CHAPTER XXXVIII. DICK COMES BACK.

 When Mrs. Kent's brother left her house with fifty dollars in his pocket she warned him that it was the last money he could expect to receive from her. He did not reply, but he had no intention of remaining satisfied with so little.

 

"What is fifty dollars?" he thought, "to my sister's fortune? She needn't think she has got rid of me so easily."

 

At that time he expected to make her another visit in the course of a month or two, but circumstances prevented. The fact is, he was imprudent enough to commit theft and incautious enough to be detected, not long afterward¹, and the consequence was a term of imprisonment².

 

When he was released from confinement³ he at once made his way to his sister's house.

 

As before, Nicholas was standing⁴ on the lawn. His countenance⁵ changed when he recognized his uncle, though he didn't know that he had just come from a prison.

 

"How are you, Nicholas?" said his uncle.

 

"I'm well," said his nephew, coldly.

 

"Really, you have grown a good deal since I saw you."

 

Even this compliment did not soften⁶ Nicholas, who turned his back and did not invite his uncle into the house.

 

Dick scowled⁷ in an ugly manner but controlled his voice.

 

"How is your mother?"

 

"She's got the headache."

 

"I am sorry. I have been sick, too."

 

Nicholas did not exhibit the slightest curiosity on the subject.

 

"I have just come from the hospital," a slight fiction, as we know.

 

This aroused Nicholas, who retreated a little as he asked:

 

"Did you have anything catching⁸?"

 

"No; besides, I'm well now. I should like to see your mother."

 

"I don't think she feels well enough to see you."

 

"Will you go up and see? I want to see her on important business."

 

Nicholas went up stairs grumbling⁹.

 

"Well, mother," he said, "that disreputable brother of yours has come again."

 

Mrs. Kent's brow contracted.

 

"Where is he?" she asked.

 

"Down stairs. He wants to see you, he says."

 

"How does he look?"

 

"Worse than ever. He says he has just come from a hospital."

 

"From a hospital? He has a good deal of assurance to come here," said Mrs. Kent, with a hard look.

 

"So he has."

 

"I will tell you why," said his mother, in a lower tone. "He has not told you the truth. He has not come from a hospital, as he represents."

 

"Why should he say so, then?" asked Nicholas, surprised.

 

"Because he didn't like to say prison."

 

"Has he been in prison? How do you know?"

 

"I saw an account in the papers of his arrest and conviction. I suppose he has just come out of prison."

 

"Why didn't you tell me of this before, mother?"

 

"I wanted to keep the disgrace secret, on account of the relationship. When he finds I know it, I shall soon be rid of him."

 

"Will you see him, then?"

 

"Yes; I will go down stairs, and you may tell him to come in."

 

Two minutes later the ex-convict entered his sister's presence. He read no welcome in her face.

 

"Hang it!" he said, "you don't seem very glad to see your only brother."

 

"You are right," she said; "I do not seem glad, and I do not feel glad."

 

His face darkened as he sank heavily into an arm-chair.

 

"I suppose I'm a poor relation," he said, bitterly. "That's the reason, isn't it?"

 

"No."

 

"You'd treat me better if I came here rich and prosperous."

 

"Probably I would."

 

"Didn't I say so? You haven't any feelings for the poor."

 

"I haven't any feeling for criminals," said Mrs. Kent, in a sharp voice.

 

He uttered a stifled¹⁰ oath and his face flushed.

 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

 

"I mean that you came here straight from a prison; deny it if you can," she said, sternly.

 

He hesitated. Then he said:

 

"I'm not the only innocent man that's been locked up."

 

"You can't deceive me," she answered, "though you protest your innocence¹¹ all day. I shall not believe you. I feel sure that you were guilty of the crime for which you were punished."

 

"It's rather hard that my own flesh and blood should turn against me."

 

"You have disgraced the family," said Mrs. Kent. "I discard you. I no longer look upon you as my brother."

 

"If you had not turned me off with such a pittance¹² it wouldn't have happened," he said, sullenly¹³. "Out of your abundance you only gave me fifty dollars."

 

"And you a stout¹⁴, broad-shouldered man, must accept charity or steal!" she said, sarcastically¹⁵.

 

"Luck has always been against me."

