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CHAPTER XXIV. HELEN’S GOOD FORTUNE.
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 Mr. Bowers1, the manager, sat at his desk in the little office adjoining the stage, running his eye over a manuscript play presented for examination by an ambitious young man in spectacles.
 
“Bah!” said the manager, tossing aside the play after a very brief examination, “what can the man be thinking of? Two murders in the first act, and a suicide in the first scene of the second! Such an accumulation of horrors will never do. Here, Jeffries.”
 
The messenger made his appearance, and stood awaiting orders.
 
“Here,” said Mr. Bowers, tossing the play towards him, “just do this thing up, and when the author calls this afternoon, tell him from me that it is a very brilliant production, and so on, but, like Addison’s Cato, for example, not adapted for dramatic representation. That will sugar the pill.”
 
“Is it the tall young man, with a thin face?”
 
“Yes; his name is Ichabod Smith; but he writes under the nom de plume2 of Lionel Percy.”
 
“Yes, sir; I have seen his name in the story papers. He has just written one called ‘The Goblin Lover; or, The Haunted Tower.’”
 
“Any further orders, sir?” inquired Jeffries, deferentially3.
 
“Has Miss Ford4 come?”
 
“No, sir; I think not.”
 
156“Notice when she does, and request her to call at the office a moment.”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
“It is no more than fair that I should increase her salary,” soliloquized Mr. Bowers. “She has really proved quite a card, and richly deserves double what I have hitherto paid. Besides,” he mused5, for the manager was by no means neglectful of his own interests, “I should not be surprised if another establishment should try to entice6 her away by a larger offer. I must bind7 her till the end of the season.”
 
At this moment Helen was announced by Jeffries.
 
She entered, not without a little feeling of embarrassment8. She had not often been brought into communication with Mr. Bowers, since her engagement, and now the only reason that occurred to her to account for this unexpected summons was, that she might in some way have given dissatisfaction, although the applause which greeted her nightly seemed hardly consistent with this idea.
 
Her apprehensions10 were at once dispelled11 by the unusually gracious manner in which she was received.
 
“I am glad to see you, Miss Ford,” said Mr. Bowers, affably; motioning her to a seat. “I have sent for you to say that your services are in the highest degree acceptable to me and to the public. The marks of approval which you receive nightly must be very gratifying to you as they are to me.”
 
Quite overpowered by this extraordinary condescension12 on the part of the manager, whom she had been accustomed to regard with a feeling of distant awe13 and respect, Helen answered that she was very glad that he was satisfied with her.
 
“To prove how highly I value your services,” continued Mr. Bowers, “I have decided14 to double your weekly salary, 157provided you will sign an engagement to remain with us till the end of the season.”
 
Helen, who had feared on being summoned to the manager’s presence, that it was to be told that her services were dispensed15 with, hardly knew how to express her gratitude16 for what was so far beyond her expectations.
 
“It is very generous in you, sir,” she said, “to increase my salary without my asking for it.”
 
“I always make it a point,” was the reply, “to recompense merit to the extent of my means.”
 
“And now,” he added, pushing towards her a contract already drawn17 up, “if you will sign this obligation to sing for me the remainder of the season on these terms, I shall have no further cause to trespass18 on your time.”
 
Helen wrote her name hastily, and withdrew from the manager’s presence, it being already time for rehearsal19.
 
“A very pretty little girl, and not at all aware of her own value,” mused Mr. Bowers. “I am lucky to have secured her.”
 
Eager to communicate her increase of salary to her father and good Martha Grey, who had always shown so warm an interest in her welfare, Helen hastened home immediately after rehearsal.
 
Flushed with exercise, and with a bright smile playing over her face, she danced into Martha Grey’s little room.
 
“O Martha!” she ejaculated, sinking into a chair, “I am all out of breath running, I was so anxious to tell you of my good fortune. You are the very first that I wanted to tell it to.”
 
“What is it, Helen?” inquired Martha, looking up from her never-ceasing work with an expression of interest.
 
“What do you think it is? Guess now,” said Helen, smiling.
 
158“I never was good at guessing, Helen. I think the shortest way will be to tell me at once.”
 
