CHAPTER XIII. MRS. KENT IS FOILED.

 Breakfast was a quiet meal. Mrs. Kent preserved a frigid¹ silence toward Jasper, interrupted only by necessary questions. Nicholas, who understood that there was a row in prospect², occasionally smiled as he looked across the table at Jasper, but he, too, was silent.

 

When breakfast was over, and the three arose from the table, Mrs. Kent said, in a cold voice:

 

"Jasper Kent, I have something to say to you."

 

"Very well," said Jasper, taking a seat and looking expectant.

 

"Yesterday you conducted yourself in a most improper³ manner."

 

"Please explain," said Jasper, quietly.

 

"You ought not to require any explanation. You made an assault upon Nicholas."

 

"I beg pardon, Mrs. Kent, but he made an assault upon me."

 

"You knocked him down."

 

"Not until he attacked me."

 

"He did so by my direction."

 

"Did you expect me to make no resistance?" asked Jasper.

 

"You had insulted me, and it was his duty, as my son, to resent it."

 

"I don't think you have any right to say that I insulted you, and you would not have any reason to complain of me if you would treat me with ordinary justice and politeness."

 

"You are insulting me now," said Mrs. Kent, angrily.

 

"I am telling the truth. I am sorry that it is the truth. I would prefer to live on good terms with you."

 

"And have your own way!" said his step-mother, sarcastically⁴. "I understand you, but I will have you know that I am mistress in this house. Are you ready to apologize for having attacked Nicholas?"

 

"I did not wish to do it, especially as he didn't attack me of his own accord, but if he should do so again I should act in the same manner."

 

"Insolent⁵!" exclaimed his step-mother, reddening.

 

"You have peculiar⁶ ideas of insolence," said Jasper, quietly. "I believe in defending myself, but I shouldn't like to harm Nicholas."

 

"You have undertaken to rebel against my authority," said Mrs. Kent, "but you don't understand me. I am not to be bullied⁷ or overcome by a boy."

 

"You are in no danger of either from me, madam."

 

"I shall take care not to give you the power. Nicholas, call Tom."

 

Jasper looked at his step-mother in amazement⁸. What had Tom Forbes to do with their colloquy⁹.

 

Nicholas opened the door of the adjoining room, the kitchen, and summoned the hired man.

 

Ignorant of why he was wanted, for Mrs. Kent had not informed him, he came into the room, and looked about with a perplexed¹⁰ expression.

 

He was a tall, strong-looking fellow, country-bred, of about twenty-five or six.

 

"Where is your whip, Tom?" demanded Mrs. Kent.

 

"My whip?" repeated Tom.

 

"Yes; didn't I tell you I wanted you to have it?"

 

"Yes, ma'am; it's in the kitchen."

 

"Bring it."

 

Tom went into the kitchen, and returned bringing the whip.

 

"What am I to do with it?" he asked.

 

"I will tell you in a moment. Jasper Kent," said his step-mother, turning to him, "you have rebelled against my just authority, you have insulted me in my own house, you have made a brutal¹¹ attack upon my son in my presence, and now I am going to have you punished. Tom, I order you to give Jasper half a dozen lashes¹² with your whip."

 

It is hard to tell which looked the more surprised at this brutal command, Jasper or the hired man. They looked at each other in amazement, but Tom did not stir.

 

"Did you hear me?" asked Mrs. Kent, sharply, impatient of the delay.

 

"Yes, ma'am, I heard you," answered Tom, slowly.

 

"Why don't you obey, then?" she continued, in the same tone.

 

"Because," said Tom, with manly¹³ independence, "I didn't hire out to do anything of the kind."

 

"Do you refuse?"

 

"Yes, I do. You may do your own dirty work."

 

"It seems you are not only disobedient, but insolent," said Mrs. Kent, angrily.

 

"You must be crazy, ma'am!" said the hired man, bluntly.

 

"No more of this. I discharge you from my employment."

 

"What! for not flogging Master Jasper?"

 

"For not obeying me."

 

"I'll follow your directions, ma'am, so far as they are in the line of duty, but I won't do that."

 

"I discharge you."

 

"As to that, ma'am, if I go, I'll let everybody in the village know why you sent me away."