 

"Your own bad habits have always been against you."

 

"Look here," said he, doggedly¹⁶, "I won't stand any more of that, even from my own sister."

 

"Very well. What have you come here for?"

 

"I'm out of money."

 

"And you expect me to supply you?"

 

"I think you might give me a little, just to get along."

 

"I shall not give you a cent. You have no claim upon me. I have already said that I no longer look upon you as a brother."

 

"Is that all you've got to say?" demanded Dick, his face growing dark with anger.

 

"It is my final determination."

 

"Then all I've got to say is, you'll repent¹⁷ it to the last day of your life!" he burst out, furiously. "I'll go away"—here he arose—"but I'll never forget your cruelty and harshness."

 

He strode out of the room, and she looked after him coldly.

 

"It is as well," she said to herself. "Now he understands that there is no more to be got out of me, I hope I shall never lay eyes upon him again."

 

"Well," said Nicholas, entering directly afterward, "what have you said to him? He dashed out of the yard, looking as black as a thunder-cloud."

 

"I told him that he had disgraced the family and I should never more acknowledge him as a brother."

 

"I'm glad you sent him off with a flea¹⁸ in his ear. I don't want to see him around here again."

 

"I don't think we shall."

 

There was one thing Mrs. Kent forgot—her brother's brutal¹⁹ temper and appetite for revenge. Had she thought of this she would, perhaps, have been more cautious about provoking him.

 

In the middle of the night Mrs. Kent awoke with a strange sense of oppression, the cause of which she did not immediately understand. As soon as she recovered her senses she comprehended the occasion—the crackling flames—and the fearful thought burst upon her:

 

"The house is on fire!"

 

She threw on her dress and dashed hastily from the room. She was about to seek the quickest mode of exit when she thought of Nicholas. He might be asleep, unconscious of his peril²⁰. She was a cold and selfish woman, but her one redeeming²¹ trait was her affection for her son. She rushed frantically²² to his chamber²³, screaming:

 

"Nicholas! Wake up! The house is on fire!"

 

She entered his chamber, but he was not in it. He had already escaped, and, full of selfish thoughts of his own safety, had fled without giving heed²⁴ to his mother, though there would have been time for him to save her.

 

"He is safe!" thought Mrs. Kent, and, relieved of this anxiety, she sought to escape.

 

But the flames had gained too much headway. Her dress caught fire, and she ran frantically about, ignorant that in so doing she increased the peril. She was barely conscious of being seized and borne out by friendly hands. But though the flames were extinguished, she had already received fatal injuries. She lingered till the afternoon of the following day, and then died. Meanwhile Mr. Miller²⁵ sent Jasper the telegram already referred to.

 

Nicholas looked serious when he was informed of his mother's death, but his was not a temperament²⁶ to be seriously affected²⁷ by the misfortune of another. His own interests were uppermost in his mind.

 

"Will I get mother's property?" he asked Mr. Miller, while that mother lay dead and disfigured in his presence.

 

"This is no time to speak of property," said Mr. Miller, coldly. "You ought to think of your poor mother's fate."

 

"Of course I do," said Nicholas, trying to look sorrowful; "but I want to know how I'm going to be situated²⁸."

 

"Wait till after the funeral, at any rate," said the other, disgusted.

1 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

2 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

3 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

6 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

7 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。

8 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

9 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

10 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

11 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。

12 pittance   

n.微薄的薪水，少量

参考例句：

• Her secretaries work tirelessly for a pittance.她的秘书们为一点微薄的工资不知疲倦地工作。
• The widow must live on her slender pittance.那寡妇只能靠自己微薄的收入过活。

13 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

15 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。

16 doggedly   

adv.顽强地，固执地

参考例句：

• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
• He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

17 repent   

v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔

参考例句：

• He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。
• Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。

18 flea   

n.跳蚤

参考例句：

• I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。
• Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

19 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。

20 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

21 redeeming   

补偿的，弥补的

参考例句：

• I found him thoroughly unpleasant, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. 我觉得他一点也不讨人喜欢，没有任何可取之处。
• The sole redeeming feature of this job is the salary. 这份工作唯其薪水尚可弥补一切之不足。

22 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

23 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

24 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

25 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

26 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

27 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

28 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。