CHAPTER III. A VISIT TO THE FACTORY.

 During dinner the old man chatted away in the frankest manner, but not a word did he let drop as to his worldly circumstances. He appeared to enjoy his dinner, and showed himself entirely¹ at his ease.17

 

"I'm glad to see you so well fixed², Albert," he said. "You've got a fine home."

 

"It will do very well," returned the squire³, modestly.

 

"I suppose he never was in such a good house before," thought Mrs. Marlowe.

 

"By the way, just before I fell in with you here," went on Jacob, "I ran across Mary's boy."

 

"Herbert Barton?" suggested the squire, with a slight frown.

 

"Yes; he said that was his name."

 

"They live in the village," said his nephew, shortly.

 

"They're poor, ain't they?"

 

"Yes; Barton was not a forehanded man. He didn't know how to accumulate money."

 

"I suppose he left very little to his widow."

 

"Very little. However, I have given the boy a place in my factory, and I believe his mother earns a trifle by covering base-balls. They don't want for anything—that is, anything in reason.

 

"Bert Barton seems a likely boy."

 

"Oh, he's as good as the average of boys in his position."

 

"I suppose he and Percy are quite intimate, being cousins."

 

"Indeed we are not!" returned Percy, toss18ing his head. "His position is very different from mine."

 

Uncle Jacob surveyed Percy in innocent wonder.

 

"Still, he's kin⁴ to you," he observed.

 

"That doesn't always count," said Percy. "He has his friends, and I have mine. I don't believe in mixing classes."

 

"I expect things have changed since I was a boy," said Uncle Jacob, mildly. "Then, all the boys were friendly and sociable⁵, no matter whether they were rich or poor."

 

"I agree with Percy," broke in Mrs. Marlowe, stiffly. "His position in life will be very different from that of the boy you refer to. Any early intimacy⁶, even if we encouraged it, could not well be kept up in after-life."

 

"Perhaps you are right," said the old man. "I've been away so long at the mines that I haven't kept up with the age or the fashions."

 

Percy smiled, as his glance rested on his uncle's creased⁷ suit, and he felt quite ready to agree with what he said.

 

"I was thinkin' how pleasant it would be if you would invite Mary and her boy to tea—we are all related, you know. We could talk over old times and scenes, and have a real social time."19

 

Mrs. Marlowe seemed horror-struck at the suggestion.

 

"I don't think it would be convenient," she said, coldly.

 

"It would be better for you to see Mrs. Barton at her own house," put in the squire, hastily.

 

"Well, perhaps it would."

 

"By the way, Uncle Jacob, I hope your experiences of California are pleasant," insinuated⁸ Squire Marlowe.

 

"They're mixed, Albert. I've had my ups and downs."

 

"I have heard of large fortunes being made there," pursued the squire. "I suppose there's some truth in what we hear?"

 

"To be sure! Why, ten years from the time I went to the mines I had a hundred thousand dollars deposited to my credit in a Sacramento bank."

 

Squire Marlowe's eyes sparkled with pleasure. It was just what he had been hoping to find out. So Uncle Jacob was rich, after all! The squire's manner became even more gracious, and he pressed upon his relative another plate of ice cream.

 

"No, thank you, Albert," said the old man. "I'm used to plain livin'. It isn't often I sit down to a meal like this. Do you know, there's20 nothing suits me better than a dinner of corned beef and cabbage."

 

"How vulgar the old man is!" thought Mrs. Marlowe. "He may have money, but his tastes are very common."

 

"We never have corned beef and cabbage here," she said, with a slight shudder⁹.

 

"Very likely Bert Barton's mother has it very often," suggested Percy.

 

"My dear," said the squire, urbanely¹⁰, "if Uncle Jacob really enjoys those dishes so much, you might provide them for his special use."

 

"I will think of it," replied Mrs. Marlowe, shortly.

 

Now that Uncle Jacob had hinted at the possession of wealth, Squire Marlowe beheld¹¹ him as one transfigured. He was no longer a common, shabby old man, but a worthy¹² old gentleman of eccentric ideas in the matter of wardrobe and manners.

 

"I wonder if Uncle Jacob wouldn't advance me twenty-five thousand dollars," was the thought that was passing through his mind as he gazed genially¹³ at his countrified guest. "It would help me amazingly in my business, and enable me to do double as much. I will mention it to him in good time."

