CHAPTER VII. NEW RELATIONS.

 Jasper remained till the next afternoon. His father urged him to stay longer, and his step-mother, with apparent cordiality, seconded the invitation; but Jasper felt that the charm of home was gone. The new wife had stepped in between his father and himself. He felt sure that the marriage had not been of his father's seeking. To him it was no object. To the former governess it was a matter of importance, since it secured her a permanent home and position, and a share of Mr. Kent's property.

 

There was an old servant in the family, a trusty maid, who had been in it before Jasper was born. With her he could speak confidentially¹.

 

"Tell me, Margaret," he asked, "how came my father to marry Miss Thorne?"

 

Margaret went to the door and looked out cautiously, then closed it.

 

"I don't want her to hear what I say," she commenced, when convinced that they were in no danger of listeners, "but it's my belief she asked your father to marry her."

 

"Do you really believe that, Margaret?"

 

"Yes, I do, Master Jasper. She's that bold she wouldn't mind it, not a bit. Only she'd do it sly-like. I know just how she'd do it. She'd tell him how she hadn't got a home, and must go out into the wide world, and get him to pity her. Then, you know, he'd got used to seeing her round, and a sick man don't like changes."

 

"Why couldn't she stay as governess to Florence?"

 

"According to her father's will Florence is to pass the next four years in the family of his sister, and she—that's her aunt—has a governess for her own children that'll do for Florence, too. So there wasn't no need of Miss Thorne staying here any longer. Your father asked her to stay a while, till she could find another place. It's my belief she didn't try, being bent² on staying here as the mistress. At any rate, she told your father she couldn't get a place, and he offered her the one she wanted, that of his wife."

 

"How do you like her, Margaret?" asked Jasper, thoughtfully.

 

"Me like her! That's what I never did. She's like a cat—soft-spoken enough when she has her own way, but she's got claws, and you may depend she'll show 'em. I hope she won't do anything to harm you, Master Jasper."

 

"Me!" said Jasper, with the bold confidence of a boy, laughing at the thought. "What can Mrs. Kent—a woman—do to injure me? I'll risk that, Margaret. It's of my father I'm thinking. Will she treat him well?"

 

"I think she will, for it's her object to, Master Jasper. She's married him for money, you know."

 

"I don't mind her benefiting by my father's property, if she will make him comfortable during his life."

 

"I think she will; she's too sly, and knows her own interest too well not to."

 

"I'm glad you think that, Margaret. I shall feel better about it."

 

"Then you don't think you can stay, Jasper?" said Mrs. Kent, softly, when he announced his determination.

 

"No, madam, I think I ought to be getting back to school."

 

"Perhaps you are right. We shall miss you."

 

"Yes, Jasper, we shall miss you," said his father.

 

"I will write you often, father. If you are not feeling well at any time, write and let me know."

 

"I will do so, Jasper," said his step-mother, promptly³; "but I shall have better news to write. Your father shall have the best of care."

 

"Thank you, madam. If you can contribute to his comfort, you will place me under obligations to you."

 

"As a wife, it will be my duty as well as my pleasure to do so," said Mrs. Kent.

 

Jasper bowed. The suggestion of the relationship always fell unpleasantly on his ears.

 

The carriage came round to take Jasper to the depot⁴. His father and step-mother looked out of the front windows, and saw him off.

 

"He is a noble, warm-hearted boy," said his father, warmly.

 

"Yes," said Mrs. Kent, assenting⁵, because it was expected.

 

"Manly⁶ and high-spirited, too!" added his father, in a tone full of affectionate admiration⁷.

 

"I'd like to break his spirit!" thought Mrs. Kent, spitefully. "Some time I may have the chance." Of course she didn't venture to say this. She only inquired, "Were you like him at his age, Mr. Kent?"

 

Mr. Kent smiled.

 

"I won't flatter myself so far," he answered. "Jasper is an improvement on the parent stock. I see in him more manliness⁸ and self-reliance than I possessed⁹ at his age."

 

"May it not be parental¹⁰ partiality?" asked Mrs. Kent, who by no means enjoyed hearing Jasper's praises.

 

"No, I don't think so."

