CHAPTER V DISINHERITED

 The contents of the will created general astonishment¹. There was not one in the room who didn't know the devotion of Mrs. Manning to her son Frank, yet, while speaking of him affectionately, she had treated him, as they considered, most cruelly. Why should she have left such a dangerous power in her husband's hands?

 

And how was Mr. Manning affected²?

 

He summoned to his face an expression of bewilderment and surprise, and, feeling that all eyes were fixed³ upon, him, he turned toward the lawyer.

 

"Mr. Ferret," he said, "I need hardly say that this will surprises me very much, as I see that it does the friends who are present. Are you sure that there is no codicil⁴?"

 

"I have been unable to discover any, Mr. Manning," said the lawyer, gravely, as he scanned the face of the widower⁵ keenly.

 

Mr. Manning applied⁶ his handkerchief to his eyes, and seemed overcome by emotion.

 

"I knew my dear wife's confidence in me," he said, in a tremulous voice, "but I was not prepared for such a striking manifestation⁷ of it."

 

"Nor I," said Mr. Ferret, dryly.

 

"Knowing her strong attachment⁸ to Frank," paused Mr. Manning, "I feel the full extent and significance of that confidence when she leaves him so unreservedly to my care and guidance. I hope that I may be found worthy⁹ of the trust."

 

"I hope so, sir," said Mr. Ferret, who, sharp lawyer as he was, doubted whether all was right, and was willing that Mr. Manning should be made aware of his feeling. "It is certainly a remarkable¹⁰ proviso, considering the affection which your wife entertained for her son."

 

"Precisely¹¹, Mr. Ferret. It shows how much confidence the dear departed felt in me."

 

"So far as I can see, the boy is left wholly dependent upon you."

 

"He shall not regret it!" said Mr. Manning, fervently¹². "I consecrate¹³ my life to this sacred trust."

 

"You acquiesce¹⁴ in the arrangement, then, Mr. Manning?"

 

"I cannot do otherwise, can I?"

 

"There is nothing to prevent your settling the property, or any part of it, on the natural heir, Mr. Manning. You must pardon me for saying that it would have been wiser had your wife so stipulated¹⁵ by will."

 

"I cannot consent to reverse, or in any way annul¹⁶, the last wishes of my dear wife," said Mr. Manning, hastily. "It was her arrangement solely¹⁷, and I hold it sacred. She has put upon me a serious responsibility, from which I shrink, indeed, but which I cannot decline. I will do all in my power to carry out the wishes of my late wife."

 

Mr. Ferret shrugged¹⁸ his shoulders.

 

"I am not surprised at your decision, sir," he said, coldly. "Few men would resist the temptation. My duty is discharged with the reading of the will, and I will bid you good-afternoon!"

 

Mr. Manning was a crafty¹⁹ man. He knew that the strange will would be discussed, and he thought it best that the discussion should come at once, that it might be the sooner finished.

 

Deborah, faithful old servant, was in a blaze of indignation.

 

She went up quickly to Frank, and said:

 

"It's a shame, Mr. Frank, so it is!"

 

"If my mother made that will, it is all right," said Frank, gravely.

 

"But she didn't, Mr. Frank! I know she would never do such a thing. She loved you as the apple of her eye, and she would not cheat you out of your rightful inheritance."

 

"No more she would, Mr. Frank," said the coachman, chiming in.

 

"I don't know what to think," said Frank. "It has surprised me very much."

 

"Surprised you!" exclaimed Deborah. "You may well say that. You might have knocked me down with a feather when I heard the property left away from you. Depend upon it, that man knows all about it."

 

"You mean Mr. Manning?"

 

"To be sure I mean him! Oh, he's managed artfully! I say that for him. He's got it all into his own hands, and you haven't a cent."

 

"If it was my mother's will I wouldn't complain of that, Deborah. It was hers to do with as she liked, and I know, at any rate, that she loved me."

 

"There's one thing surprises me," said Richard Green. "If so be as the will isn't genuine, how does it happen that you and I come in for a legacy²¹, Deborah?"

 

"It's meant for a blind," answered Deborah. "Oh, he's the artfulest man!"

 

"You may be right, Deborah. I must say the will sounded all right."

 

"Maybe it was copied from the mistress' will."

 

This conversation took place in one corner of the room.

 

It ceased as Mr. Ferret advanced toward the disinherited boy.

 

"Frank," said he, in a tone of sympathy, "I am very sorry for the provisions of the will."

 

"So am I, sir," answered our hero. "It isn't pleasant to be dependent on Mr. Manning."

 

"Particularly when the whole estate should be yours."

 

"I wouldn't have minded if half had been left to him, provided I had been left independent of him."

