CHAPTER XXXI — MRS. PRESTON'S INTENTIONS

 Godfrey returned home on the day after his father's death. He had never witnessed death before, and it frightened him, for the time, into propriety¹. He exhibited none of the stormy and impetuous grief which a warm-hearted and affectionate boy would have been likely to exhibit. It was not in his nature.

 

When he and his mother were left alone, he showed his resemblance to her, by asking:

 

"Do you know how much property father left?"

 

"I don't know. He never told me about his affairs as he ought. I think he must have left near a hundred thousand dollars."

 

Godfrey's eyes sparkled.

 

"That's a pile of money," he said. "It goes to me, don't it?"

 

"To us," said Mrs. Preston.

 

"A woman doesn't need so much money as a man," said Godfrey, selfishly.

 

"You are not a man yet," said his mother, dryly. "Your father may have left a will. In that case, he may have left a part of his property to others."

 

"Do you think he has?" inquired Godfrey, in alarm.

 

"I don't think any will will be found," said his mother, quietly. "He never spoke² to me of making one."

 

"Of course not. That wouldn't be fair, would it?"

 

"It is fitting that the property should all go to us."

 

"When shall I get mine?"

 

"When you are twenty-one."

 

"That's a long time to wait," said Godfrey, grumblingly⁴.

 

"You are only a boy yet. I shall probably be your guardian⁵."

 

"I hope you'll give me a larger allowance than father did."

 

"I will."

 

"Must I go back to boarding school? I don't want to."

 

"If I go to Boston to live, as I think I shall, I will take you with me, and you can go to school there."

 

"That'll be jolly," said Godfrey, his eyes sparkling with anticipation⁶. "I've got tired of this miserable⁷ town."

 

"So have I," said his mother. "We shall have more privileges in Boston."

 

"I can go to the theater as often as I please there, can't I?"

 

"We will see about that."

 

"How soon shall we move to the city?"

 

"As soon as business will allow. I must settle up your father's affairs here."

 

"Can't I go beforehand?"

 

"Would you leave me alone?" asked his mother, with a little touch of wounded affection, for she did feel attached to her son. He was the only one, indeed, for whom she felt any affection.

 

"You won't miss me, mother. It'll be awfully⁸ stupid here, and you know you'll be coming to the city as soon as you get through with the business."

 

Mrs. Preston was disappointed, but she should not have been surprised. Her only son reflected her own selfishness.

 

"It would not look well for you to go to the theater just at the present," she said.

 

"Why not?"

 

"So soon after your father's death."

 

Godfrey said nothing, but looked discontented. It was early to think of amusement, while his father lay yet unburied in the next room. He left the room, whistling. He could not gainsay⁹ his mother's objections, but he thought it hard luck.

 

A funeral in a country village is a public occasion. Friends and neighbors are expected to be present without invitation. Among those who assembled at the house were Mrs. Burke and Andy. They felt truly sorry for the death of Colonel Preston, who had been a friend to both. Mrs. Preston saw them enter, and, notwithstanding the solemnity of the occasion, the thought intruded¹⁰: "They're after the legacy¹¹, but they will be disappointed. I've taken good care of that."

 

Godfrey saw them, also, and his thought was a characteristic one:

 

"What business has that Irish boy at my father's funeral? He ought to know better than to poke³ himself in where he is not wanted."

 

Even Godfrey, however, had the decency¹² to let this thought remain unspoken. The services proceeded, and among those who followed on foot in the funeral procession were Andy and his mother. It never occurred to them that they were intruding¹³. They wanted to show respect for the memory of one who had been a friend to them.

 

On the day after the funeral Squire¹⁴ Tisdale called at the house, invited by Mrs. Preston. The squire had a smattering of law, and often acted as executor in settling estates.

 

"I invited you to come here, Squire Tisdale," said Mrs. Preston, "to speak about my affairs. Of course, it is very trying to me to think of business so soon after the death of my dear husband"—here she pressed her handkerchief to her tearless eyes—"but I feel it to be my duty to myself and my boy."

 

"Of course," said the squire, soothingly¹⁵. "We can't give way to our feelings, however much we want to."

 

"That is my feeling," said Mrs. Preston, whose manner was wonderfully cool and collected, considering the grief which she desired to have it thought she experienced for her husband.

 

"Did Colonel Preston leave a will?" asked the squire.

 

"I don't think he did. He never mentioned making one to me. Did you ever hear of his making any?"