 

"I've a great mind to come upon the old21 man for a handsome birthday present," thought Percy. "Fifty dollars wouldn't be much for him to give. I shan't get more than a fiver from the governor."

 

"Uncle Jacob," said the squire, as they rose from the table, "suppose you walk over to the factory with me; I should like you to see it."

 

"Nothing would please me better," said Jacob Marlowe, briskly.

 

"Will you come along, Percy?" asked his father.

 

"No, papa," answered Percy, with a grimace¹⁴. "You know I don't like the smell of leather."

 

"I ought not to dislike it," said the squire, with a smile, "for it gives me a very handsome income."

 

"Oh, it's different with you," returned Percy. "Just give me the profits of the factory and I'll go there every day."

 

"He's a sharp one!" said the squire, with a smile.

 

"I am afraid he is too sharp to suit me," thought Uncle Jacob. "It seems to me the boy's mind runs upon money, and his own interests."

 

The shoe factory was a large building of two stories, and within it was a hive of industry.

 

As the squire led the way he explained the22 various workings to the old man, who was really curious and interested. It was on a larger scale than was common at the time he left for California, and the use of machinery¹⁵ had to a greater extent supplemented and superseded¹⁶ the work of the hands.

 

Finally they came to a room where several boys were pegging¹⁷ shoes, for this work was still done in the old-fashioned way. Uncle Jacob's eyes lighted up when in one of them he recognized Bert Barton.

 

He hurried forward, and put his hand on Bert's shoulder.

 

"So this is your business," he said.

 

"Yes," answered Bert, with a smile.

 

"Do you find it hard work?"

 

"Oh, no! That is, I am used to it. It used to tire me at first."

 

"Did you tell your mother I was in town?"

 

"Yes," answered Bert, "and she says she hopes you will call."

 

"To be sure I will. I may call this evening."

 

"He's a likely boy, Albert," said Uncle Jacob, rejoining the squire, who stood aloof¹⁸ with a look of annoyance¹⁹ on his face.

 

"He works very well, I believe," was the cold reply. "Shall we move on?"

 

"Albert doesn't seem to feel much interest in his poor relations," thought Uncle Jacob. "Well, it's human nature, I suppose."

 

"You seem to be doing a large business, Albert," he said aloud.

 

"Yes; but with a little more capital I could very much increase it," rejoined the squire. "With twenty-five thousand dollars now, I would enlarge the factory to double its present size, and do twice the business I am now doing."

 

"I am afraid you want to get rich too fast, Albert."

 

"It would gratify my spirit of enterprise, Uncle Jacob. I feel that I have the ability to make a big business success."

 

"Very likely, Albert. I've seen enough to convince me of that."

 

"He'll lend me the money if I work things right," Squire Marlowe said to himself. "He'll be like wax in my hands."

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

3 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

4 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

5 sociable   

adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的

参考例句：

• Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
• Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。

6 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

7 creased   

（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴

参考例句：

• You've creased my newspaper. 你把我的报纸弄皱了。
• The bullet merely creased his shoulder. 子弹只不过擦破了他肩部的皮肤。

8 insinuated   

v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入

参考例句：

• The article insinuated that he was having an affair with his friend's wife. 文章含沙射影地点出他和朋友的妻子有染。
• She cleverly insinuated herself into his family. 她巧妙地混进了他的家庭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

10 urbanely   

adv.都市化地，彬彬有礼地，温文尔雅地

参考例句：

• Don't let the repoter spook you, and you have to behave urbanely. 别让记者缠住你，而你还得举止文雅。 来自互联网

11 beheld   

v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

12 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。

13 genially   

adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地

参考例句：

• The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Well, It'seems strange to see you way up here,'said Mr. Kenny genially. “咳，真没想到会在这么远的地方见到你，"肯尼先生亲切地说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

14 grimace   

v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭

参考例句：

• The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
• Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。

15 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

16 superseded   

[医]被代替的，废弃的

参考例句：

• The theory has been superseded by more recent research. 这一理论已为新近的研究所取代。
• The use of machinery has superseded manual labour. 机器的使用已经取代了手工劳动。

17 pegging   

n.外汇钉住，固定证券价格v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的现在分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• To write a novel,one must keep pegging away at it consistently. 要写小说，必须不断辛勤劳动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She was pegging the clothes out on the line to dry. 她正在把衣服夹在晒衣绳上晾干。 来自辞典例句

18 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

19 annoyance   

n.恼怒，生气，烦恼

参考例句：

• Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
• I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。