 

"I appreciate your feelings, Frank. I knew your father, and I am proud to say that he was my friend. I knew your mother well, and I esteemed²² her highly. I hope you will let me regard myself as your friend also."

 

"Thank you, Mr. Ferret!" said Frank. "I am likely to need a friend. I shall remember your kind proposal. I want to ask you one question."

 

"Ask, and I shall answer."

 

"Did my mother consult with you about making this will?"

 

"No, Frank."

 

"Did she ever say anything that would lead you to think she would leave the property as it is left in this will?"

 

"Not a word."

 

"Was there another will?"

 

"Yes. I wrote her will at her direction more than a year ago. This will is dated only three months since, and, of course, takes precedence of it, even if the other is in existence."

 

"Can you tell me what were the provisions of the other will?"

 

"A legacy of ten thousand dollars was left to Mr. Manning, and the rest of the estate to you, except the small legacies²³, which were all larger than in the will I have read. For instance, Deborah and Richard Green were each put down for five hundred dollars."

 

"So they suffer as well as I?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Have you any idea, Mr. Ferret, of the value of the estate which falls into Mr. Manning's hands?"

 

"I have some idea, because I have talked with your mother on the subject. This estate is worth fifty thousand dollars at least, and there are fully²⁰ fifty thousand dollars in money and bonds. The legacies do not altogether exceed one thousand dollars, and therefore it may be said that your stepfather has fallen heir to one hundred thousand dollars."

 

"I suppose there is nothing I can do, Mr. Ferret?"

 

"Not unless you can show that this will which I have read is not a genuine document. That would be difficult."

 

"Did you notice my mother's signature?"

 

"Yes. I am not an expert, but I cannot detect any difference greater than maybe existed between two signatures of the same person."

 

"Then I suppose there is nothing to be done at present. I expect to have a hard time with Mr. Manning, Mr. Ferret."

 

"How has he treated you in the past, Frank?" asked the lawyer.

 

"I have had nothing to complain of; but then he was not master of the estate. Now it is difficult, and I think his treatment of me will be different."

 

"You may be right. You remember what I said, Frank?"

 

"That I should regard you as a friend? I won't forget it, Mr. Ferret."

 

One by one the company left the house, and Frank was alone.

 

Left alone and unsustained by sympathy, he felt more bitterly than before the totally unexpected change in his circumstances.

 

Up to the last hour he had regarded himself as the heir of the estate. Now he was only a dependent of a man whom he heartily²⁴ disliked.

 

Could it be that this misfortune had come to him through the agency of his mother?

 

"I will not believe it!" he exclaimed, energetically.

1 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 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。

4 codicil   

n.遗嘱的附录

参考例句：

• She add a codicil to her will just before she die.她临终前在遗嘱上加了附录。
• In that codicil he acknowledges me。在那笔附录里，他承认了我。

5 widower   

n.鳏夫

参考例句：

• George was a widower with six young children.乔治是个带著六个小孩子的鳏夫。
• Having been a widower for many years,he finally decided to marry again.丧偶多年后，他终于决定二婚了。

6 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

7 manifestation   

n.表现形式；表明；现象

参考例句：

• Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
• What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

8 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

9 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 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。

12 fervently   

adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地

参考例句：

• "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 consecrate   

v.使圣化，奉…为神圣；尊崇；奉献

参考例句：

• Consecrate your life to the church.把你的生命奉献给教堂吧。
• The priest promised God he would consecrate his life to helping the poor.牧师对上帝允诺他将献身帮助穷人。

14 acquiesce   

vi.默许，顺从，同意

参考例句：

• Her parents will never acquiesce in such an unsuitable marriage.她的父母决不会答应这门不相宜的婚事。
• He is so independent that he will never acquiesce.他很有主见，所以绝不会顺从。

15 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

16 annul   

v.宣告…无效，取消，废止

参考例句：

• They have the power to alter or annul inappropriate decisions of their own standing committees.他们有权改变或者撤销本级人民代表大会常务委员会不适当的决定。
• The courts later found grounds to annul the results,after the king urged them to sort out the "mess".在国王敦促法庭收拾烂摊子后，法庭随后宣布废除选举结果。

17 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

18 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 crafty   

adj.狡猾的，诡诈的

参考例句：

• He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。
• He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

20 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

21 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

22 esteemed   

adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为

参考例句：

• The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 legacies   

n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症

参考例句：

• Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind. 书是伟大的天才留给人类的精神财富。 来自辞典例句
• General legacies are subject to the same principles as demonstrative legacies. 一般的遗赠要与指定数目的遗赠遵循同样的原则。 来自辞典例句

24 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。