 

For this Mrs. Kent was not altogether prepared. She knew that it was not prudent¹⁴ to defy public opinion. Perhaps she had already gone too far. She put a great constraint¹⁵ upon herself, and said:

 

"Go back to your work. I will speak of this matter hereafter."

 

Tom withdrew at once, glad of the opportunity. Thus far Mrs. Kent had been foiled, and she knew it. She could scarcely conceal¹⁶ her mortification¹⁷.

 

Jasper, who had been passive thus far, now spoke¹⁸. He felt outraged¹⁹ and disgusted by his step-mother's brutal purpose, though it had failed.

 

"Mrs. Kent," he said with quiet resolution, "after the scene of this morning I cannot remain in the same house with you. My father has not been dead a week, yet you have treated me in a manner which, though I never liked you, I could not have thought possible. You are left my guardian²⁰. I do not wish to remain another day in this house. Have I your permission to return to school?"

 

"No," said his step-mother.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Because you wish it. I do not mean to let you have your own way."

 

"I am willing to go to another school, if you insist upon it."

 

"You will go to no school. You will stay here."

 

"In this house?"

 

"Yes."

 

"With the opinion which you have of me, Mrs. Kent, I should hardly think this would be very agreeable to you."

 

"It will not. I hate the sight of you!" said his step-mother, with energy.

 

"I am sorry for that, but I am not surprised. From the way you have treated me, I should think so. Won't it be better for as both to be separated?"

 

"It will gratify your wishes, and therefore I order you to remain here."

 

"That we may have more such scenes as yesterday and to-day?"

 

"No; I am determined²¹ to break your rebellious²² will, and teach you to obey me implicitly²³."

 

"I have only to ask if you have fully²⁴ made up your mind," said Jasper, quietly, but with suppressed excitement.

 

"I mean precisely²⁵ what I say."

 

"Then, madam, I shall have to leave this house and go out into the world. I shall find more kindness among strangers than here."

 

"I have heard boys talk like this before," said Mrs. Kent, with contemptuous incredulity.

 

"Boys sometimes mean what they say," retorted Jasper.

 

He took his hat and left the room without another word.

 

"I say, mother," said Nicholas, "suppose he don't come back?"

 

"There's no fear of that," said Mrs. Kent, coldly.

 

"But I say, mother, he's pretty plucky²⁶, Jasper is."

 

"He won't run away from me as long as I have charge of his property, you may be sure of that. He'll be coming back and apologizing pretty soon."

 

"Suppose he doesn't?"

 

"Then it'll be his own fault."

 

"You may as well let him go back to school, mother. He'll be out of our way, and we can enjoy ourselves."

 

"I am not going to gratify him so far. He has defied me and insulted me, and he must take the consequences," said Mrs. Kent, with a compression of her thin lips.

 

On the whole, Jasper's prospects²⁷ could not be said to be very flattering.

1 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

2 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

3 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

4 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

5 insolent   

adj.傲慢的，无理的

参考例句：

• His insolent manner really got my blood up.他那傲慢的态度把我的肺都气炸了。
• It was insolent of them to demand special treatment.他们要求给予特殊待遇，脸皮真厚。

6 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

7 bullied   

adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My son is being bullied at school. 我儿子在学校里受欺负。
• The boy bullied the small girl into giving him all her money. 那男孩威逼那个小女孩把所有的钱都给他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 colloquy   

n.谈话，自由讨论

参考例句：

• The colloquy between them was brief.他们之间的对话很简洁。
• They entered into eager colloquy with each other.他们展开热切的相互交谈。

10 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。

11 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

12 lashes   

n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• Mother always lashes out food for the children's party. 孩子们聚会时，母亲总是给他们许多吃的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Never walk behind a horse in case it lashes out. 绝对不要跟在马后面，以防它突然猛踢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

15 constraint   

n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物

参考例句：

• The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
• The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。

16 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

17 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。

18 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

19 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

20 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

21 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

22 rebellious   

adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的

参考例句：

• They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反，他们就要发生危险。
• Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和，但她的心里十分反感。

23 implicitly   

adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地

参考例句：

• Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。
• I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想，我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧？

24 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

25 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

26 plucky   

adj.勇敢的

参考例句：

• The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
• This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。

27 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。