CHAPTER III MRS. LANE'S DISAPPOINTMENT

 Half an hour later the two boys were passing the savings¹ bank, when Mr. Barton espied² them.

 

Leaving his place, he went to the door and called them.

 

"I have a word to say to you, Gerald," he said. "Does your stepmother know that you have a deposit in our bank?"

 

"Not that I know of. It is nothing to her, anyway, as my father put the money here under my name, and it was left to my control."

 

"Precisely³; but I have to tell you that Mrs. Lane does know you have money here."

 

"How did she find out?" asked Gerald, amazed.

 

"She saw you go out of the bank and, suspecting something, came in and inquired."

 

"Well?"

 

"Of course I told her that you had an account here. Then she forbade me to let you draw any of it."

 

"And you agreed to it?"

 

"No, I told her the money was under your control."

 

"Thank you. What did she say then?"

 

"She asked how much money you had here; I declined to inform her."

 

"Mr. Barton, you are a true friend."

 

"I don't mind telling you, Gerald, that I don't like your stepmother, and that I do like you."

 

"I am afraid there will be trouble. What do you advise me to do?"

 

"To draw out all your money except one dollar. Our rules will admit of that."

 

"But what shall I do with it? If I keep it at home she may get hold of it."

 

"Put it in the hands of some friend you can trust."

 

"Will you take charge of it for me?"

 

"Yes, Gerald, if you think you can trust me," said Mr. Barton, with a smile.

 

"There is no one I would trust with more confidence."

 

"Then draw a check for forty-three dollars. That, together with the six dollars you have already drawn⁴, will leave one dollar in the bank."

 

"Good! I will do it."

 

Gerald made out a check for forty-three dollars, and, when received, handed the money to Mr. Barton, who gave him a memorandum⁵ of it.

 

"Keep this from your stepmother," he suggested, "or she will ask me for it."

 

"Won't you keep the memorandum yourself, Mr. Barton?"

 

"But that would be hardly businesslike."

 

"Never mind that. I have perfect confidence in you."

 

"Very well, since you have confidence in me, I will put it in my tin box at home, and if anything should happen to me it will secure you."

 

"Well, I am glad that is off my mind," said Gerald; "I think I have checkmated Mrs. Lane."

 

"It must be disagreeable to find it necessary to take such extreme precautions."

 

"It is, but I must submit to it."

 

"You told me you were going to work, Gerald," said John, suddenly. "Have you engaged any place?"

 

"No, but Mrs. Lane has made an arrangement for me with Mr. Tubbs, the grocer."

 

"You don't mean it? You work in a grocery!"

 

"It is respectable, and I am not afraid of work, but it will be very disagreeable."

 

"I can tell you it will be. I once worked for old Tubbs myself."

 

"How did you like it?"

 

"Not at all. I had to work twelve hours a day, and received but two dollars and a half a week."

 

"I am to have the munificent⁶ sum of three dollars. Evidently Mr. Tubbs thinks that very liberal. He tells me that by the time I am twenty-one I may be getting ten dollars a week, and if my stepmother will advance a thousand dollars he may sell me an interest in the business."

 

"What a shame!"

 

"That I should have an interest in the business?" asked Gerald, with a smile.

 

"No, but that a boy of your scholarship should tend in a grocery, and for such a sum. Why, I earn six dollars a week as a pegger."

 

"I should rather work in your shop than in the grocery."

 

"But there is no vacancy⁷. That, too, would be unfit for you. Why, you know Latin and French, don't you?"

 

"I have studied them. If Mr. Tubbs has any Latin or French customers I may be able to wait on them."

 

"I am glad you can joke about it, Gerald."

 

"I don't feel much like joking, I assure you."

 

About twelve o'clock Gerald turned his steps in the direction of home, though, since his father's death, it no longer seemed to him like home. Dinner would be on the table at half-past twelve, and he always aimed to be punctual.

 

Mrs. Lane took her place at the table, stiff and rigid⁸ as usual. She had not forgotten the savings bank deposit of Gerald, and had made up her mind to get it under her control.

 

Mrs. Lane did not immediately introduce the subject, but when the dessert came on she said: "I saw you coming out of the savings bank this morning."

 

"Now for it!" thought Gerald.

 

"Yes," he said, in brief assent⁹.

 

"How long have you had an account there?"

 

"About two years."

 

"Did you withdraw any money this morning?"

