CHAPTER XVII. JED MEETS AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

 Jed was not long in finding that Chester's aunt looked upon him, if not with hostility¹, at least with distrust. This was an unpleasant discovery. Mr. Holbrook had always appeared to have confidence in him, and approved his management of his son.

 

While Chester and Jed were walking on the beach Miss Holbrook took a seat upon the bluff² and watched them through her spectacles, as Jed could not help seeing.

 

"I say, Jed," asked the little boy, "how do you like Aunt Maria?"

 

"I don't feel very well acquainted with her yet," answered Jed cautiously.

 

"I don't like her!" said Chester emphatically.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Oh, she's always scolding and finding[Pg 154] fault. Papa says it's because she's an old maid."

 

Jed smiled.

 

"I wish papa had not sent for her," went on Chester. "We could get along well enough without her."

 

"I think we should get along very well together, Chester."

 

"I am sure we should. Have you got any old maid aunts?"

 

"Not that I know of," replied Jed soberly, as he had forced upon him the thought of his solitary³ condition.

 

"Then you are lucky. I'll give you Aunt Maria if you want her."

 

"Perhaps she might not consent to be given away, Chester."

 

Half an hour later Jed met with a surprise, and one not altogether agreeable.

 

"Hello! you here!" exclaimed an amazed voice that sounded familiar to Jed.

 

He looked up and saw Percy Dixon approaching.

 

"Oh, it's you, Percy?" he said. "When did you arrive?"

 

[Pg 155]

 

"This morning. Father and I are staying at the Spray House." This was the largest hotel, and Percy mentioned the name with evident pride.

 

"It is a nice hotel," responded Jed.

 

"I should say so. Why, it's the most expensive one here. But you haven't told me how you came here."

 

"I have been here for some weeks."

 

"Where do you live?"

 

"I have a room in the village, but I take my meals at the Spray House."

 

"You take your meals at the Spray House?" ejaculated Percy.

 

"Yes."

 

"How can you afford it?"

 

"This boy's father pays my board. I look after Chester."

 

"What's your name?" asked Chester, who was by no means bashful.

 

"Percy Dixon," answered Percy politely, for he judged that Chester belonged to a rich family.

 

"So you know Jed?"

 

"Yes. I have that honor," returned Percy[Pg 156] with a curl of the lip. "When did you leave off acting⁴?" he asked, turning to Jed.

 

"At the end of the season. Few dramatic companies play during the summer."

 

"Are you going to play with them again?"

 

"I don't know yet. The boy whose place I took may be ready to take his own part in the fall."

 

"I saw your old friends Mr. and Mrs. Fogson just before I came away," said Percy significantly. "Wouldn't you like to know how they are?"

 

"No; I feel no particular interest in them."

 

"They are interested in you. Fogson says he's bound to get you back some time."

 

"I don't care to talk of them," said Jed coldly.

 

"Are you going in bathing?" asked Chester.

 

"Yes, I think so. Do you go in?"

 

"Shall we go in, Jed?" asked the little boy.

 

"Yes, if you like, Chester."

 

The three boys repaired to the bathing-houses and prepared for their bath.

 

[Pg 157]

 

As they walked up to the hotel together afterwards, Percy remarked: "It seems strange to see you in such a place as this."

 

"I suppose so."

 

"It's funny how you get on. How did you get the chance to take care of the little boy?"

 

Jed explained.

 

"Is Chester's father rich?"

 

"I presume so, from what I hear."

 

"Is he here now?"

 

"No; he is in Chicago for a week or ten days."

 

"And is there no one except you to take care of the boy?"

 

"There is an aunt of Chester's in the hotel—his father's sister. There she is now!" and Jed pointed⁵ out Miss Maria Holbrook.

 

Percy noticed her attentively⁶, and was observed in turn by the spinster, who privately⁷ resolved to seek some information about Jed from one who appeared to know him.

 

After dinner, while on the piazza⁸, Miss Holbrook noticed Percy sitting but a few feet distant.

 

"Ahem!" she began. "Young man, will[Pg 158] you do me the favor to move your chair a little nearer?"

 

Percy did so gladly. He wished for a chance to become acquainted with Jed's employers.

 

"Thank you. May I ask your name?"

 

"Percy Dixon."

