CHAPTER XXVII. JOHN OAKLEY'S AUNT.

 When John found that his enemy had abandoned the siege, he rowed ashore¹, and watched Mr. Huxter until he became satisfied that it would require a considerable time to catch the horse. He thought that he might venture to pursue his journey, without further fear of molestation². Of the incidents that followed, none are worth recording³. It is sufficient to say that on the evening of the second day John entered the town of Wilton.

It was years since he had seen his aunt. She had been confined at home by the cares of a young family, and the distance between Wilton and Hampton seemed formidable. He knew, however, that his uncle, Thomas Berry, kept a small country store, and had done so ever since his marriage. In a country village it is always easy to find the "store," and John kept up the main road, feeling that it would not be necessary to inquire. He came at length to a[272] meeting-house, and judged that the store would not be far off. In fact, a few rods further he came to a long, two-story building, painted white, with a piazza⁴ in front. On a large sign-board over it he read:—

"THOMAS BERRY.

 

PROVISION AND DRY-GOODS STORE."

"This must be the place," thought John. "I think I'll go into the store first and see uncle."

He entered, and found himself in a broad room, low-studded, furnished with counters on two sides, and crowded with a motley collection of goods, embracing calicoes and dry goods generally, as well as barrels of molasses and firkins of butter. There chanced to be no customer in at the time. Behind the counter he saw, not his uncle, but a young man, with long, light hair combed behind his ears, not very prepossessing in his appearance,—at least so John thought.

"Is Mr. Berry in?" he asked, walking up to the counter.

"Mr. Berry is dead," was the unexpected reply.

"Dead!" exclaimed John, in surprise. "How long since he died?"

"A week ago."

[273]

"We never heard of it," said John, half to himself.

"Are you a relation?" asked the young man.

"He was my uncle."

"Is your name Oakley?"

"Yes, John Oakley."

"Of Hampton?"

"Yes."

"A letter was sent there, announcing the death."

This was true; but Mrs. Oakley, who received the letter, had not thought it necessary to send intelligence of its contents to John.

"Didn't you get it?" continued the other.

"I haven't been at home for a week or more," said John. "I suppose that accounts for it. How is my aunt?"

"She is not very well."

"I think I will go into the house and see her."

John went around to the door of the house and knocked. A young girl of twelve answered. Though John had not seen her for six years, he concluded that it must be his Cousin Martha.

"How do you do, Cousin Martha?" he said, extending his hand.

"Are you my Cousin John Oakley?" she said, doubtfully.

[274]

"Yes. I did not hear till just now of your loss," said John. "How is your mother?"

"She is not very well. Come in, Cousin John. She will be glad to see you."

John was ushered⁵ into a small sitting-room⁶, where he found his aunt seated in a chair by the window, sewing on a black dress for one of the children.

"Here's Cousin John, mother," said Martha.

An expression of pleasure came to Mrs. Berry's pale face.

"I am very glad to see you, John," she said. "You were very kind to come. Is your stepmother well?"

"Quite well," said John. "But I do not come directly from home."

"Indeed! How does that happen?" asked his aunt.

"It is rather a long story, aunt. I will tell you by and by. But now tell me about yourself. Of what did my uncle die?"

"He exposed himself imprudently in a storm one evening three months since," said Mrs. Berry. "In consequence of this, he took a severe cold, which finally terminated in a fever. We did not at first suppose him to be in any danger, but he gradually[275] became worse, and a week since he died. It is a terrible loss to me and my poor children."

Here his aunt put her handkerchief to her face to wipe away the tears that started at the thought of her bereavement⁷.

"Dear aunt, I sympathize with you," said John, earnestly, taking her hand.

"I know you do, John," said his aunt. "I don't know how I can get along alone, with four poor fatherless children to look after."

"God will help you, aunt. You must look to him," said John, reverently⁸.

"It is that thought alone that sustains me," said Mrs. Berry. "But sometimes, when the thought of my bereavement comes upon me, I don't realize it as I should."

"I went into the store first," said John. "I suppose it was my uncle's assistant that I saw there?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Berry; "it was Mr. Hall."

"I suppose he manages the store now for you?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Berry, slowly. "But I hardly know that it is right to say that he manages it for me."

"Why not?" asked John, perplexed⁹ by his aunt's manner, which seemed to him strange.

