CHAPTER XIII MR. MANNING'S NEW PLAN

 Mark so represented his school difficulty to his father that he incurred¹ but slight censure².

 

Indeed, Mr. Manning was so absorbed in plans for getting the greatest enjoyment³ out of the estate of which he had obtained possession by doubtful means that he didn't care to be disturbed about such a trifle as his son's suspension.

 

He felt more disposed to blame Frank, whom Mark charged with betraying him.

 

"What does Frank say about it?" asked Mr. Manning.

 

"Of course he denies it," said Mark, "but it can't be any one else."

 

"He is acting⁴ very unwisely," said Mr. Manning, compressing his thin lips.

 

"So I told him, but he said he didn't mean to be a dependent on you long."

 

"How is he going to avoid it?'

 

"I don't know."

 

"I have had some intimation from Col. Vincent, who appears to be in his confidence. He wants to leave us."

 

"To go away?"

 

"Yes."

 

"But you won't let him?"

 

"I have been thinking about that, Mark, and I may give my permission. The fact is, he stands in the way of some plans I have formed. I am thinking of traveling."

 

"Not without me?" said Mark, hastily.

 

"No; you shall go with me, but I don't care to take Frank."

 

"You might leave him at school."

 

"I might, but how do I know that he might not hatch some mischief⁵ while we are gone?"

 

"He might make some fuss about the property," suggested Mark.

 

"Has he hinted anything of that kind to you?" asked his father, quickly.

 

"Yes. Only yesterday he said that the property belonged by right to him."

 

Mr. Manning looked thoughtful, and watched Mark narrowly to see if from his manner he could divine the boy's intentions.

 

Later that same evening, Mark having retired⁶ early in consequence of a headache, Frank found himself alone with his stepfather, and took advantage of the opportunity to speak of the plan he had formed.

 

"Mr. Manning," he said, "if you are at leisure, I should like to speak with you a few minutes."

 

"Proceed," said his stepfather, waving his hand.

 

"But a week remains⁷ of the school term. Did you propose that I should return there at the end of the vacation?"

 

"Humph! I had not thought much on the subject."

 

"It has all along been intended that I should go to college when prepared, but I don't think I care much about it."

 

"In that case," said his stepfather, with alacrity⁸, "you would only be throwing away time and money by going."

 

He was quite ready to agree to Frank's surrender of the college plan for two reasons.

 

A college course would be expensive. Again, should he turn his attention to the law, he might hereafter give him trouble about the estate.

 

"I don't think I should throw away my time, for, if I went to college, I should go there to work faithfully; but I have a fancy for a more stirring life."

 

"It might be a good plan for you to learn a trade," said Mr. Manning, reflectively.

 

"Learn a trade!" exclaimed Frank, in surprise.

 

"Yes; it would always enable you to earn a living."

 

"Do you intend Mark to learn a trade?" asked Frank, quickly.

 

"No; his case is very different from yours."

 

"Why it is different?"

 

"It is not necessary for me to explain," answered his stepfather, stiffly.

 

"If there were any need of it, Mr. Manning, I would not object to learn a trade," said Frank. "I have no false pride on the subject. But my tastes are more for mercantile business."

 

"I may be able to find you a place somewhere. I have a friend in the dry-goods business, who would receive you at my recommendation."

 

"Thank you!" said Frank, hastily. "But if you will allow me, I would prefer to look around for myself."

 

"What is it you want, then?"

 

"Your permission to go out into the world, and try to make a living."

 

"And if you don't," said Mr. Manning, "I suppose you expect me to defray your expenses?"

 

"If I did have such an expectation, I think I should be justified⁹, in view of the large property which my mother left," said Frank, pointedly¹⁰.

 

"She left it to me," said his stepfather.

 

"So it appears, at any rate. But I shall not call upon you to pay my board. Give me your permission to go where I please, with a small sum of money to start me, and I shall be satisfied."

 

"And what will the world say? That I, your stepfather, to whom you have a right to look for maintenance, had driven you out to earn your living! It would be unjust, of course, but the world is ever unjust."

 

And Mr. Manning assumed a look of wronged innocence¹¹, which would have imposed on anyone who knew him but slightly.

 

"I shall defend you from any such charge," said Frank. "I shall say that you were only yielding to my request."

