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CHAPTER VII. A LUCKY MEETING.
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 It saddened Rupert to think his mother's wedding ring must be sacrificed, but when they were actually in need of food sentiment must not be considered. After that, when they had no longer anything to pawn1 except articles of clothing, Rupert shuddered2 to think what might lay before them.
 
He entered Simpson's with a slow step. A woman was ahead of him and he waited for his turn.
 
"Well," said an attendant, courteously3, "what can I do for you?"
 
"What will you give me on this ring?"
 
"What do you want on it?"
 
"Two dollars," answered Rupert.
 
"No doubt it is worth that, but we have so many rings in stock that we are not anxious to receive more. We will give you a dollar and a quarter."
 
[Pg 63]
 
Rupert hesitated, when to his surprise some one tapped him on the shoulder.
 
"What brings you here, Rupert?" were the words that reached his ear.
 
He turned round in surprise.
 
"Mr. Sylvester!" he exclaimed.
 
"I see you have not forgotten me. What brings you here?"
 
"Sad necessity, Mr. Sylvester. But—I didn't expect to find you here. Surely you——"
 
"No, I have not come here to pawn anything," said the young man, smiling. "On the contrary, I want to redeem4 a watch for an old schoolmate who was obliged to pawn it. He has a wife and child and was thrown out of employment four weeks since. Fortunately I ran across him, and have got him a place."
 
"I will wait till you have attended to your business."
 
Soon a gold watch was placed in Mr. Sylvester's hands, and he paid the pawnbroker5 twenty dollars and sixty cents. It had been pledged not quite a month for twenty dollars.[Pg 64] The sixty cents represented the three per cent. a month interest allowed by the laws regulating pawn shops.
 
"Now, young man," said the attendant, "do you want the dollar and a quarter I offered you on your ring?"
 
"Yes," answered Rupert.
 
"No," interposed Frank Sylvester, quietly. "What ring is this, Rupert?"
 
"My mother's wedding ring."
 
"And you are actually reduced to pawning6 it?"
 
"Yes, Mr. Sylvester, I can't get anything to do, and we are out of money."
 
"You have a mother and sister, I think you told me?"
 
"Yes, sir."
 
"I think we can do better than pawn the ring. Where do you live?"
 
"In Elizabeth Street."
 
"Does your mother prefer the city to the country?"
 
"No, sir; but she has no choice."
 
"Suppose I obtain for her a position as housekeeper7 in the family of an elderly [Pg 65]gentleman in Rutherford, about ten miles out on the Erie Railroad, would she accept?"
 
"She would be glad to do so but for Grace. She could not be separated from her."
 
"There would be no occasion. My uncle lives alone in a large house, and a child would make the house pleasanter."
 
"Some gentlemen don't like children."
 
"That is not the case with Uncle Ben. But let us go out. You have no further business here. We will go into the Astor House reading room and have a chat."
 
Rupert followed his friend to the Astor House and they ascended8 to the reading room on the second floor. Taking adjoining armchairs, Mr. Sylvester drew from his pocket the following letter which he showed to Rupert. It ran thus:
 
"My housekeeper is about to leave me, to join her married daughter in Wisconsin. I must supply her place, but I know of no one in Rutherford who would suit me. Can't you find me some one—a pleasant, ladylike person, who would make my house homelike and attractive? I think you know my tastes. Please give this matter your early attention.
 
Benjamin Strathmore."
 
[Pg 66]
 
"Now," continued Mr. Sylvester, "I was quite at a loss whom to recommend, but I think your mother would suit Uncle Ben."
 
"Suppose you call and make her acquaintance, Mr. Sylvester. Then you can tell better. That is, if you don't object to visiting our poor home."
 
"My dear Rupert, I shall be delighted to meet your mother. One thing I am sure of in advance, she is a lady."
 
"She is, Mr. Sylvester," said Rupert, warmly.
 
Mrs. Rollins was a good deal surprised when Rupert entered the room, followed by a handsomely-dressed young man, and she rose from her seat in some trepidation9.
 
