CHAPTER V. UNCLE JACOB RECEIVES HIS WALKING PAPERS.

 Squire¹ Marlowe returned to the breakfast room, wearing rather an embarrassed expression. Percy had followed his mother, and the old man found himself for a short time alone. There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, which vanished on the reappearance of his nephew.

 

"I am sorry to have left you alone, Uncle Jacob," said the squire, civilly.

 

"Oh, don't treat me with any ceremony, Albert. Being as we are such near relations, we ought to be free and easy like."32

 

"I am glad to hear you say so, for I shall be obliged to treat you unceremoniously."

 

"Eh?" said Uncle Jacob, inquiringly.

 

"I regret to say that my wife, who is of a very delicate organization, is taken suddenly ill, and I am afraid I shall have to ask you to cut your visit short, and come again some other time."

 

"I'm surprised to hear that, Albert. I thought Mrs. Marlowe looked in excellent health."

 

"You can't always tell by outward appearances. She is subject to severe headaches, and in that condition can't bear the least noise or excitement. That is why I can't invite you to stay any longer."

 

"I understand," said Uncle Jacob, with—it might have been—a little significance in his tone.

 

"I have no doubt," went on the squire, "that Mrs. Barton will be glad to have you pay her a short visit. I will get Percy to drive you down there."

 

"Thank you," answered the old man, dryly, "but it's only a little way, and I don't mind walking."

 

"Just as you prefer," said the squire, relieved by Uncle Jacob's declination of his of33fer, for he knew that Percy would not enjoy the trip.

 

"I'll get ready to go at once, Albert. Oh, about my plan of opening a cigar store in Lakeville?"

 

"I cannot advise you to do it," rejoined the squire, hastily. "You wouldn't make enough to pay your rent, or not much more."

 

"Don't the men in your factory smoke? There's a good many of them. If I could get their trade——"

 

"They smoke pipes for the most part," said the squire, hurriedly. "They'd find cigars too expensive."

 

"I meant to combine candy with cigars. That would be a help."

 

"They keep candy at the grocery store, Uncle Jacob."

 

"I see there isn't much show for me. Now if I only understood your business, you could give me something to do in the factory, Albert."

 

"But you don't, and, in fact, Uncle Jacob, it's too hard work for a man of your age."

 

"Then what would you advise me to do, Albert?" asked the old man, earnestly.

 

Squire Marlowe assumed a thoughtful look. In fact, he was puzzled to decide how best to get rid of the troublesome old man. To have34 him remain in Lakeville was not to be thought of. He would gladly have got rid of Mrs. Barton and her son, whose relationship to his family was unfortunately known, but there seemed to be no way clear to that without the expenditure² of money. To have Uncle Jacob for a neighbor, in addition, would be a source of mortification³, not only to himself, but even more to his wife and Percy, whose aristocratic ideas he well knew.

 

"I think you told me you had five hundred dollars," he said, after a pause.

 

"About that."

 

"Then I really think it would be the best thing you could do to go back to California, where you are known, and where you can doubtless obtain some humble⁴ employment which will supply your moderate wants. It won't cost you much for dress——"

 

"No, Albert; this coat and vest will do me for best five years longer."

 

"Just so! That is fortunate. So you see you've only got your board to pay."

 

"I might get sick," suggested Uncle Jacob, doubtfully.

 

"You look pretty healthy. Besides, you'll have part of your five hundred dollars left, you know."

 

"That's so! What a good calculator you35 are, Albert! Besides, if things came to the worst, there's that five hundred dollars I lent your father twenty-seven years ago. No doubt you'd pay me back, and——"

 

"I don't know what you refer to," said Squire Marlowe, coldly.

 

"Surely you haven't forgot the time when your father was so driven for money, when you were a lad of fifteen, and I let him have all I had except about fifty dollars that I kept for a rainy day."

 

"This is news to me, Uncle Jacob," said the squire, with a chilling frown. "You must excuse me for saying that I think you labor⁵ under a delusion⁶."

 

Uncle Jacob surveyed his neighbor intently, with a gaze which disconcerted him in spite of his assurance.