 

"I can't say that I ever did. I suppose it will be best to search."

 

"Won't it be more proper for you to make the search, Squire Tisdale?" said the widow. "I am an interested party."

 

"Suppose we search together. You can tell me where your husband kept his private papers."

 

"Certainly. He kept them in his desk. I locked it as soon as he died; but here is the key. If there is a will, it is probably there."

 

"Very probably. We shall soon ascertain¹⁶, then."

 

Squire Tisdale took the key, and Mrs. Preston led the way to her late husband's desk. A momentary¹⁷ fear seized her.

 

"What if there was an earlier will, or two copies of the last?" she thought. "I ought to have made sure by looking over the other papers."

 

But it was too late now. Besides, it seemed very improbable that there should be another will. Had there been an earlier one, it would, doubtless, have been destroyed on the drafting of the one she had found. She reassured¹⁸ herself, therefore, and awaited with tranquillity¹⁹ the result of the search.

 

The search was careful and thorough. Mrs. Preston desired that it should be so. Knowing the wrong she had done to Andy and his mother, as well as the town, she was unnecessarily anxious to appear perfectly²⁰ fair, and assured Squire Tisdale that, had there been a will, its provisions should have been carried out to the letter.

 

"There is no will here," said the squire, after a careful search.

 

"I did not expect you would find one," said the widow; "but it was necessary to make sure."

 

"Is there any other place where your husband kept papers?"

 

"We will look in the drawers and trunks," said Mrs. Preston; "but I don't think any will be found."

 

None was found.

 

"Can I do anything more for you, Mrs. Preston?" asked the squire.

 

"I should like your advice, Squire Tisdale. I am not used to business, and I would like the aid of your experience."

 

"Willingly," said the squire, who felt flattered.

 

"As my husband left no will, I suppose the estate goes to my son and myself?"

 

"Undoubtedly²¹."

 

"How ought I to proceed?"

 

"You should apply for letters of administration, which will enable you to settle up the property."

 

"Will you help me to take the necessary steps?"

 

"Certainly."

 

"I should like to settle the estate as rapidly as possible, as I intend to remove to Boston."

 

"Indeed? We shall be sorry to lose you. Can you not content yourself here?"

 

"Everything will remind me of my poor husband," said Mrs. Preston, with another application of the handkerchief to her still tearless eyes.

 

Squire Tisdale was impressed with the idea that she had more feeling than he had thought.

 

"I didn't think of that," he said, sympathetically. "No doubt you are right."

 

Mrs. Preston lost no time in applying for letters of administration.

 

"As soon as I get them," she said to herself, "I will lose no time in ejecting that Irishwoman from the house my husband bought for her. I'll make her pay rent, too, for the time she has been in it."

1 propriety   

n.正当行为；正当；适当

参考例句：

• We hesitated at the propriety of the method.我们对这种办法是否适用拿不定主意。
• The sensitive matter was handled with great propriety.这件机密的事处理得极为适当。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

4 grumblingly   

喃喃报怨着，发牢骚着

参考例句：

5 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

6 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

7 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

8 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

9 gainsay   

v.否认，反驳

参考例句：

• She is a fine woman-that nobody can gainsay.她是个好女人无人能否认。
• No one will gainsay his integrity.没有人对他的正直有话可讲。

10 intruded   

n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于

参考例句：

• One could believe that human creatures had never intruded there before. 你简直会以为那是从来没有人到过的地方。 来自辞典例句
• The speaker intruded a thin smile into his seriousness. 演说人严肃的脸上掠过一丝笑影。 来自辞典例句

11 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。

12 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

13 intruding   

v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于

参考例句：

• Does he find his new celebrity intruding on his private life? 他是否感觉到他最近的成名侵扰了他的私生活？
• After a few hours of fierce fighting,we saw the intruding bandits off. 经过几小时的激烈战斗，我们赶走了入侵的匪徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

15 soothingly   

adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地

参考例句：

• The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

17 momentary   

adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的

参考例句：

• We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
• I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。

18 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 tranquillity   

n. 平静, 安静

参考例句：

• The phenomenon was so striking and disturbing that his philosophical tranquillity vanished. 这个令人惶惑不安的现象，扰乱了他的旷达宁静的心境。
• My value for domestic tranquillity should much exceed theirs. 我应该远比他们重视家庭的平静生活。

20 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

21 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。