"Mother," said Rupert, "this is Mr. Sylvester, who was kind enough to give us the money and provisions I brought home the other day."
 
"I am glad to meet so kind a friend," said the widow, with simple dignity. "Ask him to take a seat."
 
"I came to make you a business proposal," began Mr. Sylvester, who was already [Pg 67]favorably impressed with Rupert's mother. "Your son thinks you might be willing to accept the position of housekeeper in my uncle's family, in Rutherford."
 
Mrs. Rollins instinctively10 looked towards Grace.
 
"I see what you are thinking of," interposed her caller. "There will be no difficulty about taking your daughter with you."
 
"Then I shall be glad to accept. And Rupert——"
 
"Rupert, I am sure, will prefer to remain in the city. I will find him a place. Till then he can stay with me."
 
Rupert brightened up at this suggestion. He had no desire to go to the country, but would like nothing more than a place in some city establishment.
 
"How soon could you arrange to go, Mrs. Rollins?"
 
"Next Monday."
 
"That will answer. I will apprise11 my uncle. Now as to the compensation."
 
"If I have Grace with me I shall hardly feel justified12 in asking compensation."
 
[Pg 68]
 
"My uncle would not think of making any account of the little girl's board. I think he paid your predecessor13 twenty-five dollars a month. Will that be satisfactory?"
 
"It is very liberal, sir."
 
"You will allow me to offer you a month's salary in advance. I can settle it with Uncle Ben."
 
This relieved Mrs. Rollins from a great embarrassment14, as she needed to replenish15 her wardrobe to some extent.
 
"I will go out with you on Monday, and take Rupert with me, as he will wish to see how his mother and sister are situated16."
 
"How kind you are, Mr. Sylvester!" said Rupert, gratefully.
 
"Don't give me too much credit, Rupert. You have helped me out of an embarrassment. I expected to have a long hunt for a housekeeper. Thanks to your mother I have escaped all that."
 
"You don't know how much it means to us, Mr. Sylvester."
 
"Well, perhaps, I have some idea. It seems a good arrangement for all of us. Well, good[Pg 69] morning. Oh, by the way, you meet me at the Astor House to-morrow morning at eleven o'clock."
 
"Yes, sir, with pleasure."
 
Mrs. Marlow was a very observing woman. She always kept her door ajar, and saw every one who went upstairs. Her curiosity was considerably17 excited when she saw Rupert's companion.
 
"My stars!" she said to herself. "What a fine-looking young man! He looks like a real gentleman—I wonder does he know them Rollinses."
 
Mrs. Marlow would liked to have listened at the door and heard the conversation between her neighbors and the distinguished-looking visitor. But this was not practicable. However, as Mr. Sylvester came down stairs she ventured out and intercepted18 him.
 
"Sure, you've been callin' on my friend, Mrs. Rollins," she said.
 
"Is she a friend of yours?" asked Sylvester, looking at her curiously19.
 
"Indeed she is, and she's a fine lady. But she's been very unfortunate. I would like[Pg 70] to have helped her, but I am poor myself, and——"
 
"Won't you accept this?" said Sylvester, offering her a dollar as the easiest way of getting rid of her.
 
"Thank you, sir," said Mrs. Marlow, with a profound courtesy. "It's easy to see you're a kindhearted man."
 
"What a curious woman! I should hardly think Mrs. Rollins would have made choice of her as a friend!" soliloquized the young man as he pushed on to the street.
 
"I wonder what his name is and where he lives," speculated Mrs. Marlow. "He must be the young man that gave the Rollinses the purse and the basket of provisions. If I knew where he lived I'd go and see him often."
 
There is very little doubt that Mrs. Marlow would have kept her word, but unfortunately she had no clew to the residence of her new acquaintance.
 
When Rupert came downstairs, she put herself in his way.
 
"You had a call from a nice gentleman this morning," she said, insinuatingly20.
 
[Pg 71]
 
Rupert felt too happy to slight even Mrs. Marlow, and he answered, courteously,
 
"Yes."
 