 

"Yes."

 

"How much?"

 

"You must excuse me, Mrs. Lane, but that is my own private business."

 

"You are quite mistaken. You are my stepson, and you are under my guardianship¹⁰."

 

"I suppose, then, you have charge of my property. Let me know how much it is."

 

Mrs. Lane winced¹¹.

 

"You have no property," she said, coldly, "except what money you may have in the savings bank."

 

"Then I am to understand that none of the property belonging to my father comes to me."

 

"You will receive a certain advantage from it. Your home is in this house, and the dinner you are eating is provided with your father's money."

 

"Yet you want me to pay you half the money I am to receive for work!"

 

"Yes; but if you are guided by my wishes, I shall lay it aside for you, to be given to you hereafter."

 

"I am not prepared to say that I shall be guided by your wishes."

 

"Do you positively¹² refuse to tell me how much money you have in the savings bank?"

 

"I do."

 

"I require you to give me your bank-book. It is proper that I should keep it."

 

Gerald expected this.

 

"Mrs. Lane, ever since I had any money in the bank, the book has been in my possession. My father desired me to keep it."

 

"Your father was foolishly indulgent."

 

"I don't think you are likely to be. Perhaps you will tell me what you want of the book?"

 

"I want to prevent your withdrawing any more money."

 

"So I supposed, and that is the reason why I decline to give you the book."

 

"Very well; we will drop the subject for the present. I trust that with time for reflection you will take a different view of your duty."

 

Gerald was surprised at his stepmother's change of front.

 

"She wants to put me off my guard," he decided¹³. "She will search my room for the book."

 

As there was but a dollar to his credit now, this didn't disturb him particularly, nor did it prevent his going to his chamber¹⁴ and putting the book into his trunk.

 

"I should like to be here when she finds it," he said to himself.

 

Gerald had promised to go out on the pond in his boat, and John had agreed to go with him. He stopped at his friend's house on the way, and John joined him.

 

Meanwhile Mrs. Lane waited till Gerald was safely distant, and then with a look of expectation, ascended¹⁵ the staircase to his room. She had noticed that her stepson went up-stairs, and thought it probable that he had put the book away.

 

Gerald's trunk was in one corner of the room. It was locked, but this did not interpose any obstacle. Mrs. Lane kneeled down in front of it and took from her pocket a bunch of keys. She did not immediately find one that fitted the lock, but presently the right key turned up.

 

"Ha!" she said, triumphantly¹⁶, as the key turned in the lock and the lid was raised. "Now, Master Gerald, we will see how much money you have to your credit."

 

The bank-book was just below the tray, and no time was wasted in finding it.

 

She opened the book eagerly, and scanned the entries. But her first elation¹⁷ was succeeded by a look of anger and disappointment. Fifty dollars was entered to Gerald's credit, but his drafts amounted to forty-nine. There was only one dollar left.

 

"Two drafts this morning!" said Mrs. Lane, angrily. "What has he done with the money?"

 

She searched the trunk carefully, hoping to find somewhere a roll of bills, but as we know, she was doomed¹⁸ to disappointment.

 

"He is sly," she muttered; "but I will trap him yet."

 

She left the book in the tray, whereas it had been placed underneath¹⁹. When Gerald opened his trunk, he discovered the change, and knew that his trunk had been opened and examined by his stepmother.

1 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。

2 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

3 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

6 munificent   

adj.慷慨的，大方的

参考例句：

• I am so happy to get munificent birthday presents from my friends.我很高兴跟我朋友收到大量的生日礼物。
• The old man's munificent donation to the hospital was highly appreciated.老人对医院慷慨的捐赠赢得了高度赞扬。

7 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

8 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

9 assent   

v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
• The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

10 guardianship   

n. 监护, 保护, 守护

参考例句：

• They had to employ the English language in face of the jealous guardianship of Britain. 他们不得不在英国疑忌重重的监护下使用英文。
• You want Marion to set aside her legal guardianship and give you Honoria. 你要马丽恩放弃她的法定监护人资格，把霍诺丽娅交给你。

11 winced   

赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
• He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。

12 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

14 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

15 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

17 elation   

n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意

参考例句：

• She showed her elation at having finally achieved her ambition.最终实现了抱负，她显得十分高兴。
• His supporters have reacted to the news with elation.他的支持者听到那条消息后兴高采烈。

18 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

19 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。