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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Hector's Inheritance or The Boys of Smith Institute » CHAPTER XI. HECTOR RECEIVES A SUMMONS.
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CHAPTER XI. HECTOR RECEIVES A SUMMONS.
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 It so happened that Hector was well provided with money. During the life of Mr. Roscoe, whom he regarded as his father, he had a liberal allowance—liberal beyond his needs—and out of it had put by somewhat over a hundred dollars. The greater part of this was deposited for safe-keeping in a savings1 bank, but he had twenty-five dollars in his possession.
At the time he was saving his money, he regarded himself as the heir and future possessor of the estate, and had no expectation of ever needing it. It had been in his mind that it would give him an opportunity of helping2, out of his private funds, any deserving poor person who might apply to him. When the unexpected revelation had been made to him that he had no claim to the estate, he was glad that he was not quite penniless. He did not care to apply for money to Allan Roscoe. It would have been a confession3 of dependence4, and very humiliating to him.
No sooner was school out, than he asked Wilkins to accompany him to the baker’s, that he might make up for the deficiencies of Mr. Smith’s meager5 table.
“I suppose, if I guide you, you’ll stand treat, Roscoe?” said Wilkins.
“Of course.”
“Then let us go,” said his schoolfellow, with alacrity6. “I’d like to get the taste of that beastly dinner out of my mouth.”
They found the baker’s, but close beside it was a restaurant, where more substantial fare could be obtained.
“Wilkins,” said Hector, “I think I would rather have a plate of meat.”
“All right! I’m with you.”
So the two boys went into the restaurant, and ordered plates of roast beef, which they ate with evident enjoyment7.
“I guess,” said the waiter, grinning, “you two chaps come from the institute.”
“Yes,” answered Hector. “What makes you think so?”
“The way you eat. They do say old Smith half starves the boys.”
“You’re not far from right,” said Wilkins; “but it isn’t alone the quantity, but the quality that’s amiss.”
They ate their dinner, leaving not a crumb8, and then rose refreshed.
“I feel splendid,” said Wilkins. “I just wish I boarded at the restaurant instead of the doctor’s. Thank you, Roscoe, for inviting9 me.”
“All right, Wilkins! We’ll come again some day.”
Somehow the extra dinner seemed to warm the heart of Wilkins, and inspire in him a feeling of friendly interest for Hector.
“I say, Hector, I’ll tell you something.”
“Go ahead.”
“You’ve got to keep your eyes open.”
“I generally do,” answered Hector, smiling, “except at night.”
“I mean when Jim Smith’s round.”
“Why particularly when he is around?”
“Because he means to thrash you.”
“What for?”
“You are too independent. You don’t bow down to him, and look up to him.”
“I don’t mean to,” said Hector, promptly10.
“If you don’t you’ll see trouble, and that very soon.”
“Let it come!” said Hector, rather contemptuously.
“You don’t seem afraid!” said Wilkins, regarding him curiously11.
“Because I am not afraid. Isn’t that a good reason?”
“You don’t think you can stand up against Jim, do you?”
“I will see when the time comes.”
“I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if he were looking out for you at this very moment, and wondering where you are.”
It seemed that Wilkins was right. As they approached the school grounds, John Bates came running to meet them.
“Where have you been, you two?” he said.
“To the village,” answered Wilkins.
“What for?”
“For a walk,” answered Wilkins, with a warning glance at Hector. It would have been awkward if the principal had heard that they had been compelled to eke12 out their meager dinner at a restaurant.
“Well, Jim wants you. Leastways, he wants Roscoe.”
Bates looked as if he expected Roscoe would immediately hasten to comply with the wishes of the redoubtable13 Jim.
“If he wants me, he can come to me,” said Hector, independently.
“But I say, that won’t do. Jim won’t be satisfied.”
“Won’t he? I don’t know that that particularly concerns me.”
“Shall I tell him that?”