 

"You must let me believe that it is your modesty¹¹ then. Jasper may be a fine boy, but he will do well if he grows up as good a man as you."

 

"Now you flatter me, my dear," said Mr. Kent, smiling. "You have too good an opinion of me."

 

"I don't know about that," said Mrs. Kent to herself. "I think you are an addle-headed old fool, but I won't say so."

 

Aloud she said, with a smile: "My marrying you is a proof of my good opinion, Mr. Kent."

 

"Thank you," said her husband, politely.

 

He was not a suspicious man—far from it—but even he knew that his wife only married him for a home and an establishment. But he never let his mind dwell on such things, and he quietly permitted his wife's assertion to go uncontradicted.

 

Meanwhile Jasper Kent had returned to his boarding-school. There was one who awaited his return with mingled¹² curiosity and exultation¹³.

 

This was Nicholas Thorne.

 

He had received his mother's letter, from which he learned, first, that her plan had succeeded, and she was now the wife of a rich man, and, secondly¹⁴, that his own relationship to her must be changed in the eyes of the world.

 

"I suppose mother knows what is best," he said to himself. "So I'm to be her nephew, am I? Well, it's all one to me, as long as I fare the better for her good fortune."

 

For the moment it occurred to him that his mother might intend to throw him off—in a measure—but he quickly laid it aside. Bad as his mother was, she was yet devoted¹⁵ to him, and in so far was superior to him, for he cared for himself first and for no one second. The thought originated in his own base selfishness, and was laid aside only because he had received too many proof's of his mother's affection to doubt her.

 

When he heard that Jasper had got back he took pains to meet him.

 

"Well, Kent," he said, with a show of intimacy¹⁶ which Jasper found very disagreeable, "what news from home?"

 

Jasper was about to reply abruptly¹⁷, when it occurred to him that, after all, Nicholas had an interest in the matter.

 

"I suppose you mean to ask if your mother is well?" he said, eyeing Jasper keenly.

 

But Nicholas was on his guard. His mother's letter had cautioned him.

 

"No, I don't," he answered, impudently¹⁸. "She is your mother, not mine."

 

"My mother!" exclaimed Jasper, coloring.

 

"Yes, she's your father's wife, isn't she?" said Thorne, with a leer.

 

"Yes, but I acknowledge no such relationship as you suggest."

 

"She's your step-mother, whatever you say."

 

"I shall never call her so. You told me before I went that she was your mother."

 

"I have always called her so, because I have known no other," said Thorne, composedly. "She is really my aunt."

 

"It must be true, then," thought Jasper. "However, it is of little importance to me what the relationship may be."

 

"I suppose this match makes us relations," said Thorne, smiling disagreeably.

 

"I don't see that it does," said Jasper, coldly.

 

"You'd rather it wouldn't, I suppose," sneered¹⁹ Thorne, provoked.

 

"I don't know you well enough to desire so close a connection," said Jasper, in the same cold tone.

 

"We shall know each other well enough some time," said Thorne, with something of menace in his tone.

 

Jasper turned on his heel and walked away.

1 confidentially   

ad.秘密地，悄悄地

参考例句：

• She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
• Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

2 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。

3 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

4 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

5 assenting   

同意，赞成( assent的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In an assembly, every thing must be done by speaking and assenting. 在一个群集中，任何事情都必须通过发言和同意来进行。
• Assenting to this demands. 对这个要求让步。

6 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。

7 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

8 manliness   

刚毅

参考例句：

• She was really fond of his strength, his wholesome looks, his manliness. 她真喜欢他的坚强，他那健康的容貌，他的男子气概。
• His confidence, his manliness and bravery, turn his wit into wisdom. 他的自信、男子气概和勇敢将他的风趣变为智慧。

9 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

10 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

11 modesty   

n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素

参考例句：

• Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
• As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

12 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

13 exultation   

n.狂喜，得意

参考例句：

• It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。
• He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。

14 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

15 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

16 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。

17 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

18 impudently   

参考例句：

• She was his favorite and could speak to him so impudently. 她是他的宠儿，可以那样无礼他说话。 来自教父部分
• He walked into the shop and calmly (ie impudently and self-confidently) stole a pair of gloves. 他走进商店若无其事地偷了一副手套。 来自辞典例句

19 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。