CHAPTER XII. PERCY DIXON IS BEWILDERED.

 At the end of the first act Jed and George Osprey were called before the curtain. Jed had been instructed to bow his thanks, and did so. Percy watched his face eagerly, for this brought Jed within a few feet of him.

 

"Mother," he said, "if that boy isn't Jed, it is his twin brother."

 

"But, Percy," said his mother, who was a practical woman, "I never heard that the boy had a twin brother."

 

"Oh, pshaw! I meant that he is exactly like him."

 

"But this boy is Ralph Clinton. The bill says so."

 

"I know it," said Percy, with a puzzled expression. "I don't understand it at all."

 

"The boy you mean is probably in bed at the Scranton poorhouse."

 

[Pg 107]

 

"Perhaps he is. I don't see, for my part, how he could be here, or know how to act."

 

The play proceeded. It was in five acts, and Jed was not called upon to appear again till the last one. He proved himself up to the requirements of the part, and evidently produced a favorable impression on the audience.

 

"Mother," said Percy, "I would like to wait at the stage door till the actors come out."

 

"But, Percy, it is already late. We ought to be starting for home."

 

"But, mother, you know father is Overseer of the Poor, and if this boy is Jed, he has run away from the Scranton poorhouse, and father will be held responsible."

 

"Why should he?"

 

"Because the paupers¹ are under his charge. If one of them runs away he will be blamed."

 

"Well, if you think we ought to stop," said the lady undecidedly. "But I don't see what you expect to accomplish."

 

"I want to see that boy face to face. I want to speak to him, and find out for certain who he is."

 

[Pg 108]

 

"Well, don't be any longer than you can help."

 

"I won't."

 

Meanwhile Jed and Harry² Bertram were conversing³ in the greenroom.

 

"You did yourself proud, my boy," said Bertram. "You acted as well as Clinton, and in some respects better."

 

"I am glad to hear you say so, Mr. Bertram," said Jed, gratified.

 

"I could hardly believe that this was your first appearance on the stage. Weren't you frightened at all?"

 

"Not a bit. I enjoyed it."

 

"Did you see any of your Scranton friends in the audience?"

 

"I saw none of my Scranton friends," answered Jed, "but I saw two Scranton acquaintances."

 

"Who were they?"

 

"Percy Dixon, son of the Overseer of the Poor, and his mother."

 

"Where were they sitting?"

 

"In the third row from the stage."

 

"Do you think they recognized you?"

 

[Pg 109]

 

"I saw Percy watching me very closely I am sure he noticed my resemblance to his old acquaintance Jed, but he couldn't understand how it was possible for me to be the same boy."

 

"Then you baffled him?"

 

"I don't know. I shouldn't wonder if he would be waiting outside to get a view of me."

 

"And if he does?"

 

"He will do all he can to get me back to the poorhouse."

 

"Then I'll tell you what to do. Go out of the stage door arm in arm with me, and I will address you as Ralph. If he speaks, appear not to know him."

 

"That will be a capital joke," said Jed taking in the humor of the situation.

 

"Between us, I think we can bluff⁴ him off."

 

Jed had appeared in the last act in his street costume, and had no preparations to make, but Bertram had to exchange his stage for his ordinary dress. When they were ready they emerged from the stage door arm in arm. A glance showed Jed that Percy was[Pg 110] waiting to intercept⁵ him. He did not appear to notice Percy, but passed on.

 

Percy hastened forward, and touched him on the arm.

 

"Look here, I want to speak to you," he said.

 

"Speak on, my boy," said Jed, assuming the style of his new profession.

 

"How did you come here?" demanded Percy bluntly.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I mean that you are Jed Gilman."

 

"My dear Ralph, what does this person mean?" said Bertram.

 

"He evidently mistakes me for some one he knows," said Jed coolly. "May I ask your name, young man?"

 

"You know me well enough," said Percy angrily, for Jed had not tried to change his voice. "I am Percy Dixon."

 

"Percy Dixon?" repeated Jed. "Where have I met you?"

 

"Where have you met me?" retorted Percy. "At the Scranton poorhouse."

 

"Do you reside there?" asked Jed with admirable composure.

 

[Pg 111]

 

"Do I live at the poorhouse?" repeated Percy, exasperated⁶. "Of course I don't."

 

Mrs. Dixon had heard this colloquy⁷, as she was sitting in the carriage only six feet away.

 

"Percy," she said, "I told you you had made a mistake."

