The next morning Paul Morton was sitting at[Pg 26] the breakfast table with his wife opposite him. As nothing has yet been said of Mrs. Morton, a few words of description may not be inappropriate.
Mrs. Morton, then, was ten years younger than her husband. She had belonged to a proud but poor family, and had married from no impulse of affection, but because she considered Mr. Morton a rich man who could give her a luxurious4 home. No sympathy need be wasted upon her, for she had very little heart, and lived only for ostentation5. There had been very little domestic harmony between the two. She had shown herself lavishly6 extravagant7, even beyond her husband's means, and any tendency on his part to curb8 her extravagance was met by biting sarcasm9, and an exhibition of ill temper which soon compelled him to surrender at discretion10.
Such was the ill-assorted couple who sat at the breakfast table on the morning of which I am speaking.
Mr. Morton, of whose personal appearance I have not yet spoken, was in appearance fifty-four years of age, though he was really several years younger. He had lost nearly all his hair, retaining only a few locks on either side of his[Pg 27] head. There was a furtive11 look about his eyes calculated to inspire distrust. He seemed reluctant to look one full in the face. On the whole the impression given by his features was unfavorable. They seemed to indicate a mean, ignoble12 disposition13, so truly do the inner qualities mark their impress on the face.
"Well, Mr. Morton," said his wife, leaning back in her chair, "have you brought me the money I asked for yesterday?"
"And why not, I should like to know?" she exclaimed, with flashing eyes. "Don't pretend to say you forgot it, for I won't believe any such nonsense."
"No, I didn't forget it, Mrs. Morton," said her husband, "but the fact is, it was not convenient for me to bring it."
"Not convenient! What do you mean by that, Mr. Morton?" exclaimed the lady in an angry voice.
"It is just as I say. Business is very dull and money is tight."
"That is what you always say," said Mrs. Morton, curling her lip.
[Pg 28]
"Whether I do or not, it is true enough now. I wish it wasn't."
"I only asked for a hundred dollars. Surely that would make no difference in your business."
"That is where you are mistaken. If you will be kind enough to remember how often you call upon me for such trifles, and have a head for arithmetic, you can estimate what they will amount to in the course of a year."
"But I haven't a head for arithmetic, and don't want to have. I always despised it. All I know is, that I have picked out a lovely silk dress pattern at Stewart's, and I want to go round and secure it this morning, or I may lose it altogether."
"If you do, I think you will manage to survive it."
"You'd better not try to be sarcastic15, Mr. Morton. You haven't the brains for it, and it isn't in your line."
"You are complimentary16."
"No, I only show a proper discrimination. Heaven knows I have lived with you years enough, and weary ones at that, to understand you thoroughly17. Can't you send me up a check from your store? It will be in time if I receive it by eleven o'clock."
[Pg 29]
"No, I cannot," said Paul Morton, with unusual firmness.
"So you refuse, do you?" exclaimed Mrs. Morton, in deep anger.
"I do; and for a good reason."
"Give me your reason, then. I should like to judge of it myself."
"Then I will tell you without reserve, what I had not intended to mention. In all my mercantile career I was never in such danger of ruin as at the present. The dull times at which you sneer18 have proved very disastrous19 to me. It is all I can do to keep my head above water. Every day I fear that the crash will come, and that instead of being able to afford you this establishment, I shall be obliged to remove into some humble20 dwelling21 in Brooklyn, and seek for a position as clerk or bookkeeper. How would you fancy this change, madam? Yet it is at such a time you harass22 me with your unreasonable23 demands for money. If I am ruined, it will be some satisfaction that you, who have had so much to do with bringing it on, are compelled to suffer its inconveniences with me."
Mrs. Morton turned pale while he was speaking, for she had never known anything of her[Pg 30] husband's business affairs, and supposed that such a thing as his failure was impossible. To be reduced to poverty, where a wife loves her husband and is beloved in return, is not so hard; but where there is no pretence24 of love, and the wife lives only for show, it is felt as a terrible misfortune.
"You are only saying this to frighten me," she said after a pause, with an attempt to rally.
"If you think that, you are utterly25 mistaken," said her husband. "I wish, indeed, that it were true, but unfortunately it is not. My position is to the full, as hazardous26, and my ruin as imminent27 as I have told you. You can imagine whether I have a hundred dollars to spare for you to spend at Stewart's."
Mrs. Morton was for a brief time silent. She hardly knew how to answer; at last she said, "There's your sick friend upstairs. Isn't he a rich man?"
"Yes."
"He won't live very long, probably. Won't he leave you anything?"
"I expected that he would leave me his entire fortune, according to an old promise between us; but only yesterday I learned that he has a son living."
[Pg 31]
"And you will receive nothing, then?" said his wife, disappointed.
"Not so. I shall be left guardian of the boy, and for seven years I shall receive half the income of the property in return for my services."
"And how much is the property?"
"A hundred thousand dollars or more."
"What will be your share of the income?"
"Probably not less than four thousand dollars."
"Four thousand dollars!" said the lady with satisfaction. "Then you won't have to get a situation as clerk, even if you do fail. We can go to a stylish28 boarding-house. It won't be so bad as I thought."
"But I shan't be able to give you two thousand dollars a year for dress, as I have been accustomed to do."
"Perhaps you won't fail."
"Perhaps not. I hope not."
"Where is this boy?"
"He is at a boarding-school on the Hudson. I expect him here this morning."
Scarcely had he said this when a servant opened the door and said, "Mr. Morton, there is a boy just come who says he is Mr. Raymond's son."
"Bring him in," said Paul Morton.
[Pg 32]
A moment later, and a boy of fourteen entered the room, and looked inquiringly at the two who were sitting at the table.
"Are you Robert Raymond?" inquired Mr. Morton.
"Your father, my poor boy," said Paul Morton, in pretended sadness, "is, I regret to say, in a very precarious30 condition."
"Don't you think he will live?" asked Robert, anxiously.
"I fear not long. I am glad you have come. I will go up with you at once to your father's chamber31. I hope you will look upon me as your sincere friend, for your father's sake. Maria, my dear, this is young Robert Raymond. Robert, this is Mrs. Morton."
Mrs. Morton gave her hand graciously to the boy. Looking upon him as her probable savior from utter ruin, she was disposed to regard him with favor.
Mr. Morton rose from the table, and motioning Robert to follow him, led the way to the sick man's chamber.
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1
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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2
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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3
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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4
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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5
ostentation
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| n.夸耀，卖弄 | |
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6
lavishly
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| adv.慷慨地，大方地 | |
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7
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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8
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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9
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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10
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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11
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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12
ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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13
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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14
elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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15
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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16
complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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17
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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18
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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19
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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20
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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21
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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22
harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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23
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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24
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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25
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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26
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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27
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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28
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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29
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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30
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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31
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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