CHAPTER XXIX — INTRODUCES MR. BARTON

 When Herbert realized that he was to be left behind he ran after Willis Ford¹, and pleaded for the privilege of accompanying him. “Don't leave me here, Mr. Ford!” he said. “I should die of homesickness!”

“So you would rather go with me?” Ford said, with an amused smile.

“Oh, yes, much rather!”

“I had not supposed you valued my company so highly. I ought to feel complimented. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I shall have to leave you here for a few weeks. This good lady will take good care of you.”

Herbert stole a glance at Mrs. Barton, who was watching him with mingled² contempt and impatience³, but he did not become any more reconciled to the prospect⁴. He reiterated⁵ his request.

“I have had enough of this,” said Ford, sternly. “You will stop making a fuss if you know what is best for yourself. Good-by! You will hear from me soon.”

Herbert realized the uselessness of his resistance, and sank despondently⁶ upon the grass.

“Is he goin' to stay here, marm?” asked Abner, curiously⁷.

“Yes; he's goin' to board with us.”

“Ho, ho!” laughed Abner; “he'll have a nice boardin' place!”

“Abner, you jest shut up, or I'll take a stick to you! You needn't make him any more homesick than he is. Just try ef you can't amuse him.”

“Say, Sam, I guess we'll have a stavin' time together,” said Abner, really pleased to have a companion. “What'll we do? Want to play leapfrog?”

“I don't feel like playing,” answered Herbert, despondently.

“We might go fishin',” suggested Abner. “There's a pond only a quarter of a mile from here.”

“I don't know how to fish,” said Herbert.

“Don't know how to fish? What do you know how to do?”

“We don't have any chance in New York.”

“Say,” exclaimed Abner, with sudden interest, “is New York a nice place?”

“I wish I was back there. I never shall be happy anywhere's else.”

“Tell me what you fellows do there. I dunno but I'd like to go myself.”

Before Herbert had a chance to answer Mrs. Barton broke in:

“Abner, you take care of Sam while I go to the village.”

“What are you goin' there for, marm?”

“I'm going to buy some sausages for dinner. We haven't got anything in the house.”

“Me and Sam will go, if you'll give us the money.”

“I know you too well, Abner Barton. I won't trust you with the money. Ef I gave you a five-dollar bill, I'd never see any on't back again.”

“Say, mam, you haven't got a five-dollar bill, have you?” asked Abner, with distended⁸ eyes.

“Never you mind!”

“I'll tell dad ef you don't give me some.”

“You jest dare to do it!” returned Mrs. Barton, in a menacing tone. “Your father ain't got nothin' to do with it. It's money for Sam's board.”

“My name isn't Sam,” expostulated Herbert, who had a natural preference for his own appellation⁹.

“That's what I'm goin' to call you. You can call yourself George Washington, or General Jackson, ef you want to. Mebbe you're Christopher Columbus.”

“My name is Herbert Reynolds,” said Herbert, annoyed.

“That's what you call yourself to-day. There's no knowin' who you'll be to-morrow.”

“Don't you believe me, Mrs. Barton?” asked Herbert, distressed¹⁰.

“No, I don't. The man who brung you—I dis-remember his name—”

“Willis Ford.”

“Well, Willis Ford, then! It seems you know his name. Well, he told me you was loony, and thought you was somebody else than your own self.”

“He told you that I was crazy?” ejaculated Herbert.

“Yes; and I have no doubt it's so.”

“It's a wicked lie!” exclaimed Herbert, indignantly; “and I'd like to tell him so to his face.”

“Well, you won't have a chance for some time. But I can't stand here talkin'. I must be goin' to the store. You two behave yourselves while I'm gone!”

Herbert felt so dull and dispirited that he did not care to speak, but Abner's curiosity had been excited about New York, and he plied¹¹ his young companion with questions, which Herbert answered wearily. Though he responded listlessly, and did not say any more than he felt obliged to, he excited Abner's interest.

“I mean to go to New York some time,” he said. “Is it far?”

“It's as much as a thousand miles. It may be more.”

