CHAPTER IV. A NIGHT AT DALY'S.

 "I will read this letter to see if it is of any importance," said Mark. "In that case I will forward it to Syracuse."

 

He read as follows:

 

 

"Wall Street Exchange.

"Dear Sir: In reference to the mining stock about which you inquire, our information is that the mine is a valuable one, and very productive. The stock is held in few hands, and it is difficult to obtain it. You tell me that it belongs to an estate of which you are the administrator¹. I advise you to hold it awhile longer before you seek to dispose of it. We are about to send an agent to Nevada to look after some mining interests of our own, and will authorize² him also to look up the Golden Hope mine.

 

"Yours truly,      

"Crane & Lawton,    

"Stock and Mining Brokers⁴."

 

Mother and son looked at each other significantly.

 

Finally Mark said, "This mining stock must have belonged to grandfather."

 

"Yes; I remember now his alluding⁵ to having purchased a hundred shares of some mine."

 

"The brokers say they are valuable. Yet Uncle Solon has never said anything about them. Mother, he means to defraud⁶ us of our share in this property, supposing that we will hear nothing about it."

 

"How shameful⁷!" exclaimed Mrs. Mason indignantly. "I will sit right down and write him a letter taxing him with his treachery."

 

"No, mother; I don't want you to do anything of the kind."

 

"You don't want us to submit to imposition? That don't sound like you, Mark."

 

"I mean that he shall give us whatever is our due, but I don't want him to suspect that we know anything of his underhand schemes. He hasn't sold the mining stock yet."

 

"What do you want me to do?"

 

"Leave the matter in my hands, mother. I will keep the letter, and it will always be evidence against him. He is shrewd, and will get full value for the stock. Then we can make him hand you your share."

 

"If you think that is best, Mark," said Mrs. Mason doubtfully. "I haven't much of a head for business."

 

"I think I have, mother. There is nothing I like better."

 

"Did you see Mrs. Mack about a loan? I didn't think to ask you, as your uncle came in with you when you returned from up-stairs."

 

"Yes, I saw her, but it was of no use."

 

"Then she won't lend us the money?"

 

"No, she is afraid to, though I offered her twenty-five cents interest. I told her that I should have nine dollars coming in on Saturday, but she thought something might prevent my getting it."

 

"Then I had better pawn⁸ my ring. The landlord won't wait even a day for his money."

 

"Don't be in a hurry, mother. The rent is not due till day after to-morrow, and something may happen between now and then to put me in funds."

 

"Perhaps you are right, Mark."

 

Five minutes later there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Mark saw another telegraph boy in the entrance. He had a paper in his hand.

 

"You're to go there," he said, handing Mark a card. "Put on your best clothes. It's a lady to take to the theater."

 

"All right, Jimmy. I'll be ready in a jiffy. Do you know what theater?"

 

"No, I don't. The lady will tell you."

 

"Mother, I'll be home late," said Mark. "I must put on some clean clothes. Is my collar dirty?"

 

"Yes, you had better put on a clean one. I don't like your being out so late. I thought you were through for the day."

 

"I'll get extra pay, mother, and every little helps."

 

"I say, Mark," said Jimmy, "you'd better wear your dress suit and diamond scarf-pin."

 

"I would, Jimmy, only I lent 'em both to a bootblack of my acquaintance who's going to attend a ball on Fifth Avenue to-night."

 

Jimmy laughed.

 

"You've always got an answer ready, Mark," he said. "Well, so long! Hope you'll have a good time."

 

"Where does the lady live, Mark?" asked Mrs. Mason.

 

"At No. 90 West Forty-Fifth Street. I haven't much time to spare. I must go as soon as I can get ready."

 

It was half-past seven o'clock before Mark rang the bell at a fine brown stone house on West Forty-Fifth Street. The door was opened by a colored servant, who, without speaking to Mark, turned his head, and called out: "The messenger's come, Miss Maud."

 

"I'm so glad," said a silvery voice, as a young lady of twenty, already dressed for the street, came out of a room on the left of the hall. Mark took off his hat politely.

 

"So you are the messenger boy?" she said. "You are to take me to Daly's Theater."

 

"Yes, miss. So I heard."

 

"Let us go at once. We will take the horse cars at Sixth Avenue, and get out at Thirtieth Street."

 

Before she had finished they were already in the street.

 

"I must explain," she said, "that my uncle bought two tickets this morning and expected to accompany me, but an important engagement has prevented. I was resolved to go, and so I sent for a messenger. Perhaps you had better take the tickets."

 

"All right, Miss——."

 

"Gilbert. As you are to be my escort I will ask your name."

 

"Mark Mason."

