CHAPTER XVII THE WAY OF THE WORLD

 Frank felt like an impostor when he discovered that his cordial reception was wholly owing to the belief that he was his mother's heir.

 

The situation was unpleasant, and he was impatient to have Mr. Tarbox undeceived. He was sure that Pliny would lose no time in revealing his true position, and decided¹ not to return to the house of Mr. Tarbox till nine o'clock, when the story would have been told.

 

He wandered about aimlessly till he heard the city clocks strike nine, and then rang the bell at his relation's house.

 

The family, with the exception of the two younger children, were assembled in the common sitting room.

 

As Frank entered, instead of the cordial welcome he had previously² received, he noticed a look of coldness and constraint³ on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Tarbox, while Pliny looked as if some stupendous joke was being perpetrated.

 

"Good-evening!" said Frank, politely. "I have been taking a walk."

 

"My son Pliny tells me," said Mr. Tarbox, "that you have not inherited your mother's property."

 

Frank bowed.

 

"And that it has gone to your stepfather."

 

"It seems so."

 

"I am amazed."

 

"So was I, sir."

 

"Your mother has practically disinherited you?"

 

"It was not my mother, sir," said Frank, hastily. "I can't explain it, but I'm sure she would not will away everything from me."

 

"Do you suspect your stepfather of anything irregular?" asked Mr. Tarbox, briskly.

 

"I would rather not answer your question, sir. I don't care to make any charges which I cannot prove."

 

"And so Mr. Manning has sent you out into the world to earn your own living, has he?"

 

"No, sir. He has consented that I may do so. It was my own plan."

 

Much as Frank was prejudiced against his stepfather, his natural sense of justice would not allow him to accuse him unjustly.

 

"Did he suggest that you should come to me?" asked Mr. Tarbox, in a tone which Frank did not like.

 

"No, sir."

 

"So that was your idea, too," continued Mr. Tarbox, with a palpable sneer⁴.

 

"Yes, sir," answered Frank. "You are not a very near relative, but the nearest I know of, and I supposed you would be willing to give me some advice about the best means of earning my living. I remembered," he could not help adding, "that my mother received you all as guests for a considerable time, and I thought I might take the liberty."

 

"Oh, certainly!" returned Mr. Tarbox, rather abashed⁵. "I am, of course, ready to give you advice, and my first advice is to seek a lawyer and let him institute a suit against your stepfather, on speculation⁶. That is, he gets nothing if he fails, but obtains a commission if he succeeds. I could myself recommend a reliable man."

 

"Thank you, sir; but I have no present thought of contesting the will."

 

"I think you make a mistake. Do I understand that you expect to earn your own living?"

 

"I shall try to do so."

 

"You will find it very difficult. You may expect me to take you into my own store, but there is no vacancy⁷, and—"

 

Frank hastily assured Mr. Tarbox that he had no such expectations. He had no wish to deprive the errand boy of the two dollars a week, which he probably richly earned.

 

"Situations in Newark are not easily obtained," proceeded Mr. Tarbox. "I am willing that you should stay with us a day or two, but I don't think you will find it worth your while to stay here."

 

Mr. Tarbox feared that his young relative might expect to find a home free of charge in his house, and such an arrangement did not suit his economical ideas. There was no profit in it, but, on the contrary, a positive loss. Frank read clearly the thoughts of his host, with the help of what Pliny had told him, and, expressing his thanks very briefly⁸, announced his intention to go to New York the next morning.

 

"It may be the best thing you can do!" said Mr. Tarbox, relieved. "New York opens a much wider field to a boy of enterprise than Newark, and probably you will pick up something to do."

 

"It won't be my fault, if I don't," said Frank.

 

"You have my best wishes," said Mr. Tarbox. "The demands of my family forbid me offering you any pecuniary⁹ assistance, but—"

 

"I don't stand in need of it, sir. I have money enough to keep me till I get started in something."

 

"Really, I am very glad to hear it!"

 

And there is no doubt that Mr. Tarbox was sincere.

 

"I wonder how much money he has got?" thought Pliny. "Perhaps he'd lend me two dollars. I'll ask him, if I have a chance."

 

Pliny proposed to borrow, not because he needed the money, but because he liked to levy¹⁰ contributions upon any available party, with a very faint idea of repaying the same. The money would go to swell¹¹ his deposit at the savings¹² bank. It was very commendable¹³, of course, to save his money, but not at the expense of others, as Pliny too frequently did.

 

"I have moved you out of the spare room," said Mrs. Tarbox, when our hero asked permission to retire, "and put you in the same room with Pliny. I suppose you won't mind?"

 

"Just as you please, Mrs. Tarbox," said Frank, though he would have preferred to have passed the night alone.

 

"Could you make it convenient to lend me two dollars?" asked Pliny, as they went up to bed together.

 

"Not just now," answered Frank. "When I get something to do I shall not need to be so careful of my money."

 

"One dollar would answer," persisted Pliny.

 

Without a word, Frank drew a dollar bill from his pocketbook and handed it to Pliny.

 

"Now," he thought, "I shall not feel under any obligations to the family."

 

"You're a good fellow, even if you are poor," said Pliny, in high good humor.

 

Frank was tired, and it was not long before all his anxieties for future were lost sight of in a sound and refreshing¹⁴ slumber¹⁵.

1 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。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 constraint   

n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物

参考例句：

• The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
• The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。

4 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

5 abashed   

adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked suitably abashed. 他怪罪的一瞥，朱丽叶自然显得很窘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The girl was abashed by the laughter of her classmates. 那小姑娘因同学的哄笑而局促不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

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 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

9 pecuniary   

adj.金钱的；金钱上的

参考例句：

• She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。
• She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。

10 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

11 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

12 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。

13 commendable   

adj.值得称赞的

参考例句：

• The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。
• Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。

14 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

15 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。