 

"Fortunately, I am able to prove what I say," he rejoined, after a slight pause.

 

He drew from his pocket a wallet which bore the signs of long wear, and, opening it, deliberately⁷ drew out a folded sheet of note paper, grown yellow with age and brittle⁸ with much handling. Then, adjusting his spectacles, he added: "Here's something I'd like to read to you, Albert. It's written by your father:36

 

My Dear Jacob:

 

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you for lending me the five hundred dollars I so urgently need. I know it is very nearly, if not quite, all you possess in the world, and that you can ill spare it. It will save me from failure, and sometime I hope to repay it to you. If I cannot, I will ask my son Albert to do so when he is able. I don't want you to lose by your kindness to me.

 

Your affectionate brother,

 

Charles Marlowe.

 

"You can see the signature, Albert. You know your father's handwriting, don't you?"

 

Squire Marlowe reluctantly took the paper and glanced at it.

 

"It may be my father's writing," he said.

 

"May be!" repeated the old man, indignantly. "What do you mean by that?"

 

"I dare say it is. In fact, I remember his mentioning the matter to me before he died."

 

"What did he say?"

 

"That it was quite a favor to him, the loan, but that he repaid it within three years from the time he received it."

 

"What!" exclaimed Uncle Jacob, pushing his spectacles up, in his amazement⁹. "Your father said that?"37

 

"Yes, he did," answered Albert Marlowe, with unabashed effrontery¹⁰.

 

"That he paid back the five hundred dollars I lent him?"

 

"That's what I said," repeated the squire, impatiently.

 

"Then it's a lie—not of my brother's, but of—somebody's. That money remains¹¹ unpaid¹² to this day."

 

Squire Marlowe shrugged¹³ his shoulders. "No doubt you think so," he said, "but you are growing old, and old people are forgetful. That is the most charitable view to take of your statement."

 

"I wouldn't have believed this, Albert," said the old man, sorrowfully. "And you a rich man, too! I don't mind the money. I can get along without it. But to be told that I am claiming what has already been repaid!"

 

"I don't lay it up against you," went on the squire, smoothly¹⁴. "I've no doubt you have forgotten the payment of the debt, and——"

 

"I don't forget so easily, though I am sixty-five. Don't fear that I shall ask for it again—indeed, I haven't asked for it at all—but I shall not forget how you have treated my claim. Of course it amounts to nothing in law—it's outlawed¹⁵ long ago—but I only wish38 my poor brother were alive to disprove your words."

 

Even Albert Marlowe was shamed by the old man's sorrowful dignity.

 

"We can't agree about that, Uncle Jacob," he said; "but if ever you get very hard up, let me know, and I'll see if I can't help you—in a small way."

 

"You are very kind," answered the old man, "but I don't think that time will come. As you say, my wants are few, and I am still able to work. I'll go up to my room and get my valise, and then I'll go over to Mary Barton's."

 

"Thank Heaven! I've got rid of him," mused¹⁶ the squire, as from the doorway¹⁷ he saw Uncle Jacob walking slowly down the street. "I was afraid he'd mention that money he lent father. With twenty-seven years' interest it would amount to a good deal of money—more than I could well spare. I don't think I shall hear from it again."

 

"Has he gone, Albert?" asked Mrs. Marlowe, returning to the breakfast-room.

 

"Yes; I told him you were indisposed, and couldn't stand excitement."

 

"No matter what you told him, as long as we are rid of him."

1 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。

2 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

3 mortification   

n.耻辱，屈辱

参考例句：

• To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是：我的稿件被退了回来。
• The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。

4 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 delusion   

n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑

参考例句：

• He is under the delusion that he is Napoleon.他患了妄想症，认为自己是拿破仑。
• I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.我误认为他要娶我。

7 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

8 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

9 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

10 effrontery   

n.厚颜无耻

参考例句：

• This is a despicable fraud . Just imagine that he has the effrontery to say it.这是一个可耻的骗局. 他竟然有脸说这样的话。
• One could only gasp at the sheer effrontery of the man.那人十足的厚颜无耻让人们吃惊得无话可说。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

13 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

15 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

16 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

17 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。