On the day succeeding the funeral the will was appointed to be read.
“Of course you will be present, Robert,” said Lewis, “you and your daughter. I need hardly say that I am entirely6 ignorant of the manner in which my uncle had seen fit to dispose of his property. I have reason, indeed, to think that he has made some small provision for me. But whatever may be the purport7 of the will which is to be read to-morrow, I pledge myself in advance to interpose no obstacle to its provisions.”
Perhaps he expected a similar declaration from Robert, but his cousin kept silence.
The next morning at ten o’clock the will was read. A small company was gathered in the library of the deceased. Lewis leaned his arm upon the table by which he sat, with a 198downcast look but a throbbing8 heart. One brief form more, and the object of his life would be attained9.
The document was not a long one. After the usual introduction, the testator bequeathed all his property, real and personal, without reserve, to his dear nephew, Lewis Rand, for whom he cherished a strong affection.
There was a slight flush upon the face of Robert Ford10, or Robert Rand, as we should now call him. It was not strange that he should display some emotion at being thus publicly ignored, and his birthright transferred to another. As he looked up, he thought he could detect a momentary11 gleam of exultation12 in the face of Lewis. But it was immediately repressed.
The lawyer, who had previously13 been made acquainted with the fact that Robert was a son of the deceased, looked surprised.
“Was this expected?” he asked. “How shall we account for no mention being made of your name,” addressing Robert, “as his son, and direct heir? such an omission14 is extraordinary.”
“My father,” said Robert, calmly, “was not aware of my existence. He had not seen me for many years, and had been led to believe me dead. It was only accidentally”—his glance rested for a moment on his cousin, who strove to look unconcerned—“that I was enabled to discover his residence in this city, and make myself known to him before he died.”
He was proud enough to wish to keep concealed15 the long estrangement16 between them, desiring to shield his father’s memory from any reproach which this omission might be thought to cast upon it.
“My cousin is quite right,” said Lewis. “His father and myself believed, on what we supposed to be reliable evidence, that he died some years since in Chicago. It is a source of 199regret to me that our mistake was discovered at so late a period, when in consequence of the near approach of death, it was impossible for my uncle to make any change in the disposition17 of his estate.”
The lawyer who, without having any definite grounds of suspicion, distrusted Lewis and his smooth professions, answered, coldly, “Your regret will no doubt be considerably18 lessened19 when you reflect that the property which you acknowledge has come to you by mistake, is at your absolute disposal, and that it is therefore in your power to remedy this unintended wrong.”
The sallow face of Lewis flushed beneath the penetrating20 gaze of the lawyer, who, he saw, suspected the real nature which he kept concealed beneath a flimsy veil of deception21 and hypocrisy22.
But he was prepared even for this emergency.
“That is true,” he said, “and although my reverence23 for the expressed wishes of the deceased will not permit me to interfere24 materially with the disposition which he has made, I shall take care that my cousin is provided for. Robert, if you will do me the favor to remain after this form is over, I shall be glad to explain what I propose to do.”
Lewis had been thinking of this contingency25. He saw that it would be absolutely necessary to make some provision for his cousin, as well to quiet the world’s censure26 as more effectually to ward27 off suspicion from himself.
In the western part of Pennsylvania there was a small farm, worth, with the buildings upon it, three or four thousand dollars. This was but an insignificant28 item in the list of Mr. Rand’s possessions. It was this farm that Lewis proposed bestowing29 upon his cousin. It would, he thought, be a cheap way of securing his acquiescence31 in the provisions of the will, and remove him to an obscure neighborhood, where he would have little power of doing him harm.
200When all, save Helen and her father, had departed, Lewis turned to his cousin, and after repeating, at some length, his expressions of regret that his uncle had not been spared to make a change in the disposition of his property, concluded by tendering him, as a free gift, the farm in question, together with two hundred dollars in money, which he judged would be sufficient to convey them hither, and pay any little debts which they might have incurred32.