“I have had my salary raised to twelve dollars a week; just think of that, Martha: and all without my asking. I shall be able to buy ever so many nice things for papa, now, that I couldn’t afford before; and I mean to make you a present, besides, Martha; you’ve been so very kind to me.”
 
“Thank you for the kind thought, my dear child. I will take the will for the deed. But you mustn’t think yourself too rich. If you have any money to spare you had better be laying it up against a time of need. Remember the theatre will be closed for a time in the summer, and your salary will stop. You will want to lay up money to carry you through that time.”
 
“At any rate, Martha, if you won’t let me spend any money for you, I shall insist on coming in now and then and helping21 you with your work, so that you can gain time to walk out with me. I am afraid you work too hard. You are looking pale.”
 
“It is long since I had much color,” said Martha. “You have enough for us both.”
 
“Then you must go out and get some. But I mustn’t stop a minute longer; I must go up and tell papa;” and she bounded up stairs with a light heart, little suspecting what had taken place during her absence.
 
What was her surprise to find her father listlessly looking out of the window into the little court below, and otherwise quite unoccupied.
 
“What is the matter, papa?” inquired Helen, in apprehension9; “and where,” for the first time noticing the absence of the work which usually engaged her father,—“where is your machine?”
 
“It is gone, my child,” said Mr. Ford, despondently22.
 
159“Gone! what do you mean, papa? You have not got discouraged, and sent it away?”
 
“Discouraged! No, Helen; on the contrary, I never felt nearer success than I did a few hours since. But all is changed now.”
 
“What has become of it, papa?” questioned Helen, in increasing alarm.
 
“It has been seized for debt, Helen.”
 
“For debt?”
 
“Yes; for the note which I gave Mr. Sharp. I had not the money to pay it, so they carried off my machine for security.”
 
“Is it possible he has been so cruel and unfeeling?” exclaimed Helen, indignantly.
 
“Do not blame him, my child. I am convinced that it is far from his intention to trouble or distress23 us. But he parted with the note a day or two since, as he himself told me, on the express condition that it should not be presented for payment, and this stipulation24 has been disregarded.”
 
“And how large was this note, papa?”
 
“For three hundred dollars.”
 
“Three hundred! I thought it was only two hundred that were lent you.”
 
“That was my own impression,” said Mr. Ford, with an air of perplexity. “But you know,” he continued, with a melancholy25 smile, “that I have no head for business. I have been so occupied in other ways. It is quite possible that I have made a mistake.”
 
“I am afraid,” said Helen, gravely, “that Mr. Sharp is not so much your friend as you imagine.”
 
“Not my friend, Helen? He offered to lend me this money voluntarily, without any expectation of immediate20 return. I am certain that when he hears of this affair, he will hasten to make it right.”
 
160“Perhaps I do him wrong,” said Helen, thoughtfully, “and indeed I do not know what good it would do him to annoy us. But, papa, there is one thing I haven’t told you,—a piece of great good news. I have had my salary doubled at the theatre. I shall earn twelve dollars a week. Think of that, papa.”
 
“But are you not working too hard, Helen?”
 
“I, working hard! It is only a pleasure for me to sing. I am very lucky in being paid for what I would rather do than not. It is different with poor Martha. She doesn’t earn more than four dollars a week, and has to sit at her sewing from morning till night. I wish I could do something to help her. She looks so tired and pale all the time.”
 
“God has favored you, my child, in bestowing26 upon you so choice a gift. I hope you do not fail to thank him for this goodness.”
 
“Never, papa. I thank him every night.”
 
“How much money have you left, papa?” she inquired, after a pause.
 
“I don’t know exactly how much. I had better give it to you to help pay our daily expenses.”
 
“There are one hundred and twenty dollars,” said Helen, counting it. “Then we shall need one hundred and eighty to make up the balance of the sum mentioned in the note.”
 
“Surely, I cannot have expended27 that sum,” said Mr. Ford, with a perplexed28 look. “If I could see Mr. Sharp?”
 
“I will go and see him, papa.”
 
“Perhaps it will be best.”
 
In five minutes Helen was on her way to the lawyer’s office.
 

