CHAPTER XIV. — THE SAVINGS BANK BOOK.

 During the three months, which to Henry brought good fortune, Sam had grown no richer. Indeed, just at this time he was very "hard up." He had applied¹ to Henry for a loan, but as he was already indebted to his more prudent² roommate, the latter declined to lend.

 

"I think you are mean, Henry," said Sam, in disappointment.

 

"I can't help it, Sam. You can live on five dollars a week just as well as I can."

 

"You've got a lot of money in the bank," said Sam, reproachfully.

 

"Because I am more prudent than you."

 

"I thought you were a friend of mine."

 

"So I am; but I cannot encourage your extravagance. It wouldn't be a friendly thing to do."

 

"Oh, it's easy enough for you to find excuses; you don't want to lend, that's all."

 

"I don't want to give, for that is what it would amount to."

 

Sam saw that it would be of no use to persist in his request, and he went out sulkily.

 

That day he found a bunch of keys in the street. This was not a very valuable discovery, and he was tempted³ at first to throw them down again, when an idea struck him. He dropped the keys into his pocket, and when his lunch hour came, instead of going to a restaurant, as usual, he hurried back to his boarding-house.

 

The landlady⁴ met him as he was going upstairs.

 

"Have you lost your place?" she asked, suspiciously; for in this case Sam would probably be unable to pay his weekly rent.

 

"Oh, no," said Sam. "I left something at home, that's all."

 

He entered his room, and carefully locked the door behind him.

 

Then he got down on his knees, and, one after the other, he tried the lock of Henry's trunk with the keys he had found. The fifth opened it.

 

Sam blushed with shame, as he saw the inside of the trunk, with its contents neatly⁵ arranged. In spite of his faults he had some honorable feelings, and he felt that he was engaged in a contemptible⁶ business. He was violating the confidence of his friend and roommate, who had been uniformly kind to him, though he had declined to lend him money latterly. Sam admitted to himself that in this refusal he was justified⁷, for he knew very well that there was very little chance of repayment⁸.

 

Sam hoped to find some money in the trunk; but in this hope he was destined⁹ to be disappointed. Henry was in the habit of making a weekly deposit in the savings¹⁰-bank, and therefore he had no surplus stock of money. But at the bottom of his trunk was his savings-bank book. Sam opened it, and his eyes sparkled when he counted up the deposits, and found that they amounted to twenty-six dollars.

 

"I didn't think Henry had so much money," he said to himself.

 

He thrust the book into his pocket, and hurriedly locked the trunk. He went downstairs, and hastened to the bank, which, unlike the Sixpenny Savings Bank, was located downtown, and not far from the City Hall. Henry had selected it on account of its nearness.

 

Sam entered the banking¹¹ house, and went to the window of the paying clerk. He had accompanied Henry to the bank more than once, and knew just where to go.

 

"How much do you want?" asked the clerk, in a business-like tone.

 

"Twenty dollars," replied Sam, who had made up his mind not to take the whole. This was not due to any particular consideration, but on the way he had read the rules of the bank, and ascertained¹² that a week's notice would be necessary before the whole account could be withdrawn¹³.

 

The clerk filled an order for twenty dollars, and pushed it over to Sam.

 

"Sign that," he said.

 

Sam hastily signed the name of "Henry Martin," and passed it back.

 

The clerk went to a large book, and compared the signature with the one recorded therein. Now, there was a considerable difference between Sam's and Henry's handwriting, and he detected it at once.

 

"You are not Henry Martin," he said, on his return.

 

Sam was astonished at this discovery, but was too much alarmed to deny it.

 

"No, sir," he said.

 

"What is your name?"

 

"Sam Barker."

 

"What made you sign the name of Henry Martin?" asked the bank officer, suspiciously.

 

"He is my roommate."

 

"Did he ask you to draw this money for him?"

 

"Yes," answered Sam.

 

"He ought to have known that we would not pay it except upon his written order."

 

"He thought it would do just as well if I signed his name," said Sam, growing bolder.

 

"Then, he was mistaken."

 

"Can't you give me the money, then?"

 

"No, he must come himself."

 

"All right!" said Sam. "I'll tell him."

 

He spoke¹⁴ so naturally that the clerk was inclined to think his suspicions were needless, and that Sam was really an authorized¹⁵ agent of the real depositor. But when he got into the street, Sam's vexation found vent¹⁶.

 

"Everything goes against me," he grumbled¹⁷. "It hasn't done me a bit of good taking this book. I shall only have the trouble of putting it back again. I can't do it now, for I must go back to the store, without my lunch, too."

 

He counted upon replacing the book before it was missed; but Henry reached home first, and discovered his loss, as related in the preceding chapter.

1 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

2 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

3 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

4 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

5 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

6 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

7 justified   

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。

8 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

9 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

10 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。

11 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

12 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

14 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。

15 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

16 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

17 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。