CHAPTER VII A PLEBEIAN RELATIVE

 On Sunday the family attended church. Many curious glances were fixed¹ on the Lane's pew, and there was a general wonder who the new boy was. Abel was not at all troubled by this scrutiny², but held up his head and assumed airs of importance.

 

"Who is that new boy, Gerald?" asked Harry³ Lovell.

 

"It is Abel Tyler—Mrs. Lane's son."

 

"I never knew she had a son."

 

"Nor did I till lately."

 

"Is he going to live here?"

 

"I suppose so."

 

"I don't think I shall like him."

 

"Why not?" Gerald asked.

 

"He looks disagreeable. Do you like him?"

 

"I haven't made up my mind. He only came yesterday. We must give him a chance."

 

Toward evening Mrs. Lane said:

 

"Gerald, I am going to transfer you to the small room, and give your present room to Abel."

 

Gerald had a good temper ordinarily, but his eyes flashed with indignation.

 

"Why is this, Mrs. Lane?" he demanded.

 

"I don't acknowledge your right to question or criticise⁴ my arrangements," said his stepmother, coldly.

 

"Mrs. Lane, that room has always been mine. My father gave it to me when I was eight years old, and I have occupied it ever since. Abel is a stranger in the house. Why should my room be given to him?"

 

"When your father was alive he made such arrangements as he chose for you. He is dead, and his authority has descended⁵ to me."

 

"There is no justice in this change," said Gerald, bitterly, for he was attached to his chamber⁶, and it was endeared to him by many associations.

 

"I don't want to hear any more on the subject," said Mrs. Lane, decisively. "I have made the change for good and sufficient reasons and nothing that you can say will alter my plan."

 

"That's right, ma," put in Abel. "Of course it is for you to say. I wouldn't stand any impudence⁷."

 

"Nor will I," retorted Gerald, and he looked so fierce and determined⁸ that Abel shrank back in momentary⁹ fear of an attack.

 

"Enough of this," said Mrs. Lane, coldly. "Gerald, you will find that your trunk and clothing have been carried into the small room. You will get used to it in time."

 

"If this injustice¹⁰ continues," Gerald said to himself, "I may decide to leave my old home and strike out for myself."

 

He resolved, however, not to act hastily, but for the present to accommodate himself to the new arrangements. It was hard to bear Abel's triumphant¹¹ glance as he walked into the larger room, which had so long been his own.

 

During the week following Gerald did not attend school. If, as seemed likely, a long season of hard work lay before him, he would have a preliminary vacation. A good deal of his time he spent in his dory, as he was very fond of the water and was a skilful¹² oarsman. Two or three times Abel accompanied him and showed an ambition to use the oars¹³; but, not being accustomed to rowing, he one day upset the boat, and might have been drowned but for the timely assistance rendered by Gerald. This seemed to disgust him with the water, and he gave up the idea of asking his mother for a sail-boat. Gerald was not sorry to lose his company, especially as his place was frequently taken by John Holman, who was now back again in the shoe shop, but only working on half-time.

 

One afternoon, after leaving the boat, Gerald was on his way home when he was accosted¹⁵ by a stranger—a stout¹⁶, muscular man, roughly dressed, who looked like a laboring¹⁷ man.

 

"Are you acquainted hereabout, young man?" he asked.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I have a sister living here somewhere, but as I have never been in Portville before I don't know where to find her."

 

"Perhaps I can direct you," said Gerald, politely. "What is her name?"

 

"Her first husband was a Tyler, but I hear she married a rich man in this town—his name was Lane, I'm told."

 

Gerald was amazed. Was it possible that this rough-looking man was the brother of his stepmother and the uncle of Abel? It must be so, for Abel's last name, as he recalled, was Tyler.

 

"You have come to the right person for information," he said. "Your sister married my father."

 

"You don't say! Well, that beats all. Is it true that my sister is again a widder?"

 

"Yes; my father is dead," said Gerald, gravely.

 

"And did he leave Melindy well fixed?" asked the stranger, vaguely¹⁸.

 

"Yes."

 

Gerald did not feel like going into particulars. He felt too bitterly the injustice of his father's will to speak of its provisions before a stranger.

 

"Well, I'm glad on't. Melindy's first husband was a no-account sort of a man, and it's my belief he didn't leave her a hundred dollars. He was shif'less; and, besides, he drank."

 

So that was the man upon whom Abel must look as a father. Gerald felt glad to think that his father was a man of whom he had no reason to be ashamed.

 

"Have you seen your sister since—since her last marriage?" he asked, with some curiosity.

 

"No; I've never had an invitation to call upon her. I guess she was too much set up by her marriage to a rich man to notice a workin'-man. You see, I ain't one of your 'ristocrats—I'm only a blacksmith, and have to work hard for a living."

 

"You are none the worse for that, Mr.——" here Gerald hesitated, for he had not yet learned the name of his new acquaintance.