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1 bowers e5eed26a407da376085f423a33e9a85e     
n.(女子的)卧室( bower的名词复数 );船首锚;阴凉处;鞠躬的人
参考例句:
  • If Mr Bowers is right, low government-bond yields could lose their appeal and equities could rebound. 如果鲍尔斯先生的预计是对的,那么低收益的国债将会失去吸引力同时股价将会反弹。 来自互联网
2 plume H2SzM     
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰
参考例句:
  • Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
  • He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。
3 deferentially 90c13fae351d7697f6aaf986af4bccc2     
adv.表示敬意地,谦恭地
参考例句:
  • "Now, let me see,'said Hurstwood, looking over Carrie's shoulder very deferentially. “来,让我瞧瞧你的牌。”赫斯渥说着,彬彬有礼地从嘉莉背后看过去。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • He always acts so deferentially around his supervisor. 他总是毕恭毕敬地围着他的上司转。 来自互联网
4 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
5 mused 0affe9d5c3a243690cca6d4248d41a85     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
6 entice FjazS     
v.诱骗,引诱,怂恿
参考例句:
  • Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
  • I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白,为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。
7 bind Vt8zi     
vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬
参考例句:
  • I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
  • He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。
8 embarrassment fj9z8     
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫
参考例句:
  • She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
  • Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
9 apprehension bNayw     
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑
参考例句:
  • There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑,于是她越来越担心。
  • She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。
10 apprehensions 86177204327b157a6d884cdb536098d8     
疑惧
参考例句:
  • He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
  • But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而,随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。
11 dispelled 7e96c70e1d822dbda8e7a89ae71a8e9a     
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。
  • The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 condescension JYMzw     
n.自以为高人一等,贬低(别人)
参考例句:
  • His politeness smacks of condescension. 他的客气带有屈尊俯就的意味。
  • Despite its condescension toward the Bennet family, the letter begins to allay Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy. 尽管这封信对班纳特家的态度很高傲,但它开始消除伊丽莎白对达西的偏见。
13 awe WNqzC     
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧
参考例句:
  • The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
  • The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
14 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
15 dispensed 859813db740b2251d6defd6f68ac937a     
v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 );施与;配(药)
参考例句:
  • Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
16 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
17 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
18 trespass xpOyw     
n./v.侵犯,闯入私人领地
参考例句:
  • The fishing boat was seized for its trespass into restricted waters.渔船因非法侵入受限制水域而被扣押。
  • The court sentenced him to a fine for trespass.法庭以侵害罪对他判以罚款。
19 rehearsal AVaxu     
n.排练,排演;练习
参考例句:
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
  • You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。
20 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
21 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。
22 despondently 9be17148dd640dc40b605258bbc2e187     
adv.沮丧地,意志消沉地
参考例句:
  • It had come to that, he reflected despondently. 事情已经到了这个地步了,他沉思着,感到心灰意懒。 来自辞典例句
  • He shook his head despondently. 他沮丧地摇摇头。 来自辞典例句
23 distress 3llzX     
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
参考例句:
  • Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
  • Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。
24 stipulation FhryP     
n.契约,规定,条文;条款说明
参考例句:
  • There's no stipulation as to the amount you can invest. 没有关于投资额的规定。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The only stipulation the building society makes is that house must be insured. 建屋互助会作出的唯一规定是房屋必须保险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
26 bestowing ec153f37767cf4f7ef2c4afd6905b0fb     
砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖
参考例句:
  • Apollo, you see, is bestowing the razor on the Triptolemus of our craft. 你瞧,阿波罗正在把剃刀赠给我们这项手艺的特里泼托勒默斯。
  • What thanks do we not owe to Heaven for thus bestowing tranquillity, health and competence! 我们要谢谢上苍,赐我们的安乐、健康和饱暖。
27 expended 39b2ea06557590ef53e0148a487bc107     
v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 );使用(钱等)做某事;用光;耗尽
参考例句:
  • She expended all her efforts on the care of home and children. 她把所有精力都花在料理家务和照顾孩子上。
  • The enemy had expended all their ammunition. 敌人已耗尽所有的弹药。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 perplexed A3Rz0     
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。


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