“Phew! That's a big distance. How did you come?”

“We came in the cars.”

“Did it cost much?”

“I don't know. Mr. Ford paid for the tickets.”

“Has he got plenty of money?”

“I don't think he has. He used to be pa's clerk.”

“I wish we had enough money. You and me would start some fine mornin', and mebbe your father would give me something to do when we got there.”

For the first time Herbert began to feel an interest in the conversation.

“Oh, I wish we could,” he said, fervently¹². “I know pa would give you a lot of money for bringing me back.”

“Do you really think he would?” asked Abner, briskly.

“I know he would. But your mother wouldn't let us go.”

“She wouldn't know it,” said Abner, winking¹³.

“You wouldn't run away from home?” questioned Herbert.

“Why wouldn't I? What's to keep me here? Marm's always scoldin', and dad gets drunk whenever he has any money to spend for drink. I reckon they wouldn't care much if I made myself scarce.”

Herbert was not sure whether he ought not to feel shocked. He admitted to himself, however, that if he had a father and mother answering the description of Abner's, that he would not so much regret leaving them. At any rate, Abner's words awoke a hope of sometime getting away from the place he already hated, and returning to his city home, now more valued than ever.

“We can't go without money,” he said, in a troubled voice.

“Couldn't we walk?”

“It's too far, and I'm not strong.”

“I could walk it, ef I took time enough,” asserted Abner, positively¹⁴. “Hello! there's dad!”

Herbert looked up, and, following Abner's glance, saw a man approaching the farmhouse¹⁵. Mr. Barton—for it was he—was a tall man, shabbily attired¹⁶, his head crowned with a battered¹⁷ hat, whose gait indicated a little uncertainty¹⁸, and betrayed some difficulty about the maintenance of his equilibrium¹⁹.

“Is that your father?” asked Herbert.

“It's the old man, sure enough. He's about half full.”

“What's that?”

“He's been drinkin', as usual; but he didn't drink enough to make him tight. Guess his funds give out.”

Herbert was rather shocked at Abner's want of respect in speaking of his father, but even to him Mr. Barton hardly seemed like a man who could command a son's respect.

“Wonder whether dad met marm on the way?” said Abner, musing²⁰.

By this time, Mr. Barton had entered the yard, and caught sight of his son and Herbert.

“Abner,” said he, in a thick voice, “who's that boy?”

“Then he didn't meet marm,” thought Abner. “He's a boy that's goin' to board with us, dad,” he answered.

“You don't say! Glad to make your acquaintance, boy,” he said, straightening up.

“Thank you, sir,” answered Herbert, faintly.

 

1 Ford   

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。

2 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

3 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

4 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

5 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

6 despondently   

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

7 curiously   

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。

8 distended   

v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• starving children with huge distended bellies 鼓着浮肿肚子的挨饿儿童
• The balloon was distended. 气球已膨胀。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 appellation   

n.名称，称呼

参考例句：

• The emperor of Russia Peter I was given the appellation " the Great ".俄皇彼得一世被加上了“大帝”的称号。
• Kinsfolk appellation is the kinfolks system reflection in language.亲属称谓是亲属制度在语言中的反应。

10 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

11 plied   

v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意

参考例句：

• They plied me with questions about my visit to England. 他们不断地询问我的英国之行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They plied us with tea and cakes. 他们一个劲儿地让我们喝茶、吃糕饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 fervently   

adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地

参考例句：

• "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 winking   

n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• Anyone can do it; it's as easy as winking. 这谁都办得到，简直易如反掌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The stars were winking in the clear sky. 星星在明亮的天空中闪烁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

15 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

16 attired   

adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The bride was attired in white. 新娘穿一身洁白的礼服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is appropriate that everyone be suitably attired. 人人穿戴得体是恰当的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

18 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

19 equilibrium   

n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静

参考例句：

• Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。
• This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

20 musing   

n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• "At Tellson's banking-house at nine," he said, with a musing face. “九点在台尔森银行大厦见面，”他想道。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute. 她把那件上衣放到一边，站着沉思了一会儿。