you think I saw in the supper-room at the Fifth Avenue? Who but Tom Carver. He was wonderfully puzzled to know how I happened to be there. He told the party he was with that I was a common newsboy."

 

"He is a very mean boy," said Mrs. Mordaunt, indignantly. "After being so intimate with you too."

 

"Never mind, mother. He can't do me any harm, and I don't care for his friendship. The time may come when I can meet him on even terms."

 

"You can now, Dan."

 

"I mean in a worldly way. I shall work along, and if I get rich I sha'n't be the first rich man that has risen from the ranks."

 

"God grant you success, my son!"

 

Early the next morning Dan started out in search of a new home.

 

He and his mother decided⁹ that they would like to live somewhere near union Square, as that would be a pleasant afternoon resort for their young boarder.

 

"Will you go with me, mother?" he asked.

 

"No, Dan, I have not time this morning. Besides you know what will suit us."

 

"Very well, mother; I will do my best."

 

[Pg 114]

 

Dan crossed Broadway, and took a horse-car up town.

 

In West Sixteenth street his attention was drawn¹⁰ to the notice, "Furnished Rooms to Let," upon a good-looking brick house.

 

He rang the bell, and asked to see the lady of the house.

 

A stout¹¹, matronly looking woman, with a pleasant face, answered the servant's call.

 

"I called to inquire for rooms," said Dan.

 

"For yourself?" asked Mrs. Brown.

 

"For my mother, and sister, and myself."

 

"I have a large back room on the third floor, and a small room on the fourth floor."

 

"May I see them?"

 

"Come up stairs, sir."

 

First Dan went into the large room.

 

It was neatly¹² carpeted and furnished, and had a cheerful outlook.

 

"This will do for mother and Althea," he said.

 

"Will you look at the little room?"

 

"Yes, ma'am, but I am sure that will suit. It is for me, and I am not particular. But there's one thing that may trouble us."

 

"What is that?"

 

"Where can mother prepare our meals? She can't cook in the bedroom."

 

[Pg 115]

 

"I will give her the privilege of using my kitchen. I don't care to take boarders, as it would be too much care, but your mother is welcome to use my kitchen stove."

 

"Won't it interfere¹³ with you?"

 

"Leave that to your mother and myself," said Mrs. Brown, with a pleasant smile. "We can make some satisfactory arrangement."

 

"How much do you want for your rooms?" asked Dan.

 

"Will you be permanent?"

 

"We will be permanent, if suited."

 

"Of course; that is all I ask. Will four dollars a week suit you?"

 

"We will pay it," said Dan, quite relieved, for he feared he should have to pay more. "Can we move in to-day?"

 

"Any time, sir."

 

"Thank you."

 

"I generally ask a week's rent in advance," said Mrs. Brown, "but in your case I won't insist upon it."

 

"Oh, it is perfectly¹⁴ convenient," said Dan, and he drew out his pocket-book containing the money—over a hundred dollars—which Althea's aunt had given him.

 

Mrs. Brown's respect for Dan was considerably¹⁵ [Pg 116]increased by this display of wealth, and she congratulated herself on securing such substantial lodgers¹⁶.

 

This business accomplished¹⁷ Dan went down town, and informed his mother of the arrangement he had made. Before night Mrs. Mordaunt, Althea, and he were installed in their new home, much to the regret of Mrs. Rafferty, who regretted losing so good a neighbor. Before this, however, Dan sought the counting-room of Barton & Rogers.

1 apprised   

v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价

参考例句：

• We were fully apprised of the situation. 我们完全获悉当时的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have apprised him of your arrival. 我已经告诉他你要来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 confidingly   

adv.信任地

参考例句：

• She watched him confidingly and without any fear, faintly wagging her tail. 木木信任地望着自己最新近的主人，不但没有畏惧，还轻轻地摇着尾巴。 来自互联网

3 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

4 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

5 naively   

adv. 天真地

参考例句：

• They naively assume things can only get better. 他们天真地以为情况只会变好。
• In short, Knox's proposal was ill conceived and naively made. 总而言之，诺克斯的建议考虑不周，显示幼稚。

6 relished   

v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望

参考例句：

• The chaplain relished the privacy and isolation of his verdant surroundings. 牧师十分欣赏他那苍翠的环境所具有的幽雅恬静，与世隔绝的气氛。 来自辞典例句
• Dalleson relished the first portion of the work before him. 达尔生对眼前这工作的前半部分满有兴趣。 来自辞典例句

7 stinting   

v.限制，节省（stint的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

9 decided   

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。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

13 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

14 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

15 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

16 lodgers   

n.房客，租住者( lodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He takes in lodgers. 他招收房客。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A good proportion of my lodgers is connected with the theaters. 住客里面有不少人是跟戏院子有往来的。 来自辞典例句

17 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。