CHAPTER XXVI. BUSINESS EXPERIENCES.

 Walter began to think that selling books would prove a harder and more disagreeable business than he anticipated. He had been brought face to face with meanness and selfishness, and they inspired him with disgust and indignation. Not that he expected everybody to buy his books, even if they could afford it. Still it was not necessary to insult him by offering half price.

 

He walked slowly up the street, wondering if he should meet any more such customers. On the opposite side of the street he noticed a small shoemaker's shop.

 

"I suppose it is of no use to go in there," thought Walter. "If they won't buy at a big house, there isn't much chance here."

 

Still he thought he would go in. He had plenty[Pg 247] of time on his hands, and might as well let slip no chance, however small.

 

He pushed open the door, and found himself in a shop about twenty-five feet square, littered up with leather shavings and finished and unfinished shoes. A boy of fourteen was pegging¹, and his father, a man of middle age, was finishing a shoe.

 

"Good-morning," said Walter.

 

"Good-morning," said the shoemaker, turning round. "Do you want a pair of shoes this morning?"

 

"No," said Walter, "I didn't come to buy, but to sell."

 

"Well, what have you got to sell?"

 

"A subscription² book, finely illustrated³."

 

"What's the name of it?"

 

"'Scenes in Bible Lands.'"

 

"Let me look at it."

 

He wiped his hands on his apron⁴, and, taking the book, began to turn over the leaves.

 

"It seems like a good book," he said. "Does it sell well?"

 

[Pg 248]

 

"Yes, it sells largely. I have only just commenced, but other agents are doing well on it."

 

"You are rather young for an agent."

 

"Yes, but I'm old enough to work, and I'm going to give this a fair trial."

 

"That's the way to talk. How much do you expect to get for this book?"

 

"The price is three dollars and a half."

 

"It's rather high."

 

"But there are a good many pictures. Those are what cost money."

 

"Yes, I suppose they do. Well, I've a great mind to take one."

 

"I don't think you'll regret it. A good book will give you pleasure for a long time."

 

"That's so. Well, here's the money;" and the shoemaker drew out five dollars from a leather pocket-book. "Can you give me the change?"

 

"With pleasure."

 

Walter was all the more pleased at effecting this sale because it was unexpected. He had expected to sell a book at the great house he had just called at, but thought that the price of the book might deter[Pg 249] the shoemaker, whose income probably was not large. He thought he would like to know the name of the lady with whom he had such an unpleasant experience.

 

"Can you tell me," he inquired, "who lives in that large house a little way up the street?"

 

"You didn't sell a book there, did you?" asked the shoemaker, laughing.

 

"No, but I got an offer of two dollars for one."

 

"That's just like Mrs. Belknap," returned the other. "She has the name of being the meanest woman for miles around."

 

"It can't be for want of money. She lives in a nice house."

 

"Oh, she's rich enough,—the richest woman in town. When her husband was alive—old Squire⁵ Belknap—she wasn't quite so scrimping, for he was free-handed and liberal himself; but now she's a widow, she shows out her meanness. So she offered you two dollars?"

 

"Yes, but she afterwards offered twenty-five cents more."

 

"Then she must have wanted the book. She[Pg 250] makes it her boast that no peddler ever took her in, and I guess she's about right."

 

"I hope there are not many such people in town. If there are, I shall get discouraged."

 

"We've got our share of mean people, I expect, but she's the worst."

 

"Well, I suppose I must be going. Thank you for your purchase."

 

"That's all right. If I like the book as well as I expect, I'll thank you."

 

Walter left the shoemaker's shop with considerably⁶ higher spirits than he entered. His confidence in human nature, which had been rudely shaken by Mrs. Belknap, was in a degree restored, and his prospects⁷ looked brighter than a few minutes before.

 

"I wonder who'll make the next purchase?" he thought.

 

He stopped at a plain two-story house a little further up the road. The door was opened by an old lady.

 

"What do you want?" she asked.

 

[Pg 251]

 

"I am agent for an excellent book," commenced Walter.