"I will tell you, John," said his aunt. "When[276] Mr. Berry died, I thought he owned the stock clear, and had no debts; but day before yesterday Mr. Hall called in, and showed me a note for two thousand dollars, signed by Mr. Berry. I don't suppose the stock is worth more than three thousand. Of course that makes a very great difference in my circumstances. In fact, it will leave me only a thousand dollars, at the utmost, to support my poor children. I don't know what I shall do." And the poor woman, whose nerves had been shaken by her grief, burst into tears.

"Didn't my uncle own this building, then?" asked John.

"No, he never owned it. He hired it at a low rent from Mr. Mansfield, one of the selectmen, and a rich man."

"Can't you keep up the store, aunt? Will not that give income enough to support the family?"

"But for this note, I could. But if I have to pay that, it will leave only a third of the store belonging to me. Then out of the profits I must pay the rent, the wages of a salesman and a boy, before I can get anything for myself. You see, John, there isn't much prospect¹⁰."

"Yes," said John, thoughtfully. "It doesn't look[277] very bright. You say, aunt, that uncle never mentioned this note to you?"

"He never mentioned a syllable¹¹ about it."

"Did he generally mention his affairs to you?"

"Yes; he wasn't one of those husbands that keep everything secret from their wives. He always told me how he was getting along."

"When was the note dated?"

"A year and a half ago."

"Do you know whether my uncle had any particular use for so large a sum of money at that time?"

"No. That is what puzzles me," said Mrs. Berry. "If he got the money, I am sure I don't know what he did with it."

"Did he extend his business with it, do you think?"

"No, I am sure he did not. His stock is no larger now than it was six years ago. He always calculated to keep it at about the same amount."

"That seems strange," said John,—"that we can't find where the money went to, I mean; especially as it was so large a sum."

"Yes, John, that is what I think. There's some mystery about it. I've thought and thought, and I can't tell how it happened."

[278]

"What sort of a man is Mr. Hall?" asked John, after a pause.

"I don't know anything against him," said Mrs. Berry.

"I don't know why it is," said John, "but I don't like his looks. I took rather a prejudice against him when I saw him just now."

"I never liked him," said his aunt, "though I can't give any good reason for my dislike. He never treated me in any way of which I could complain."

"How long has he been in the store?"

"How long is it, Martha?" asked Mrs. Berry, turning to her oldest daughter, who, by the way, was a very pretty girl, with blooming cheeks and dark, sparkling eyes.

"It will be four years in October, mother."

"Yes, I remember now."

"He seems quite a young man."

"I think he is twenty-three."

"Does he get a large salary?"

"No, only forty dollars a month."

"Did you know of his having any property when he came here?"

"No; he seemed quite poor."

"Then I don't understand where he could have got[279] the two thousand dollars which he says he loaned uncle."

"I declare, John, you are right," said Mrs. Berry, looking as if new light was thrown over the matter. "It certainly does look very strange. I wonder I didn't think of it before; but I have had so much to think of, that I couldn't think properly of anything. How do you account for it, John?"

"I will tell you, aunt," said John, quietly. "I think the note is a forgery¹², and that Mr. Hall means to cheat you out of two-thirds of your property."

1 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

2 molestation   

n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨

参考例句：

• Michael Jackson is arrested by police on charges of child molestation. 2003年的今天，迈克尔·杰克逊因被警方指控有儿童性骚扰行为而被捕。 来自互联网
• Jackson pleads not guilty on the molestation charges. 2004年：杰克逊认罪不认罪的性骚扰指控。 来自互联网

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 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。

5 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

7 bereavement   

n.亲人丧亡，丧失亲人，丧亲之痛

参考例句：

• the pain of an emotional crisis such as divorce or bereavement 诸如离婚或痛失亲人等情感危机的痛苦
• I sympathize with you in your bereavement. 我对你痛失亲人表示同情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 reverently   

adv.虔诚地

参考例句：

• He gazed reverently at the handiwork. 他满怀敬意地凝视着这件手工艺品。
• Pork gazed at it reverently and slowly delight spread over his face. 波克怀着愉快的心情看着这只表，脸上慢慢显出十分崇敬的神色。

9 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

10 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。

11 syllable   

n.音节；vt.分音节

参考例句：

• You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
• The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。

12 forgery   

n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为）

参考例句：

• The painting was a forgery.这张画是赝品。
• He was sent to prison for forgery.他因伪造罪而被关进监狱。