 

"Crane—Alonzo Crane—that's my name, young man. I'm glad you don't put on no airs, even if your father was a rich man. Do you know anything of my sister's son, Abel?"

 

"Yes, sir; he is in Portville, living with his mother."

 

"How do you like him?" Then, seeing that Gerald hesitated, he added: "You needn't mind telling me, for I ain't much stuck on the boy myself, even if he is my nephew."

 

"I don't like him much, Mr. Crane."

 

"I don't know anybody that does, except his mother. He and Melindy—that's his mother—have seen some pretty hard times. More'n once his mother has sent him to me for a little help when they hadn't a penny in the house."

 

This was news to Gerald, of course, but did not necessarily prejudice him against his stepmother and her son, but it made their present pretensions¹⁹ and airs rather ridiculous.

 

"Why haven't you been to call on your sister before?" he asked.

 

"Because she never invited me and I thought she wouldn't like to have her new husband see me."

 

"My father would have received you kindly²⁰, Mr. Crane."

 

"I am sure he would if you are like him. You ain't no kin¹⁴ to me, but I like you better already than Abel."

 

"Thank you, Mr. Crane."

 

"You needn't do that. It ain't sayin' much, for Abel, to my mind, is a disagreeable cub²¹."

 

Gerald began to think that Mr. Crane, despite his relationship to Mrs. Lane and Abel, was a man of excellent sense.

 

"I wonder what sort of a welcome he will get," he thought.

 

He had considerable doubt whether it would be very cordial.

 

By this time they had reached a point in the road from which the Lane mansion²² was visible.

 

"That is where your sister lives," he said, pointing to it.

 

"You don't say! Well, it is a nice place. Melindy has feathered her nest pretty well."

 

"That is true enough," said Gerald to himself.

 

"It's lucky I fell in with you, young man. You didn't tell me your name."

 

"Gerald—I am Gerald Lane."

 

"I wish you was my nephew instead of Abel. How long has Abel been here?"

 

"Only since my father died."

 

"Melindy was sly. Like as not she never told your father she had a son."

 

"She said he knew it; but I never heard of Abel till a few days ago."

 

"It's likely she didn't tell him. Of course she wouldn't own it up to you."

 

"Do you live far away, Mr. Crane?"

 

"I live in the town of Gladwin, most sixty miles from here. I'm fifty years old, but I was never so far away from home before. I shouldn't have come now, only I've been unlucky. My shop burned down last week, and there warn't no insurance on it. Thinks I, Melindy is rich, and now is just the time when I need help. Don't you think she ought to help me?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I'm her only brother, and there's only two of us anyway. I've got a wife and two children at home, and they'll be pinched if I don't get help somewhere. Many's the time I've helped Melindy and Abel."

 

"Then you certainly have a claim upon Mrs. Lane."

 

They turned into the yard, and Gerald was about ushering²³ his new acquaintance into the house, when Abel appeared at the door.

 

"Who are you bringing into the house, Gerald?" demanded Abel, sharply.

 

"Don't you know me, Abe?" asked Alonzo Crane, with an ingratiating smile.

 

"How should I?" asked Abel; but his face changed, for he did recognize his plebeian²⁴ relative.

 

"This is your uncle," said Gerald, gravely. "Is your mother at home?"

1 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

2 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

3 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。

4 criticise   

v.批评，评论；非难

参考例句：

• Right and left have much cause to criticise government.左翼和右翼有很多理由批评政府。
• It is not your place to criticise or suggest improvements!提出批评或给予改进建议并不是你的责任！

5 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

6 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。

7 impudence   

n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼

参考例句：

• His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。
• What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 momentary   

adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的

参考例句：

• We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
• I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。

10 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

11 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

12 skilful   

(=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的

参考例句：

• The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多，熟练的程度越高。
• He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。

13 oars   

n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
• The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

15 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 laboring   

n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• The young man who said laboring was beneath his dignity finally put his pride in his pocket and got a job as a kitchen porter. 那个说过干活儿有失其身份的年轻人最终只能忍辱，做了厨房搬运工的工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• But this knowledge did not keep them from laboring to save him. 然而，这并不妨碍她们尽力挽救他。 来自飘（部分）

18 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

19 pretensions   

自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力

参考例句：

• The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。
• The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

20 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

21 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

22 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

23 ushering   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They were right where the coach-caller was swinging open a coach-door and ushering in two ladies. "他们走到外面时，叫马车的服务员正打开车门，请两位小姐上车。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Immediately the two of them approached others, thanking them, ushering them out one by one. 他们俩马上走到其他人面前，向他们道谢，一个个送走了他们。 来自辞典例句

24 plebeian   

adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民

参考例句：

• He is a philosophy professor with a cockney accent and an alarmingly plebeian manner.他是个有一口伦敦土腔、举止粗俗不堪的哲学教授。
• He spent all day playing rackets on the beach,a plebeian sport if there ever was one.他一整天都在海滩玩壁球，再没有比这更不入流的运动了。