CHAPTER XXX. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE AUCTION.

 It was a sad household, that of Mark Nelson, on the day preceding the departure from the farm. There was to be an auction¹ the next day, at which the farm-stock and farm-implements were to be sold. It was well understood that Squire² Hudson was to be the buyer of the farm, and as he was not likely to have any competitor there was little hope that it would fetch more than the amount of the mortgage.

 

During the afternoon Mr. Nelson called on Squire Hudson to make the best terms he could at private sale.

 

"The farm is worth at least a thousand dollars more than the mortgage, Squire Hudson," said the farmer.

 

"It is worth what it will fetch, Mr. Nelson," said the squire.[Pg 272]

 

"Do you mean that an article always commands its full value at auction, Squire Hudson?"

 

"Ahem! it brings its market value, Mr. Nelson."

 

"Which may be far below its intrinsic value. Suppose a diamond worth ten thousand dollars were put up at auction in our village, do you consider that it would bring a fair price?"

 

"Ahem! you are wandering from the subject. We are talking of farms, not diamonds."

 

"As to the farm, then, you are likely to be the only bidder³, unless you allow the mortgage to remain."

 

"If I were inclined to do that I would not disturb you as long as you paid the interest promptly⁴."

 

"Then you decline to buy the farm at private sale?"

 

"I do."

 

"I don't think you will be any better off in the end, Squire Hudson, for oppressing a poor man, and robbing him of his little all," said Mark Nelson, bitterly.[Pg 273]

 

"You don't look at the matter from a business point of view," said the squire, coldly. "I am acting⁵ as any business man would under the circumstances."

 

"I cannot believe you, sir. All business men are not so hard-hearted."

 

"I really don't think there is any use in prolonging this interview," said Squire Hudson, stiffly. "I have resolved upon my course, in which I am perfectly⁶ justified⁷, however you may choose to regard it."

 

This removed the farmer's last hope, and he had only to look about for another home for his family. There was small choice of houses in the little farming town. In fact there was but one house,—a shabby, dilapidated building, a mile from the church and store. This, Mr. Nelson, having no choice, engaged for a period of three months.

 

"It makes me homesick to think of going to live in that barn," said Sarah, as they were sitting together after supper.

 

"It may not be so bad as you think for,[Pg 274] Sarah," said her mother; but she secretly sympathized with her daughter.

 

"I wish Squire Hudson had to live there himself," said Walter, in an angry outburst.

 

Usually Walter was checked by his father when uttering such speeches; but to-night Mark Nelson took no notice of his son's angry remark. He felt that it would only be a righteous retribution upon the squire for his cold selfishness.

 

While they were sitting in the plain room endeared to them by the association of years, a sound of wheels was heard, and the village stage stopped before the door.

 

"Who can it be?" said Sarah, wonderingly.

 

The whole family hurried to the window. What youthful, yet manly⁸ figure, was that actively⁹ descending¹⁰ from his perch¹¹ beside the driver?

 

"It's Tom!" exclaimed Mrs. Nelson. "Heaven be praised! It is my dear boy."

 

Tom was almost suffocated¹² by the embraces which he received on entering the house.

 

"How you have grown, Tom!" said Sarah. "And how well you look!"[Pg 275]

 

"Thank you for the compliment," said Tom, laughing. "But I don't feel well."

 

"What is the matter?" asked his mother, with maternal¹³ solicitude¹⁴.

 

"I am as hungry as a bear. Have you got anything to eat in the house?"

 

This hint was enough. Fresh tea was made, and the wanderer was soon sitting before a bountiful supply of food, cooked in his mother's best style.

 

"It seems good to be at home," said Tom, looking around him, his face beaming with happiness.

 

"Did you get my letter, Tom, announcing the squire's intention to foreclose the mortgage?" asked his father, gravely.

 

"Yes, father; is it really true?"

 

"Yes; he will listen to no persuasions¹⁵."

 

"When does the sale take place?"

 

"To-morrow."

 

"I shall be present. Have you thought of any other house, father?"

 

"The old Belcher house is the only one I can hire."[Pg 276]

 

"That is a poor place."

 

"It must do for lack of a better."

 

"I didn't think the squire would act so meanly. At any rate, father, I will see that you don't any of you suffer for lack of money."

 

"Have you been doing well, Tom?" asked Walter.

 

"Ask me to-morrow, Walter. To-night I want to hear all the news, and everything that has happened since I went away."

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 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。

3 bidder   

n.(拍卖时的)出价人，报价人，投标人

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder.电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。
• The bidder withdrew his bid after submission of his bid.投标者在投标之后撤销了投标书。

4 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。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

7 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

8 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。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

11 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

12 suffocated   

（使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气

参考例句：

• Many dogs have suffocated in hot cars. 许多狗在热烘烘的汽车里给闷死了。
• I nearly suffocated when the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift. 呼吸器上的管子脱落时，我差点给憋死。

13 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

14 solicitude   

n.焦虑

参考例句：

• Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
• He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。

15 persuasions   

n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰

参考例句：

• To obtain more advertisting it needed readers of all political persuasions. 为获得更多的广告，它需要迎合各种政治见解的读者。 来自辞典例句
• She lingered, and resisted my persuasions to departure a tiresome while. 她踌躇不去，我好说歹说地劝她走，她就是不听。 来自辞典例句