CHAPTER VI AN UNSATISFACTORY INTERVIEW

 Frank came to a decision the next morning. A long deferred¹ interview with his stepfather was necessary. Having made up his mind, he entered the room in which his stepfather sat. His air was manly² and his bearing that of a boy who respects himself, but there was none of the swagger which some boys think it necessary to exhibit when they wish to assert their rights.

 

Mr. Manning, in a flowered dressing³ gown, sat at a table, with a sheet of paper before him and a lead pencil in his hand. Short as had been the interval⁴ since his accession to the property, he was figuring up the probable income he would derive⁵ from the estate.

 

He looked up as Frank entered the room, and surveyed him with cold and sarcastic⁶ eyes. His soft tones were dropped.

 

"Mr. Manning," said Frank, "I wish to talk to you."

 

"You may, of course," his stepfather replied mildly. "It is about the will," Frank advised him.

 

"So you would complain of your poor mother, would you?" said his stepfather, in a tone of virtuous⁷ indignation.

 

"I cannot believe that my mother made that will."

 

Mr. Manning colored. He scented⁸ danger. Should Frank drop such hints elsewhere, he might make trouble, and lead to a legal investigation⁹, which Mr. Manning had every reason to dread¹⁰.

 

"This is very foolish," he said, more mildly. "No doubt you are disappointed, but probably your mother has provided wisely. You will want for nothing, and you will be prepared for the responsibilities of manhood under my auspices¹¹."

 

Mr. Manning's face assumed a look of self-complacence as he uttered these last words.

 

"I have no blame to cast upon my dear mother," said Frank. "If she made that will, she acted under a great mistake."

 

"What mistake, sir?"

 

"She failed to understand you."

 

"Do you mean to imply that I shall be false to my trust?"

 

"Not at present, sir. I don't wish to judge of you too hastily."

 

As the boy turned to go, he said. "I have nothing further to say, sir."

 

"But I have," said Mr. Manning.

 

"Very well, sir."

 

"I demand that you treat my son Mark with suitable respect, and forbear to infringe¹² upon his rights."

 

Frank looked up, and answered, with spirit: "I shall treat Mark as well as he treats me, sir. Is that satisfactory?"

 

"I apprehend," said Mr. Manning, "that you may make some mistakes upon that point."

 

"I will try not to do so, sir."

 

Frank left the room, and this time was not called back.

 

His stepfather looked after him, but his face expressed neither friendliness¹³ nor satisfaction.

 

"That boy requires taming," he said to himself. "He is going to make trouble. I must consider what I will do with him."

 

As Mr. Manning reviewed Frank's words, there was one thing which especially disturbed him—the doubt expressed by his stepson as to his mother's having actually made the will.

 

He saw that it would not do for him to go too far in his persecution¹⁴ of Frank as it might drive the latter to consult a lawyer in regard to the validity of the will by which he had been disinherited.

 

Frank rather gloomily made his way to the stable. As he reached it, Richard Green came out.

 

"I'm sorry for you, Mr. Frank. But your mother was a saint. She was too good to suspect the badness of others, Mr. Frank. She thought old Manning was really all that he pretended to be, and that he would be as kind to you as she was herself. When she was alive, he was always as soft as—as silk."

 

"His manner has changed now," said Frank, gravely. "Excuse me, Richard, for finding fault with you, but don't call him old Manning."

 

"Why not, Mr. Frank?"

 

"I have no liking¹⁵ for Mr. Manning—in fact, I dislike him—but he was the husband of my mother, and I prefer to speak of him respectfully."

 

"I dare say you are right, Mr. Frank, but, all the same, he don't deserve it. Is Mr. Mark to ride Ajax then?"

 

"If he asks for it, you are to saddle Ajax for him. I don't want you to get into any trouble with Mr. Manning on my account."

 

"I don't care for that, Mr. Frank. I can get another place, and I don't much care to serve Mr. Manning."

 

"I would rather you would stay, if you can, Richard. I don't want to see a new face in the stable."

 

"I don't think he means to keep me long, Mr. Frank. Deborah and I will have to go, I expect, and he'll get some servants of his own here."

 

"Has he hinted anything of this, Richard?" asked Frank, quickly.

 

"No; but he will soon, you may depend on it. I won't lose sight of you, though. I've known you since you were four years old, and I won't desert you, if I can do any good—nor Deborah, either."

 

"I have two friends, then, at any rate," said Frank to himself. "That is something."

1 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

2 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

3 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

4 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

5 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

6 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

7 virtuous   

adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的

参考例句：

• She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
• My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

8 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

11 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

12 infringe   

v.违反，触犯，侵害

参考例句：

• The jury ruled that he had infringed no rules.陪审团裁决他没有违反任何规定。
• He occasionally infringe the law by parking near a junction.他因偶尔将车停放在交叉口附近而违反规定。

13 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

14 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

15 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。