“If I get hold of him, I’ll flog him within an inch of his life,” he muttered, between his closed teeth. “The ungrateful villain2! to make me such a return for supporting him in idleness all his life!”
But it is not so easy to find a particular person in a city of a million inhabitants, and Mr. Drummond was very much puzzled to know what to do, or where to go first. He might have sought the aid of the police, but, though deeply incensed3 against Joshua, he wished, rather, to inflict4 private punishment upon him.
“I won’t give him any allowance at all,” he said to himself. “I’ll let him get along without a penny, and see how he likes that! I wonder if he’s spent much of the money he stole from me?”
His face contracted with anguish5, as he thought that Joshua might squander6 the greater part of the money before he found him; or, worse still, lose it. His father had a contemptuous opinion of Joshua’s shrewdness, and thought it not at all unlikely that he would be robbed.
Not knowing where else to go, he walked toward the Astor House. Whenever he came to the city--which was not often--he was in the habit of stopping at Lovejoy’s Hotel, near by, and the force of habit led him thither7 now. At every step, he looked inquisitively8 about him; but no Joshua met his gaze. In fact, Joshua was walking about on Eighth avenue at this time, and about an hour later went to Central Park, where he made the surprising bargain of which we already know, so that there was very little chance of his father’s coming upon him for some hours, since it was not probable that it would occur to him to go to Central Park.
After walking about in a desultory9 way, during the forenoon, Mr. Drummond all at once had a bright thought. He remembered that Sam Crawford was in a shoe store in the city, and naturally concluded that Joshua, whom he had seen in Sam’s company during the latter’s vacation at Stapleton, would, in his inexperience, seek him out. He remembered, also, that, on a previous visit to New York, Sam’s direction had been given him. He felt in his pocket, and, to his great satisfaction, found that he still had it.
Taking the Eighth avenue cars at the Astor House, half an hour brought him to the shoe store so fortunate as to have secured the services of Mr. Crawford. Sam himself was standing11 in front of the door, ticketing some shoes, when Mr. Drummond got off the car, and touched him on the arm.
Sam started, and flushed a little, when he saw who it was that had touched him.
“Mr. Drummond!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to see you!”
“Have you seen anything of Joshua, Sam?” asked Mr. Drummond, hastily.
Sam made up his mind not to betray Joshua--not from any high-minded feeling of friendship, but because he wanted to help Joshua spend the money he had with him. Accordingly, he threw as much surprise as possible into his tone, as he answered: “Joshua! Is he in the city?”
“Then you haven’t seen him?” said Mr. Drummond, disappointed.
“When did he come up?” asked Sam. “I wonder he didn’t come to see me.”
“He’s a young villain!” exclaimed Mr. Drummond, in excitement.
“What has he done?” asked Sam, curious to hear the story, of which he could readily guess the nature.
“He’s run away with several hundred dollars of my money,” said Mr. Drummond, sternly. “It’ll be a sorry day for him when I get hold of him!”
“Just as I thought,” said Sam to himself. “How could he do such a thing?” he said, aloud. “I didn’t think that of Joshua.”
“Nor I,” said his father; “but he’s long been pestering12 me to let him come to New York, but I wouldn’t let him. Didn’t he ever say anything to you about it?”
“Yes,” said Sam. “He’s often spoken of it.”
“I hoped you could tell me where to find him,” said Mr. Drummond.
“I haven’t the least idea where he is,” said Sam, which was, to some extent, true, so far as Joshua’s present whereabouts were concerned.
“I may have to go back to Stapleton without finding him,” continued Mr. Drummond. “If you see anything of him, I wish you would telegraph up to me at once, and I’ll pay all expenses, and----” here Mr. Drummond paused, but at last added, liberally: “I’ll give you a dollar besides.”
“I shan’t want any reward,” he said, but he inwardly pronounced him a pretty mean fellow. “Very likely I shall see him, if he stays in the city.”
“He won’t go away from the city,” said Mr. Drummond. “He wanted to live here, most of all. Well, good-by. It won’t do for me to miss the afternoon train home.”