“If you choose.”
Bates looked as if Hector had been guilty of some enormity. What, defy the wishes, the mandates14, of Jim Smith, the king of the school and the tyrant15 of all the small boys! He felt that Hector Roscoe was rushing on his fate.
“I advise you to come,” he said, “Jim’s mad with you already, and he’ll lick you worse if you send him a message like that.”
“He will probably have to take blows, as well as give them,” said Hector.
“Then I am to tell him what you said?”
“Of course.”
With a look that seemed to say, “Your fate be on your own head!” Bates walked away.
“John Bates is always toadying16 to Jim,” said Wilkins. “So he’s prime favorite when Jim is good-natured—when he’s cross, I’ve seen him kick Bates.”
“And Bates didn’t resent it?”
“He didn’t dare to. He’d come round him the next day the same as ever.”
“Has the boy no self-respect?” asked Hector, in a tone of disgust.
“He doesn’t seem to have.”
As soon as school was out, Jim Smith had looked round for the new boy, who seemed disposed to defy his authority. On account of eating at different tables, they had not met during the noon intermission. At any rate, there had not been time to settle the question of subserviency17. Through the afternoon session Jim had been anticipating the signal punishment which he intended to inflict18 upon the newcomer.
“I’ll show him!” he said to himself. “Tomorrow he’ll be singing a different tune19, or I am mistaken.”
This was the way Jim had been accustomed to break in refractory20 new arrivals. The logic21 of his fist usually proved a convincing argument, and thus far his supremacy22 had never been successfully resisted. He was confident that he would not be interfered23 with. Secretly, his Uncle Socrates sympathized with him, and relished24 the thought that his nephew, who so strongly resembled him in mind and person, should be the undisputed boss—to use a word common in political circles—of the school. He discreetly25 ignored the conflicts which he knew took place, and if any luckless boy, the victim of Jim’s brutality26, ventured to appeal to him, the boy soon found that he himself was arraigned27, and not the one who had abused him.
“Where’s that new boy?” asked Jim, as he left the schoolroom.
He had not seen our hero’s departure—but his ready tool, Bates, had.
“I saw him sneaking28 off with Wilkins,” said Bates.
“Where did they go?”
“To the Village, I guess.”
“They seemed to be in a hurry,” said Jim, with a sneer29.
“They wanted to get out of your way—that is, the new boy did,” suggested Bates.
Jim nodded.
“Likely he did,” he answered. “So he went to the village, did he?”
“Yes; I saw him.”
“Well, he’s put it off a little. That boy’s cranky. I’m goin’ to give him a lesson he won’t forget very soon.”
“So you will, so you will, Jim,” chuckled30 Bates.
“That’s the way I generally take down these boys that put on airs,” said Jim, complacently31. “This Roscoe’s the worst case I’ve had yet. So Wilkins went off with him, did he?”
“Yes; I saw them go off together.”
“I’ll have to give Wilkins a little reminder32, then. It won’t be safe to take up with them that defy me. I’ll just give him a kick to help his memory.”
“He won’t like that much, oh, my!” chuckled Bates.
“When you see them coming, Bates, go and tell Roscoe I want to see him,” said Jim, with the air of an autocrat33.
“All right, Jim,” said Bates, obediently.