Robert listened in surprise to this disgraceful proposition. He was not a practical man, and in business matters he was very liable to be deceived. But he knew sufficient of the extent of his father’s wealth to divine, that the pittance33 which his cousin offered was less than the hundredth part of the entire estate.
Knowing this, his pride rose in indignant rebellion at this insult.
“Do you think, Lewis,” he said, scornfully, “that if my father had lived long enough to change his will according to the desire which you have several times seen fit to express, that this is the provision which he would have made for me?”
“If you do not consider it sufficient,” said Lewis, evasively, “I will say a thousand dollars, in addition to the farm. That will enable you to stock it amply, and live quite independently.”
“You are generous,” said Robert, with sarcasm35, for his spirit was now fully34 roused; “but think not that I will become a pensioner36 upon your bounty37. One tenth part even of the pittance which you offer me, if it came from my father, I would gratefully accept. But for you, who bestow30 your alms upon me as if I were a beggar, instead of the son of the man from whom all your wealth is wrongfully derived38, I scorn your gift, and reject it.”
201“You are hasty, and may regret your decision. Think of your daughter,—would you leave her penniless?”
“Let her decide that question. Helen, shall we accept what this man offers, or shall we preserve our humble39 independence, as we have done heretofore?”
“So long as I have you, papa, it is enough. God will take care of us.”
“You hear her answer, Lewis Rand. I have but one thing to say to you before we part,—it may be for the last time upon earth. I am not ignorant of the arts by which you have brought about and kept up the estrangement between my father and myself; how many overtures40 towards reconciliation41 on either side have been defeated through your machinations; how carefully you have kept alive in my father’s heart the belief that I was dead, though you knew it to be false. By such means you have compassed your object. I do not envy you your reward. Far less will I be indebted to you for a miserable42 pittance of that wealth which you have wrested43 from me by a systematic44 course of treachery and deceit. Come, Helen, let us go.”
Lewis Rand turned red and white by turns during this unexpected address, which satisfied him that Mr. Sharp had proved faithless to his trust. But flushed as he was with success, he could afford to disregard it all now.
“Do as you please,” he said, coldly. “At any rate, you cannot deny that I have made the offer. You may, some day, regret not having accepted it.”
“Never!” said his cousin, vehemently45.
“Very well; that is your affair. In reference to the grave charges which you have seen fit to bring against my character, I have only to say, that I defy you to prove them. Farewell! I would have been your friend. Since you would have me for your enemy, so let it be.”
202“I care as little for the one as for the other,” said Robert, proudly.
So saying, he held out his hand to Helen, and together they left the stately dwelling46, with its costly47 furniture and appointments, and took their way slowly to their humble lodging48, with its bare floor and hard wooden chairs, contrasting, in its plainness, so vividly49 with the dwelling they had left. There was another difference. The one was dark and gloomy in spite of its luxury. Here the warm and cheerful sunshine entered in at the open window, and flung its radiance all over the room.
Helen breathed a sigh of relief as she entered.
“Oh, how much pleasanter it is here,” she said, “than in that great gloomy house!”
And she began preparing supper with unwonted lightness of heart, as if a sudden weight had been removed from her spirit.
“I am well rid of him,” muttered Lewis, as his cousin left the room. “He really has more spirit than I suspected. As for that Sharp, he has served me a scurvy50 trick, but he has overshot his mark this time. I can fancy his disappointment when he discovers that Robert is still a beggar.”
Lewis laughed sardonically51, and gave himself up to the intoxicating52 dream of power which his wealth would give him.
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1
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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atone
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| v.赎罪，补偿 | |
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sedulously
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| ad.孜孜不倦地 | |
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deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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9
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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omission
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| n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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estrangement
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| n.疏远，失和，不和 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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hypocrisy
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| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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24
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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pittance
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| n.微薄的薪水，少量 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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pensioner
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| n.领养老金的人 | |
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bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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40
overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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44
systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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46
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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47
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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48
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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49
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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50
scurvy
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| adj.下流的，卑鄙的，无礼的；n.坏血病 | |
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51
sardonically
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| adv.讽刺地，冷嘲地 | |
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52
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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