CHAPTER XVII. AFTER THE TRIAL.

 "Mr. Conway," said Bert, as they walked home together from the trial, "I am very grateful to you for getting me out of my trouble. If you will let me know your fee, I will pay it."

 

"My dear boy," rejoined the young lawyer, "this is my vacation, and I only took up your case to keep my hand in."

 

"You are very kind, and I shall always remember it."

 

"Lawyers are not always mercenary, though they have that reputation with some. I should like, by the way, to find out who did steal the bill."

 

"So should I. I have no idea for my part."

 

"If you ever find out, let me know. I go back to New York to-morrow, and am glad to leave the memory of a professional triumph behind me."

 

"What is your address, Mr. Conway?"

 

"No. 111 Nassau Street, Room 15. Here is my card. When you come to New York, call and see me."

 

"I shall do so, though it may be some time117 in the future. Do you think I could get anything to do in New York?"

 

"Yes; but perhaps not enough to pay your expenses."

 

"I find the same trouble here."

 

"You have been at work in the shoe factory, I believe."

 

"Yes; but I have been discharged. My place has been taken by a machine."

 

"That is unfortunate. Is there no other opening in Lakeville?"

 

"I have not found any yet."

 

"I will keep your case in mind, and if I hear of anything I will let you know."

 

When Squire¹ Marlowe returned home from the trial, his wife inquired with interest, "How did the case come out?"

 

"The boy was acquitted²," answered her husband shortly.

 

"Acquitted! Why, you thought it was a close case."

 

"So I did, but it came out on the trial that there were two twenty-dollar bills, and the one which the Barton boy presented was left for him by Uncle Jacob."

 

"By that old man? Why, I thought he was poor."

 

"So he is—worth only five hundred dollars,118 and he is making ducks and drakes of that as fast as he can."

 

"And then he will fall back on you?"

 

"I suppose so."

 

"Then I hope you will let him go to the poor house," said Mrs. Marlowe with energy.

 

"I shall. I have no pity for a man who throws away his money."

 

Percy came home to dinner in lively spirits. He was free from anxiety, and felt that he had been remarkably³ fortunate.

 

"Were you at the trial, Percy?" asked his mother.

 

"No, ma."

 

"I thought you would be interested in seeing that boy on trial."

 

"I was sorry for him, and didn't want to be present."

 

"Sorry for him?"

 

"Yes; I felt sure he had not taken the money."

 

"Seems to me this is a new streak⁴, Percy," said the squire. "I thought you didn't like Bert Barton."

 

"I am not intimate with him, for he is only a working boy; but all the same I don't want him convicted when he is innocent."

 

"It is a mystery to me who could have119 taken the other twenty-dollar bill," said the squire. "Can you think of anybody?"

 

"No; how should I?" returned Percy, nearly swallowing a spoonful of soup the wrong way.

 

"There are so few people in the village, that it must be some one we know."

 

"Perhaps old Jones didn't lose any money, after all."

 

"There is no doubt on that point. The stolen bill has been returned to him in an envelope by Sam Doyle."

 

"Is that so?" exclaimed Percy, counterfeiting⁵ surprise. "Why, it must be the same envelope Sam showed me."

 

"He showed you the envelope?"

 

"Yes; he picked it up by the roadside. It was directed in pencil to Mr. Jones. So that contained the stolen bill?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then perhaps it was taken in joke."

 

"A poor joke! No; the thief got alarmed, and took that way of returning it. I suggested to Jones that the handwriting on the envelope might furnish a clew to the thief."

 

"What did he say?" asked Percy, alarmed.

 

"He said he should do nothing about it, now that he had the money back."

 

"I guess he's right," said Percy, relieved.120

 

In the afternoon Bert met Percy in the street. He advanced cordially.

 

"Well, Percy, I got free, after all."

 

"Yes, I am glad of it."

 

"I feel grateful to you for believing in my innocence⁶."

 

"It's all right," said Percy, in a patronizing tone. "Even if you are a working boy, I was sure you wouldn't steal."