 

"Shall I call you Mark, or Mr. Mason?" she asked with a roguish smile.

 

"I would rather you would call me Mark."

 

"Perhaps, as you are taking the place of my uncle, it would be proper to call you Uncle Mark," she laughed.

 

"All right, if you prefer it," said Mark.

 

"On the whole I won't. I am afraid you don't look the character. Are you quite sure you can protect me?"

 

"I'll try to, Miss Gilbert."

 

"Then I won't borrow any trouble."

 

Maud Gilbert had carefully observed Mark, and as he was an attractive-looking boy she felt satisfied with the selection made for her.

 

"I am glad you didn't wear your uniform," she said. "I forgot to speak about that."

 

"When I heard what I was wanted for I thought it would be better to leave off the uniform," said Mark.

 

"That was right. Now I can pass you off as a young friend. If I meet any young lady friend, don't call me Miss Gilbert, but call me Maud. Perhaps you had better call me that at any rate."

 

"I will—Maud."

 

"That's right, and I will call you—let me see, Cousin Mark. I don't want my friends to think I had to send for an escort to a telegraph office."

 

When they entered Daly's Miss Gilbert met an old school friend—Louisa Morton.

 

"Why, Maud, are you here?" said her friend. "How delightful⁹! And who is this young gentleman?"

 

"My cousin, Mark Mason."

 

"Indeed! Well, I congratulate you on having such a nice escort. If he were a few years older I might try to make you jealous."

 

Maud laughed gaily¹⁰.

 

"Oh, you can't get him away. He is devoted¹¹ to me. Aren't you, Cousin Mark?"

 

Mark was about to say "You bet," but it occurred to him that this would not be comme il faut, so he only said, "You are right, Maud."

 

"Where are your seats? I hope they are near ours."

 

They proved to be in the same row, but on the other side of the center aisle¹².

 

As Mark and the young lady took seats two pairs of astonished eyes noted¹³ their entrance. These belonged to Edgar and his father, who sat two rows behind. Edgar was the first to catch sight of them.

 

"Look, father!" he said, clutching his father's arm. "There is Mark Mason and a beautiful girl just taking their seats. What does it mean?"

 

"I don't know," returned Mr. Talbot. "She seems to be a fashionable young lady."

 

"How in the world did he get acquainted with such people? She treats him as familiarly as if he were a brother or cousin."

 

"It is very strange."

 

"Please take the opera-glass, Mark," Edgar heard Miss Gilbert say. "You know I must make you useful."

 

For the rest of the evening the attention of Edgar and his father was divided between the play and Miss Gilbert and Mark. For the benefit chiefly of her friend, Maud treated her young escort with the utmost familiarity, and quite misled Solon Talbot and Edgar.

 

When the play was over Mark carefully adjusted Miss Gilbert's wraps. As he passed through the aisle he saw for the first time Edgar and his father looking at him with astonished eyes.

 

"Good evening," he said with a smile. "I hope you enjoyed the play."

 

"Come, Mark, it is growing late," said Maud.

 

Mark bowed and passed on.

 

"Well, if that doesn't beat all!" ejaculated Edgar. "They seemed very intimate."

 

When Mark bade Miss Gilbert good night after ringing the bell at her home, she pressed a bank note into his hand.

 

"Thank you so much," she said. "Keep the change, and when I want another escort I will send for you."

 

By the light of the street lamp Mark inspected the bill and found it was a five.

 

"That will give me over three dollars for myself," he said joyfully¹⁴. "So the rent is secure."

 

The next day about two o'clock he was in the office of a prominent banker to whom he had carried a message, when a wild-looking man with light brown hair and wearing glasses, rushed in, and exclaimed dramatically to the astonished banker, "I want a hundred thousand dollars! Give it to me at once, or I will blow your office to atoms."

 

He pointed¹⁵ significantly to a small carpet bag which he carried in his left hand.

 

The broker³ turned pale, and half rose from his chair. He was too frightened to speak, while two clerks writing in another part of the office seemed ready to faint.

1 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

2 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

3 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

4 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

5 alluding   

提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He didn't mention your name but I was sure he was alluding to you. 他没提你的名字，但是我确信他是暗指你的。
• But in fact I was alluding to my physical deficiencies. 可我实在是为自己的容貌寒心。

6 defraud   

vt.欺骗，欺诈

参考例句：

• He passed himself off as the managing director to defraud the bank.他假冒总经理的名义诈骗银行。
• He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.他卷入了这起欺骗政府的阴谋。

7 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

8 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

9 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

10 gaily   

adv.欢乐地，高兴地

参考例句：

• The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
• She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

11 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

12 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

15 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。