So he went on his errand, and we know what success he met with.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
2 helping 2rGzDc     
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。
3 confession 8Ygye     
n.自白,供认,承认
参考例句:
  • Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
  • The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
4 dependence 3wsx9     
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属
参考例句:
  • Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
  • He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。
5 meager zB5xZ     
adj.缺乏的,不足的,瘦的
参考例句:
  • He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
  • The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火,开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。
6 alacrity MfFyL     
n.敏捷,轻快,乐意
参考例句:
  • Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老,动作仍很敏捷。
  • He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。
7 enjoyment opaxV     
n.乐趣;享有;享用
参考例句:
  • Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同,我们这次访问更加愉快了。
  • After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话,这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。
8 crumb ynLzv     
n.饼屑,面包屑,小量
参考例句:
  • It was the only crumb of comfort he could salvage from the ordeal.这是他从这场磨难里能找到的唯一的少许安慰。
  • Ruth nearly choked on the last crumb of her pastry.鲁斯几乎被糕点的最后一块碎屑所噎住。
9 inviting CqIzNp     
adj.诱人的,引人注目的
参考例句:
  • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
  • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
10 promptly LRMxm     
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。
11 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
12 eke Dj6zr     
v.勉强度日,节约使用
参考例句:
  • They had to eke out a livinga tiny income.他们不得不靠微薄收入勉强度日。
  • We must try to eke out our water supply.我们必须尽量节约用水。
13 redoubtable tUbxE     
adj.可敬的;可怕的
参考例句:
  • He is a redoubtable fighter.他是一位可敬的战士。
  • Whose only defense is their will and redoubtable spirit.他们唯一的国防是他们的意志和可怕的精神。
14 mandates 2acac1276dba74275e1c7c1a20146ad9     
托管(mandate的第三人称单数形式)
参考例句:
  • Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
  • While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处,我不是授权软件的支持者。
15 tyrant vK9z9     
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人
参考例句:
  • The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
  • The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。
16 toadying 9d70796d071d282bc6e046e4a6634780     
v.拍马,谄媚( toady的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He objected to the toadying to aristocracy. 他反对对于贵族阶级的奉承。 来自辞典例句
  • Her generosity encouraged toadying among her neighbours. 她的慷慨好施鼓励了她邻居们的谄媚奉承。 来自辞典例句
17 subserviency 09f465af59cbb397bcdcfece52b7ba7e     
n.有用,裨益
参考例句:
18 inflict Ebnz7     
vt.(on)把…强加给,使遭受,使承担
参考例句:
  • Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
  • Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。
19 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
20 refractory GCOyK     
adj.倔强的,难驾驭的
参考例句:
  • He is a very refractory child.他是一个很倔强的孩子。
  • Silicate minerals are characteristically refractory and difficult to break down.硅酸盐矿物的特点是耐熔和难以分离。
21 logic j0HxI     
n.逻辑(学);逻辑性
参考例句:
  • What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑?
  • I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。
22 supremacy 3Hzzd     
n.至上;至高权力
参考例句:
  • No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员,无人能胜过她。
  • Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说,她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。
23 interfered 71b7e795becf1adbddfab2cd6c5f0cff     
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉
参考例句:
  • Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 relished c700682884b4734d455673bc9e66a90c     
v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 );从…获得乐趣;渴望
参考例句:
  • The chaplain relished the privacy and isolation of his verdant surroundings. 牧师十分欣赏他那苍翠的环境所具有的幽雅恬静,与世隔绝的气氛。 来自辞典例句
  • Dalleson relished the first portion of the work before him. 达尔生对眼前这工作的前半部分满有兴趣。 来自辞典例句
25 discreetly nuwz8C     
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地
参考例句:
  • He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇,一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
  • Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么,有意避开了。
26 brutality MSbyb     
n.野蛮的行为,残忍,野蛮
参考例句:
  • The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
  • a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军
27 arraigned ce05f28bfd59de4a074b80d451ad2707     
v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 );控告;传讯;指责
参考例句:
  • He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
  • She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
28 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
29 sneer YFdzu     
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语
参考例句:
  • He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
  • You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻,但很多人喜欢这种音乐。
30 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
31 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
32 reminder WkzzTb     
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示
参考例句:
  • I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
  • It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知,她才付应该交的房租。
33 autocrat 7uMzo     
n.独裁者;专横的人
参考例句:
  • He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家,也是个狡黠的独裁者。
  • The nobles tried to limit the powers of the autocrat without success.贵族企图限制专制君主的权力,但没有成功。


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