CHAPTER XXXIX — THE HOUSEKEEPER'S RETRIBUTION

 The train from Chicago had just reached the Grand Central Depot¹. From the parlor² car descended³ two boys who are well known to us, Grant Thornton and Herbert Reynolds.

Herbert breathed a sigh of satisfaction.

“Oh, Grant,” he said, “how glad I am to see New York once more! I wonder if papa knows we are to come by this train?”

The answer came speedily.

The broker⁴, who had just espied⁵ them, hurried forward, and his lost boy was lifted to his embrace.

“Thank God, I have recovered you, my dear son,” he exclaimed, fervently⁶.

“You must thank Grant, too, papa,” said the little boy. “It was he who found me and prevented Mr. Ford⁷ stealing me again.”

Mr. Reynolds grasped Grant's hand and pressed it warmly.

“I shall know how to express my gratitude⁸ to Grant in due time,” he said.

On their way home Grant revealed to Mr. Reynolds for the first time the treachery of the housekeeper⁹, who had suppressed Herbert's letter to his father, and left the latter to mourn for his son when she might have relieved him of the burden of sorrow.

As Mr. Reynolds listened, his face became stern.

“That woman is a viper¹⁰!” he said. “In my house she has enjoyed every comfort and every consideration, and in return she has dealt me this foul¹¹ blow. She will have cause to regret it.”

When they entered the house Mrs. Estabrook received them with false smiles.

“So you are back again, Master Herbert,” she said. “A fine fright you gave us!”

“You speak as if Herbert went away of his own accord,” said the broker sternly. “You probably know better.”

“I know nothing, sir, about it.”

“Then I may inform you that it was your stepson, Willis Ford, who stole my boy—a noble revenge, truly, upon me for discharging him.”

“I don't believe it,” said the housekeeper. “I presume it is your office boy who makes this charge?” she added, pressing her thin lips together.

“There are others who are cognizant of it, Mrs. Estabrook. Grant succeeded in foiling Mr. Ford in his attempt to recover Herbert, who had run away from his place of confinement¹².”

“You are prejudiced against my son, Mr. Reynolds,” said Mrs. Estabrook, her voice trembling with anger.

“Not more than against you, Mrs. Estabrook. I have a serious charge to bring against you.”

“What do you mean, sir?” asked the housekeeper, nervously¹³.

“Why did you suppress the letter which my boy wrote to me revealing his place of imprisonment¹⁴?”

“I don't know what you mean, sir,” she answered, half defiantly¹⁵.

“I think you do.”

“Did Master Herbert write such a letter?” “Yes.”

“Then it must have miscarried.”

“On the contrary, the postman expressly declares that he delivered it at this house. I charge you with concealing¹⁶ or suppressing it.”

“The charge is false. You can't prove it, sir.”

“I shall not attempt to do so; but I am thoroughly¹⁷ convinced of it. After this act of treachery, I cannot permit you to spend another night in my house. You will please pack at once, and arrange for a removal.”

“I am entitled to a month's notice, Mr. Reynolds.”

“You shall have a month's wages in lieu of it. I would as soon have a serpent in my house.”

Mrs. Estabrook turned pale. She had never expected it would come to this. She thought no one would ever be able to trace the suppressed letter to her. She was not likely again to obtain so comfortable and desirable a position. Instead of attributing her ill fortune to her own malice¹⁸ and evil doing, she chose to attribute it to Grant.

“I am to thank you for this, Grant Thornton,” she said, in sudden passion. “I was right in hating you as soon as I first saw you. If ever I am able I will pay you up for this.”

“I don't doubt it, Mrs. Estabrook,” said Grant, quietly, “but I don't think you will have it in your power.”

She did not deign¹⁹ to answer, but hurried out of the room. In half an hour she had left the house.

“Now I can breathe freely,” said the broker. “That woman was so full of malice and spite that it made me uncomfortable to feel that she was in the house.”

“I am so glad that she has gone, papa,” said Herbert.

That evening, after Herbert had gone to bed, Mr. Reynolds invited Grant into his library.

“My boy,” he said, “I have settled accounts with Mrs. Estabrook; now I want to settle with you.”

“Not in the same way, I hope, sir,” said Grant.

“Yes, in the same way, according to your deserts. You have done me a service, that which none can be greater. You have been instrumental in restoring to me my only son.”

“I don't want any reward for that, sir.”

“Perhaps not; but I owe it to myself to see that this service is acknowledged. I shall raise your salary to fifteen dollars a week.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Grant, joyfully²⁰. “How glad my mother will be.”

“When you tell her this, you may also tell her that I have deposited on your account in the Bowery Savings²¹ Bank the sum of five thousand dollars.”

“This is too much, Mr. Reynolds,” said Grant, quite overwhelmed. “Why, I shall feel like a man of fortune.”

“So you will be in time, if you continue as faithful to business as in the past.”

“It seems to me like a dream,” said Grant.

“I will give you a week's leave of absence to visit your parents, and tell them of your good fortune.”

1 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

2 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

3 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

4 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

5 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

6 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

7 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。

8 gratitude   

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。

9 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

10 viper   

n.毒蛇；危险的人

参考例句：

• Envy lucks at the bottom of the human heart a viper in its hole.嫉妒潜伏在人心底，如同毒蛇潜伏在穴中。
• Be careful of that viper;he is dangerous.小心那个阴险的人，他很危险。

11 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

12 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

13 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

14 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

15 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

17 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

18 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

19 deign   

v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)

参考例句：

• He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
• I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。

20 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

21 savings   

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。