 

"I don't believe I have," said Percy in a sulky tone.

 

"For whom do you take me, Mr. Dixon?" asked Jed.

 

"For Jed Gilman, a poorhouse boy."

 

"I feel very much complimented," said Jed smoothly⁸. "I hope Jed is a nice boy."

 

"No, he isn't. He is an impudent⁹ young rascal¹⁰."

 

"Then how dare you compare my friend Ralph to a boy like that?" demanded Bertram savagely¹¹. "You must be crazy, or do you mean to deliberately¹² insult him?"

 

Poor Percy was overwhelmed. He wasn't half so certain now that he was right. True, there was a wonderful resemblance between the young actor and Jed, but then it seemed impossible that Jed should have left the poorhouse suddenly (and Percy remembered [Pg 112]seeing him that very afternoon at his own home) and developed into a member of a dramatic company.

 

"I may have made a mistake," he said doubtfully.

 

"I am glad you realize this possibility," said Bertram. "Did you witness the play this evening?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Do you think your friend Jed——"

 

"He is not my friend."

 

"Well, do you think that Jed, whatever he is, could act like my friend Ralph?"

 

"No, I don't think he could," Percy admitted.

 

"Probably this Jed is a very ordinary boy?"

 

"I should say so. Ordinary is no name for it. He is stupid."

 

"Then you will see for yourself that it is not very likely that he should become an accomplished¹³ actor all at once. If it were you it might be different. You are evidently a young man of social position, while this Jed is a poor boy, and I presume without education."

 

[Pg 113]

 

"Yes, he is very ignorant," answered Percy, falling into the trap. "Is it—hard to learn to act?" he added.

 

"Not if you have talent and education. Do you think of trying the stage?"

 

"I might some time," said Percy, flattered by the question.

 

"If you do, I hope you will succeed. Now, Mr. Dixon, I must bid you good night, as my friend Ralph and myself are fatigued¹⁴ with our acting¹⁵ and must get to bed."

 

"Good evening!" said Jed, raising his hat gravely.

 

"Good evening!" returned Percy, more puzzled than ever.

 

He jumped into the carriage and started to drive home.

 

"Then it wasn't Jed?" said his mother.

 

"I suppose not," answered Percy, "but I never in all my life saw such a resemblance."

 

"Very likely," replied Mrs. Dixon placidly¹⁶. "There was a woman in Trenton who looked just like me, so that no one could tell us apart."

 

"Yes," admitted Percy; "I must be [Pg 114]mistaken. This boy had a very nice suit on, while Jed was dressed in rags."

 

When they reached home Squire¹⁷ Dixon was abed and asleep. Percy came down late to breakfast.

 

"By the way, Percy," said his father, as he helped him to breakfast, "Fogson has just been over to report that the boy Jed has mysteriously disappeared. He never went back after bringing me the message yesterday afternoon."

 

Percy dropped his knife and fork and stared at his father in open-eyed amazement¹⁸.

 

"Then it was Jed, after all!" he exclaimed.

1 paupers   

n.穷人( pauper的名词复数 )；贫民；贫穷

参考例句：

• The garment is expensive, paupers like you could never afford it! 这件衣服很贵，你这穷鬼根本买不起！ 来自互联网
• Child-friendliest among the paupers were Burkina Faso and Malawi. 布基纳法索，马拉维，这俩贫穷国家儿童友善工作做得不错。 来自互联网

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 conversing   

v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I find that conversing with her is quite difficult. 和她交谈实在很困难。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were conversing in the parlor. 他们正在客厅谈话。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

5 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

6 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

7 colloquy   

n.谈话，自由讨论

参考例句：

• The colloquy between them was brief.他们之间的对话很简洁。
• They entered into eager colloquy with each other.他们展开热切的相互交谈。

8 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

9 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

10 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

11 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。

12 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

13 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

14 fatigued   

adj. 疲乏的

参考例句：

• The exercises fatigued her. 操练使她感到很疲乏。
• The President smiled, with fatigued tolerance for a minor person's naivety. 总统笑了笑，疲惫地表现出对一个下级人员的天真想法的宽容。

15 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

16 placidly   

adv.平稳地，平静地

参考例句：

• Hurstwood stood placidly by, while the car rolled back into the yard. 当车子开回场地时，赫斯渥沉着地站在一边。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The water chestnut floated placidly there, where it would grow. 那棵菱角就又安安稳稳浮在水面上生长去了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

17 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

18 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。