 

Bert's feelings cooled a little. Somehow Percy's manner kept him aloof⁷.

 

"Yes, I am a working boy," he replied, "or at any rate I would like to be, but I don't find it easy to get work."

 

"Just so! If I hear of anything I will let you know. Good-morning!"

 

"I don't know what to make of Percy," thought Bert, perplexed⁸. "He was as kind as he could be this morning, and now he is offish. At any rate, he didn't believe me guilty, and I won't forget that in a hurry."

 

Two more weeks passed, and Bert still found himself unable to find employment. Berries had become so plenty that he was unable to sell any, and only picked some for consumption at home. The sum of money which had been received from Uncle Jacob gradually dwindled⁹, and Bert became alarmed. What would they do when it was all gone? He had121 no doubt that Uncle Jacob would give them further assistance, if appealed to, but both he and his mother felt that it would be an imposition on the old man, with his limited fund of money, to ask anything more of him.

 

"I don't want any more of Uncle Jacob's money, mother," said Bert; "but I should like to ask him if he could find me a place in New York."

 

"I couldn't bear to have you leave me, Bert."

 

"But I must take work wherever I can find it."

 

So Bert with his mother's permission, wrote to Uncle Jacob, informing him of his discharge from the factory, and his desire to obtain work elsewhere. This letter reached Jacob Marlowe, and led to his writing as follows to the squire:

 

Nephew Albert:

 

I hear by a letter from Lakeville that you have discharged Bert Barton from your employment, and that he cannot secure any other kind of work. I am surprised that you should treat Mary's boy in this manner, considering the relationship that exists between you. I appeal to your better nature to reinstate him in his old place. I can assure you that you122 will have no cause to regret it. I have steady work here, and am quite well satisfied with my position and prospects¹⁰.

 

Jacob Marlowe.

 

"The stupid old meddler¹¹!" ejaculated the squire, throwing the letter from him in impatience¹². "I suppose the Barton boy has been writing to him. He evidently considers it my duty to support all my poor relations, himself included. I will undeceive him on that point." He drew writing materials toward him and wrote as follows:

 

Uncle Jacob:

 

I have received your letter asking me to reinstate the Barton boy in his old place. This is a business matter, and I don't permit any interference with my business. I may add that, even if he is a poor relation, I do not feel called upon to support all my needy¹⁴ relations. I am glad you have obtained a situation in which you can make an honest living. I hope you will keep it, and won't squander¹⁵ the small sum of money you have in reserve.

 

Yours, etc.,

 

Albert Marlowe.

 

When Uncle Jacob read this letter, he smiled.

 

"It is what I expected," he said to himself. "Albert Marlowe is thoroughly¹⁶ selfish, and so, I think, are his wife and son. I must find some other way of helping¹⁷ Bert."

 

The day succeeding the receipt of Uncle Jacob's letter, the squire met Bert in the post-office.

 

"Have you been writing to Jacob Marlowe?" he asked.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I suppose you asked him to urge me to take you back into the factory?"

 

"No, sir."

 

"At any rate, he has done so; but I allow no one to interfere¹³ in my business affairs. You hear, do you?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Then remember it!" and Squire Marlowe turned his back rudely upon Bert.

 

"Here is a letter for you, Bert!" said the postmaster.

 

Bert opened the letter in some surprise, and read it with interest and excitement.

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 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

3 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

4 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

5 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

6 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

7 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。

8 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

9 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 meddler   

n.爱管闲事的人，干涉者

参考例句：

• "I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler." “我知道你，这个恶棍。我以前听过你。你是福尔摩斯，爱管闲事的人。” 来自互联网

12 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

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 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

15 squander   

v.浪费，挥霍

参考例句：

• Don't squander your time in reading those dime novels.不要把你的时间浪费在读那些胡编乱造的廉价小说上。
• Every chance is precious，so don't squander any chance away!每次机会都很宝贵，所以不要将任何一个白白放走。

16 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。