“The old man’s precious mad!” said Sam to himself, as he entered the store. “I would not like to stand in Joshua’s shoes when his affectionate papa gets hold of him. It’s lucky he didn’t happen along just now. So the old man expects to buy me for a dollar. It’s too cheap. I always knew he was mean; and Joshua isn’t much better. I must see how I can get as much out of him as possible, and that soon.”
About five o’clock Joshua came round to the store.
“’Most ready to go to supper, Sam?” he asked.
“Wait five minutes, and I’ll be ready.”
Joshua waited till his friend signified that he was ready.
“Where have you been, Joshua?” he asked.
“Walking all around. I’m as tired as a dog. I shan’t want to go anywhere to-night.”
“Who do you think I have seen to-day?” asked Sam, scanning his friend’s face.
“I don’t know,” said Joshua, indifferently.
“The old man!” answered Sam, in italics.
“The old man!” repeated Joshua, turning pale. “Where did you see him?”
“I was standing outside the door, when I felt some one touch my shoulder. I looked round, and there he was.”
“My father?”
“Mr. Jacob Drummond, of Stapleton, himself.”
“You bet he did!” answered Sam, significantly.
“What did he say?” asked Joshua, looking frightened.
“What did he say?” repeated Sam, a little maliciously14. “Well, he called you a young villain, the first thing. In fact, he didn’t seem affectionate.”
“He always treated me mean,” said Joshua, resentfully. “What else did he say?”
“He said you’d run away with several hundred dollars of his, and he seemed very anxious to get hold of you. He’s going to give you a warm reception when that time comes.”
“You didn’t tell him where I was, did you?” said Joshua, in alarm.
“Of course not. I pretended I didn’t know anything about you. What do you think the old man wants me to do?”
“What?”
“He thinks you’ll come and see me, sooner or later, and asked me to telegraph to him when you did, so that he might come for you.”
“You wouldn’t do it, would you, Sam?” said Joshua, uneasily.
“Do you think I’d betray a friend?” demanded Sam, loftily. “No, Joshua; I am your firm friend. I will never desert you, although your father offered me money if I would.”
“Did he?”
“Yes,” answered Sam.
He was about to mention how much, but it occurred to him that, if he didn’t mention the smallness of the sum, he would get more credit for disinterested15 friendship.
“How much?”
“Oh, no doubt he would come down handsomely; but, as I had no intention of betraying you, I didn’t inquire.”
“Do you think he will come to the city again?” asked Joshua.
“Yes, I think he will.”
“He might get hold of me,” said Joshua, panic-stricken. “I wouldn’t go back to Stapleton for anything. Oh, Sam, where shall I go?”
“I’ll tell you what, Joshua,” said Sam, after a pause, “I think you’d better leave the city.”
“Where shall I go?”
“Go out West. Your father won’t think of looking for you there. Of course, I don’t want to part with you, but it wouldn’t be safe for you to stay here. He might get mad--the old man, I mean--and set the police on your track. You know, he could, on account of the money you took.”
This was a very uncomfortable suggestion, and Joshua began to find his dream of happiness in a city unsubstantial.
“When had I better go?” he asked.
“Soon. Of course, you’ll need to turn your government bond into money before you go.”
“I’ll go and sell the bond to-morrow,” said Joshua.
“It wouldn’t be safe,” said Sam, shaking his head.
“Why not?”
“Your father may have put the police on your track already. When you came to sell the bond, the police might be all ready to nab you.”
“Then, what am I to do?”
“I’ll tell you what, Joshua, you’re my friend, and I won’t desert you. Give me the bond, and I’ll sell it for you. It’ll be a little risky16; still, I wasn’t the one who stole it, and so I shall not be in as much danger as you.”
“Thank you, Sam,” said Joshua, considerably17 relieved to find his friend willing to incur18 the danger.
“Let me see. I’ll take it at lunch time to-morrow. I can take an hour and a half, and pretend I was detained.”
Sam was not quite so disinterested in this offer of service as Joshua supposed. He had a plan for making a handsome commission out of the sale.
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收听单词发音
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1
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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2
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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3
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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4
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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5
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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6
squander
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| v.浪费，挥霍 | |
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7
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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8
inquisitively
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| 过分好奇地； 好问地 | |
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9
desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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10
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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11
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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12
pestering
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的现在分词 ) | |
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13
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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14
maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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15
disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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16
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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17
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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18
incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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