 

"I noticed that you seemed to be acquainted with the boy who is in charge of my young nephew Chester."

 

"Yes, ma'am, I know him."

 

"Have you known him long?"

 

"As far back as I can remember."

 

"Did you live in the same town?"

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

"Where?"

 

"Scranton."

 

"You must pardon my curiosity, but my brother—Chester's father—engaged this boy without apparently⁹ knowing much about him, except that he had been on the stage."

 

"He wasn't on the stage long."

 

"Perhaps not, but probably he didn't get any good from it. What is your opinion of him. Though, as you are his friend——"

 

[Pg 159]

 

"I am not his friend!" said Percy bluntly.

 

"Then you haven't a high opinion of him?" said Miss Holbrook eagerly.

 

"No; I never liked him."

 

"I don't like him myself, though I can't tell exactly why not, and I am bound to say that Chester and his father seem infatuated with him."

 

"I think you are quite right, Miss Holbrook."

 

"I can't help thinking there is some mystery about him."

 

"You are right, Miss Holbrook. There is a mystery about him."

 

"I was sure of it," exclaimed the spinster. "What is the character of his relations?"

 

"He has none that I know of."

 

"I believe he told me his parents were dead, and that he was brought up by a Mr. and Mrs. Avery."

 

"Ho, ho!" laughed Percy.

 

"Why do you laugh?"

 

"At his being brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Avery."

 

"Isn't it true, then?"

 

[Pg 160]

 

"Yes; but he probably didn't tell you that Mr. and Mrs. Avery had charge of the Scranton poorhouse."

 

"What!" ejaculated the spinster.

 

"It is as I say. Until a few weeks since Jed was an inmate¹⁰ of the Scranton poorhouse."

 

"And this boy is actually in charge of my nephew!" exclaimed Miss Holbrook, overwhelmed with horror.

 

"Yes; I was very much surprised to see Jed in such company."

 

"My poor brother must be quite unaware¹¹ of this astounding¹² fact!"

 

"No doubt, Miss Holbrook. Jed is cunning. He wouldn't be very apt to tell your brother that he is a pauper¹³."

 

"A pauper! What a horrid¹⁴ thought! And that boy has actually the effrontery¹⁵ to push himself in among people of position. I can hardly believe it."

 

"If you have any doubt about it, Miss Holbrook, just write a note to Mr. Simeon Fogson, and ask him what he thinks of Jed Gilman."

 

"But I thought it was Mr. Avery who kept the poorhouse."

 

[Pg 161]

 

"He did; but when my father became Overseer of the Poor," said Percy with conscious pride, "he removed the Averys and put in Mr. and Mrs. Fogson, whom he considered more fit for the office. The Averys were weak people and pampered¹⁶ the paupers¹⁷."

 

"Mr. Simeon Fogson, Scranton," Miss Holbrook entered on her tablets.

 

"Really, Mr. Dixon, I am very much obliged to you for the important information you have given me, and so ought my brother to be. He has been very careless and indiscreet in engaging a boy of unknown antecedents, but it is fortunate that Chester has an aunt who is keenly alive to his interests."

 

As she rose to go to her room to write to Mr. Fogson, Percy smiled.

 

"Jed Gilman will find that his goose is cooked," he said to himself. "Won't he be astonished when the thunderbolt falls?"

1 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

2 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。

3 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

4 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。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

8 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

11 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

12 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 pauper   

n.贫民，被救济者，穷人

参考例句：

• You lived like a pauper when you had plenty of money.你有大把钱的时候，也活得像个乞丐。
• If you work conscientiously you'll only die a pauper.你按部就班地干，做到老也是穷死。

14 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

15 effrontery   

n.厚颜无耻

参考例句：

• This is a despicable fraud . Just imagine that he has the effrontery to say it.这是一个可耻的骗局. 他竟然有脸说这样的话。
• One could only gasp at the sheer effrontery of the man.那人十足的厚颜无耻让人们吃惊得无话可说。

16 pampered   

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 )

参考例句：

• The lazy scum deserve worse. What if they ain't fed up and pampered? 他们吃不饱，他们的要求满足不了，这又有什么关系？ 来自飘（部分）
• She petted and pampered him and would let no one discipline him but she, herself. 她爱他，娇养他，而且除了她自己以外，她不允许任何人管教他。 来自辞典例句

17 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