Had Jed come alone he might have met with a disagreeable reception; but Mr. Fogson's quick eye recognized in his companion the son of the poorhouse autocrat5, Squire Dixon, and he summoned up an ingratiating smile on his rugged6 features.
[Pg 12]
"Yes, he's over to the house. Mrs. Fogson wants you to go right home, as he may want to see you."
"All right! It will give me pleasure. It always does me good to see your pa."
Percy looked at him critically, and thought that Mr. Fogson was about as homely8 a man as he had ever seen. It was fortunate that the keeper of the poorhouse could not read his thoughts, for, like most ugly men, Mr. Fogson thought himself on the whole rather prepossessing.
Jed smiled to himself, for he understood that Mr. Fogson considered him not entitled to a place in such superior company.
Mr. Fogson addressed several questions to Percy, which the latter answered languidly, as if he considered it rather a bore to be entertained by a man in Fogson's position. Indeed he almost snubbed him, and Jed was pleased to find the man who made so many unpleasant speeches to others treated in the same manner himself. As a general thing, a[Pg 13] man who bullies10 others has to take his turn in being bullied11 himself.
Meanwhile Mrs. Fogson was chatting with Squire Dixon.
"Nobody can tell what I have to put up with from them paupers13," she said. "You'd actilly think they paid their board by the way they talk. The fact is, the Averys pampered14 and indulged them altogether too much."
"That is so, Mrs. Fogson," said the squire pompously15, "and that, I may remark, was the reason I dismissed them from their responsible position. Do they—ahem!—complain of anything in particular?"
"Why, they want butter every day!" exclaimed Mrs. Fogson. "Think of it! Butter every day for paupers!"
"As you justly observe, this is very unreasonable16. And how often do you give them butter?"
"Once a week—on Sundays."
"Very judicious17. It impresses them with the difference between Sunday and other days. It shows your religious training, Mrs. Fogson."
[Pg 14]
"Well, and what else?"
"Likewise the old people expect tea every day. They say Mrs. Avery gave it to them."
"I dare say she did. It's an imposition on the town to spend their—ahem!—hard-earned money on such luxuries."
"That's the way I look at it, Squire Dixon."
"How often do you give them meat?"
"Every other day. I get the cheapest cuts from the butcher—what he has left over. But they ain't satisfied. They want it every day."
"Shocking!" exclaimed the squire, arching his brows.
"So I say. Of course I get a good many sour looks, and more complaints, but I tell 'em that if they ain't suited with their boarding-house they can go somewhere else."
"Very good! Very good indeed; ha, ha! I presume none of them have left the poorhouse in consequence?"
"No, but one has threatened to do so."
[Pg 15]
"Who is that?" asked Squire Dixon quickly.
"The boy Jed."
"Oh, yes, he was the one who opened the gate for me. Now, what sort of a boy is he, Mrs. Fogson?"
"He's an impudent19 young jackanapes," answered Mrs. Fogson spitefully, "begging your pardon for using such an inelegant expression."
"It is forcible, however, Mrs. Fogson. It is forcible, and I think you are quite justified20 in using it. So he is impudent?"
"Yes; you'd think, by the airs he puts on, that he owned the poorhouse, instead of being a miserable21 pauper12. Why, I venture to say he considers himself the equal of your son, Master Percy."
"No, no, Mrs. Fogson, that is a little too strong. He couldn't be so absurd as that."
"I am not so sure of that, Squire Dixon. There is no end to that boy's impudence22 and—and uppishness. Why, he said the other day that the meat wasn't fit for the hogs23."
[Pg 16]
"And was it, Mrs. Fogson?" asked the squire in an absent-minded way.
"To be sure, squire, though I must admit that it was a trifle touched, being warm weather; but paupers can't expect first-class hotel fare—can they, now, squire?"
"To be sure not."
"Then, again, Jed is always praising up Mr. and Mrs. Avery, which, as you can imagine, isn't very pleasant for Mr. Fogson and me. I expect he was Mr. Avery's pet, from all I hear."
"Very likely he was. He was brought to the poorhouse when a mere24 baby, and they took care of him from his infancy25. I've heard Mrs. Avery say she looked upon him as if he were her own child."
"And that is why she pampered him—at the town's expense."
"As you truly observe, at the town's expense. I am sure you and Mr. Fogson will feel it your duty to make the poorhouse as inexpensive as possible to the town, bearing in mind the great responsibility that has devolved upon you."
[Pg 17]
"Of course, squire, me and Fogson bear that in mind, but we ain't paid any too well for our hard labor26."
"That reminds me, Mrs. Fogson, another month has rolled by, and——"
"I understand, squire," said Mrs. Fogson. "I have got it all ready," and she drew a sealed envelope out of her pocket and passed it to the squire, who pocketed it with a deprecatory cough. His face brightened up, for he knew what the envelope contained.
"You can depend on me to use my official influence in your favor, Mrs. Fogson," he said cheerfully. "As long as you show a proper appreciation27 of my service in giving you the place, I will stand by you."
Squire Dixon was a rich man. He was paid by the town for his services as overseer, yet he was not above accepting five dollars a month from the man he had installed in office. He had never distinctly asked for it, but he had hinted in a manner not to be mistaken that it would be politic28 for Mr. Fogson to allow him a percentage on their salary and profits. They got the money back, and more,[Pg 18] for in auditing29 their accounts he did not scrutinize30 too closely the prices they claimed to have paid for supplies. It was an arrangement mutually advantageous31, which had never occurred to Mr. and Mrs. Avery, who in their scrupulous32 honesty were altogether behind the times, according to the squire's thinking.
"And how many paupers have you in the house at present, Mrs. Fogson?" asked the overseer.
"Nineteen, squire. Would you like to look at them?"
"Well, perhaps in my official capacity it would be as well."
"Come in here, then," and Mrs. Fogson led the way into a large room where sat the paupers, a forlorn, unhappy-looking company. Two of the old ladies were knitting; one young woman, who had lost her child, and with it her mind, was fondling a rag baby; two were braiding a rag carpet, and others were sitting with vacant faces, looking as if life had no attraction for them.
"Will you address them, squire?" asked Mrs. Fogson.
"Ahem!" said the squire, straightening up and looking around him with the air of a benignant father. "I will say a few words."
"Attention all!" exclaimed Mrs. Fogson in a sharp voice. "Squire Dixon has consented to make a few remarks. I hope you will appreciate your privilege in hearing him."
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1
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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2
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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3
fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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5
autocrat
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| n.独裁者；专横的人 | |
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6
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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7
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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8
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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9
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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10
bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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11
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
pauper
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| n.贫民，被救济者，穷人 | |
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13
paupers
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| n.穷人( pauper的名词复数 )；贫民；贫穷 | |
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14
pampered
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| adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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16
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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17
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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18
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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19
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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20
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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21
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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22
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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23
hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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24
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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25
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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26
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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27
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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28
politic
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| adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政 | |
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29
auditing
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| n.审计，查账，决算 | |
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30
scrutinize
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| n.详细检查，细读 | |
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31
advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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32
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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