 

"I will think of it, my dear boy," said Mr. Manning, graciously. "I already feel inclined to grant it, because it is your request. I shall be sorry to be separated from you; but I am willing to sacrifice my own feelings, if it will give you pleasure."

 

This did not impose upon Frank, who had a correct idea of the degree of fondness which Mr. Manning had for his society, but he was too well satisfied with the prospect¹² of obtaining the permission he desired to imply any doubts.

 

"Again," continued his stepfather, "whatever you may say to the contrary, I know that the world will censure me; but I shall have the approval of my own conscience, and with that I can defy the world."

 

Mr. Manning certainly did look like a righteous man when he said this, and he beamed upon his stepson with a glance that was actually affectionate.

 

"Go back to school," ho said, "and when you return I shall be able to give you a definite answer."

 

Indeed, nothing could have suited Mr. Manning's plans better. He would get rid of the care and nearly the whole expense of his obnoxious¹³ stepson, while with his son Mark he would be spending the revenues of the estate which belonged to Frank.

 

During the coming week he arranged his plans for a prolonged absence from the Cedars¹⁴. He wrote to New York to engage passage on a steamer bound for Liverpool, and quietly waited for the end of Frank's school term to release him from a care which had grown burdensome.

 

Frank returned to the Bridgeville Academy without Mark. As may be supported, however, he did not feel the loss of his society.

 

He at once communicated to his chosen friend, Herbert Grant, his probable departure from school.

 

"I am sorry to hear it, Frank," said Herbert, soberly. "Do you think you are acting wisely?"

 

"I am not acting as I would have done had my mother lived," answered Frank; "but you must remember that my position in life has very much changed. I am a poor boy."

 

"Hardly that, when there is so much property in the family."

 

"I know Mr. Manning too well to believe that I shall derive¹⁵ much benefit from it. No, Herbert, I have my own living to make, and I want to make it in my own way."

 

"It is a sad change for you, Frank."

 

"No, I can't say that. I don't know how it is, Herbert, but I am rather glad to have all this thrown upon me. I enjoy feeling that I have got to work."

 

"I have a chance of enjoying the same feelings," said Herbert, with a smile.

 

"I wish we could start together, Herbert. Couldn't you go with me?"

 

Herbert shook his head.

 

"Father has a plan for me," he said. "I am to learn his trade, and shall commence next week. I don't particularly like it, but it is well to have a trade to fall back upon."

 

"Mr. Manning wanted me to learn a trade."

 

"There is no occasion for your doing so."

 

"I don't know about that. If I had a particular fancy for any, I wouldn't mind choosing it, but I am better suited for something else."

 

"What is your plan? What will you do first?"

 

"My father has a cousin in the city of Newark, New Jersey¹⁶, only a few miles from New York. Four years ago, he and his family made us a visit, and he was urgent then that we should return the visit. I will, first of all, go to him, and ask his advice. He is a business man, and he may be able to put me in the way of obtaining a position."

 

"I think you will succeed, Frank, but it will be harder than you think for. You don't know what poverty is yet. I have never known anything else."

 

"If I do succeed, Herbert, I may be able to find something for you."

 

"I wish you might," Herbert replied; but he was not as sanguine¹⁷ as Frank.

 

He understood, better than his friend, that for a boy to set out alone into the great world to earn a living is a serious undertaking¹⁸.

1 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

2 censure   

v./n.责备；非难；责难

参考例句：

• You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。
• His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

3 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 alacrity   

n.敏捷，轻快，乐意

参考例句：

• Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。
• He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

9 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

10 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

12 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。

13 obnoxious   

adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的

参考例句：

• These fires produce really obnoxious fumes and smoke.这些火炉冒出来的烟气确实很难闻。
• He is the most obnoxious man I know.他是我认识的最可憎的人。

14 cedars   

雪松，西洋杉( cedar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The old cedars were badly damaged in the storm. 风暴严重损害了古老的雪松。
• Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 1黎巴嫩哪，开开你的门，任火烧灭你的香柏树。

15 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。

16 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

17 sanguine   

adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的

参考例句：

• He has a sanguine attitude to life.他对于人生有乐观的看法。
• He is not very sanguine about our chances of success.他对我们成功的机会不太乐观。

18 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。