CHAPTER XXVI. DAN LEARNS TO DANCE.

 Several months passed without any incidents worth recording¹.

 

Punctually every month Dan received a remittance² of sixty dollars through a foreign banker, whose office was near Wall street.

 

Of this sum it may be remembered that ten dollars were to be appropriated to Althea's dress.

 

Of the little girl it may be said she was very happy in her new home. She formed a strong attachment³ for Mrs. Mordaunt, whom she called mamma, while she always looked forward with delight to Dan's return at night.

 

Mrs. Mordaunt was very happy in the child's companionship, and found the task of teaching her very congenial.

 

But for the little girl she would have had many lonely hours, since Dan was absent all day on business.

 

"I don't know what I shall do, Althea, when you go to school," she said one day.

 

[Pg 192]

 

"I don't want to go to school. Let me stay at home with you, mamma."

 

"For the present I can teach you, my dear, but the time will come when for your own good it will be better to go to school. I cannot teach you as well as the teachers you will find there."

 

"You know ever so much, mamma. Don't you know everything?"

 

Mrs. Mordaunt smiled.

 

"Compared with you, my dear, I seem to know a great deal, but there are others who know much more."

 

Althea was too young as yet, however, to attend school, and the happy home life continued.

 

Mrs. Mordaunt and Dan often wondered how long their mysterious ward⁴ was to remain with them. Had she a mother living? If so, how could that mother voluntarily forego her child's society?

 

These were questions they sometimes asked themselves, but no answer suggested itself. They were content to have them remain unanswered, so long as Althea might remain with them.

 

The increase of Dan's income, and the large sum he had on interest, would have enabled them to live comfortably even without the provision made for their young ward.

 

[Pg 193]

 

As it was they could do better. Dan felt himself justified⁵ in indulging in a little extravagance.

 

"Mother," said he, one evening, "I am thinking of taking a course of lessons in dancing."

 

"What has put that into your head, Dan?"

 

"Julia Rogers is to have a birthday party in two or three months, and I think from a hint her father dropped to-day I shall have an invitation. I shall feel awkward if I don't know how to dance. Besides——"

 

Here Dan hesitated.

 

"Well, Dan, what besides?"

 

"Tom Carver will be sure to be there, and if I don't dance, or if I am awkward, he will be sure to sneer⁶ at me."

 

"Will that make you feel bad, Dan?"

 

"Not exactly, but I don't want to appear at disadvantage when he is around. If I have been a newsboy, I want to show that I can take the part of gentleman as well as he."

 

"Does the ability to dance make a gentleman, Dan?"

 

"No, mother, but I should feel awkward without it. I don't want to be a wall-flower. What do you say to my plan, mother?"

 

"Carry it out by all means, Dan. There is no reason why you shouldn't hold up your head with any of[Pg 194] them," and Mrs. Mordaunt's eyes rested with pride on the handsome face and manly⁷ expression of her son.

 

"You are a little prejudiced in my favor, mother," said Dan, smiling. "If I were as awkward as a cat in a strange garret, you wouldn't see it."

 

"I am not quite blind, Dan."

 

Dan accordingly decided⁸ to take lessons in dancing. He selected a fashionable teacher, although the price was high, for he thought it might secure him desirable acquaintances, purchased a handsome suit of clothes, and soon became very much interested in the lessons. He had a quick ear, a good figure, and a natural grace of movement, which soon made him noticeable in the class, and he was quite in demand among the young ladies as a partner.

 

He was no less a favorite socially, being agreeable as well as good-looking.

 

"Mr. Mordaunt," said the professor, "I wish all my scholars did me as much credit as you do. You dance beautifully."

 

"Thank you, sir," said Dan, modestly, but he felt gratified.

 

By the time the invitation came Dan had no fears as to acquitting⁹ himself creditably.

 

"I hope Tom Carver will be there," he said to his mother, as he was dressing¹⁰ for the party.

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 remittance   

n.汇款，寄款，汇兑

参考例句：

• Your last month's salary will be paid by remittance.最后一个月的薪水将通过汇寄的方式付给你。
• A prompt remittance would be appreciated.速寄汇款不胜感激。

3 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

4 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

5 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

6 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

7 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

8 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。

9 acquitting   

宣判…无罪( acquit的现在分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• Meanwhile Ms Sotomayor is acquitting herself well enough. 另一方面，Sotomayor女士正在完成自己的任务。
• It has the following characteristics: high speed of data acquitting and data processing. 固件程序具有较高的采集响应速度和数据处理速度。

10 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。