"I hope he brought a present for your mother."
 
"No, Mrs. Marlow, but he brought something better."
 
"And what can that be?" asked the widow, with intense curiosity.
 
"He engaged mother to take a place as housekeeper for a gentleman in the country."
 
"You don't say! And what'll be done with your sister? I'll board her cheap, and be like a mother to her."
 
Rupert could not help smiling at the idea of leaving his sister in such hands. He explained that Grace would go with her mother.
 
"Sure your mother's a lucky woman! I'd like to be a housekeeper myself. Wouldn't you speak to the gentleman for me?"
 
"I'll mention it if you like."
 
Rupert could promise this safely, for he would take care that Mr. Sylvester understood the character of their unscrupulous neighbor.
 
"If you'll do it, Rupert, dear, I'll pay you[Pg 72] back the dollar I borrowed the other day, when I get my first week's wages."
 
"Some folks is lucky!" soliloquized Mrs. Marlow. "The young man ought to have taken me. I'm much stronger than Mrs. Rollins, and I would have made a better housekeeper, but maybe my turn will come next."
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 pawn 8ixyq     
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。
2 shuddered 70137c95ff493fbfede89987ee46ab86     
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动
参考例句:
  • He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车,车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 courteously 4v2z8O     
adv.有礼貌地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
  • Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会,他就很客气地站起来,让她走开。
4 redeem zCbyH     
v.买回,赎回,挽回,恢复,履行(诺言等)
参考例句:
  • He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
  • The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。
5 pawnbroker SiAys     
n.典当商,当铺老板
参考例句:
  • He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's.他从当铺赎回手表。
  • She could get fifty dollars for those if she went to the pawnbroker's.要是她去当铺当了这些东西,她是可以筹出50块钱的。
6 pawning c1026bc3991f1f6ec192e47d222566e5     
v.典当,抵押( pawn的现在分词 );以(某事物)担保
参考例句:
  • He is contemplating pawning his watch. 他正在考虑抵押他的手表。 来自辞典例句
  • My clothes were excellent, and I had jewellery; but I never even thought of pawning them. 我的衣服是很讲究的,我有珠宝;但是我从没想到要把它们当掉。 来自辞典例句
7 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
参考例句:
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
8 ascended ea3eb8c332a31fe6393293199b82c425     
v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 trepidation igDy3     
n.惊恐,惶恐
参考例句:
  • The men set off in fear and trepidation.这群人惊慌失措地出发了。
  • The threat of an epidemic caused great alarm and trepidation.流行病猖獗因而人心惶惶。
10 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 apprise yNUyu     
vt.通知,告知
参考例句:
  • He came to apprise us that the work had been successfully completed.他来通知我们工作已胜利完成。
  • We must apprise them of the dangers that may be involved.我们必须告诉他们可能涉及的危险。
12 justified 7pSzrk     
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。
13 predecessor qP9x0     
n.前辈,前任
参考例句:
  • It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
  • The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。
14 embarrassment fj9z8     
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫
参考例句:
  • She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
  • Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
15 replenish kCAyV     
vt.补充;(把…)装满;(再)填满
参考例句:
  • I always replenish my food supply before it is depleted.我总是在我的食物吃完之前加以补充。
  • We have to import an extra 4 million tons of wheat to replenish our reserves.我们不得不额外进口四百万吨小麦以补充我们的储备。
16 situated JiYzBH     
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的
参考例句:
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
  • She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。
17 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
参考例句:
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
18 intercepted 970326ac9f606b6dc4c2550a417e081e     
拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 ); 截住; 截击; 拦阻
参考例句:
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆,记者们把他拦截住了。
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走,记者把他截住了。
19 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
20 insinuatingly 54c0c3edfeee9c9a4e29b1bd8e5a6ce6     
参考例句:
  • Corell said insinuatingly,"Are you afraid, Colonel?" 科雷尔很婉转地说:“你害怕了吗,上校?” 来自辞典例句


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