 

"Oh, you're a peddler," broke in the old lady, without waiting to hear him through.

 

"I suppose I may be called so."

 

"Are you the man that was round last spring selling jewelry⁸?"

 

"No, I have never been here before."

 

"I don't know whether to believe you or not," said the old lady. "Your voice sounds like his. I can't see very well, for I've mislaid my specs. If you're the same man, I'll have you took up for selling bogus jewelry."

 

"But I'm not the same one."

 

"I don't know. The man I spoke⁹ of sold my darter a gold ring for a dollar, that turned out to be nothing but brass¹⁰ washed over. 'Twa'n't worth five cents."

 

"I'm sorry you got cheated, but it isn't my fault."

 

"Wait a minute, I'll call my darter."

 

In reply to her mother's call a tall maiden¹¹ lady[Pg 252] of forty advanced to the door, with some straw in her hand, for she was braiding straw.

 

"What's wanted, mother?" she asked.

 

"Isn't this the same man that sold you that ring?"

 

"La, no, mother. He was a man of forty-five, and this is only a boy."

 

"I s'pose you must be right, but I can't see without my specs. Well, I'm sorry you're not the one, for I'd have had you took up onless you'd give back the dollar."

 

Under the circumstances Walter himself was not sorry that there was no chance of identifying him with his knavish¹² predecessor¹³.

 

"What have you got to sell?" asked the younger woman.

 

"A book beautifully illustrated, called 'Scenes in Bible Lands.' Will you allow me to show it to you?"

 

"He seems quite polite," said the old lady, now disposed to regard Walter more favorably. "Won't you come in?"

 

Walter entered, and was shown into a small sitting-room¹⁴, quite plainly furnished. The book was[Pg 253] taken from him, and examined for a considerable length of time by the daughter, who, however, announced at the end that though she should like it very much, she couldn't afford to pay the price. As the appearance of the house bore out her assertion, Walter did not press the purchase, but was about to replace the book under his arm, when she said suddenly, "Wait a minute. There's Mrs. Thurman just coming in. Perhaps she'll buy one of your books."

 

Walter was of course perfectly¹⁵ willing to wait on the chance of a sale.

 

Mrs. Thurman was the wife of a trader in good circumstances, and disposed to spend liberally, according to her means. Walter was not obliged to recommend his book, for this was done by the spinster, who was disinterestedly¹⁶ bent¹⁷ on making a sale. So he sat quiet, a passive but interested auditor¹⁸, while Miss Nancy Sprague extolled¹⁹ the book for him.

 

"It does seem like an excellent book," said Mrs. Thurman, looking at the pictures.

 

"Just the thing for your Delia," suggested Miss Nancy; "I am sure she would like it."

 

[Pg 254]

 

"That reminds me to-morrow is Delia's birthday."

 

"Then give her the book for a birthday present."

 

"I had intended to buy her something else. Still I am not sure but this would suit her quite as well."

 

"I am sure it would," responded Miss Nancy.

 

"Then I will take it. Young man, how much do you ask for your book?"

 

"Three dollars and a half."

 

Mrs. Thurman paid the money, and received the book.

 

"I am much obliged to you," said Walter, addressing Miss Nancy, "for recommending my book."

 

"You're quite welcome," said Miss Nancy, who felt some satisfaction at gaining her point, though it would not benefit her any. "I'm sure you are quite polite for a peddler, and I hope you'll excuse mother for making such a mistake about you."

 

"That is of no consequence," said Walter, smiling. "I think if your mother had had her glasses on she would not have made such a mistake."

 

He left the house still farther encouraged. But during the next hour he failed to sell another copy. At length he managed to sell a third. As these were all he had brought out, and he was feeling rather tired, he went back to the tavern²⁰, and did not come out again till after dinner. He had sold three copies and cleared three dollars and seventy-five cents, which he was right in regarding as very fair success.

1 pegging   

n.外汇钉住，固定证券价格v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的现在分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• To write a novel,one must keep pegging away at it consistently. 要写小说，必须不断辛勤劳动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She was pegging the clothes out on the line to dry. 她正在把衣服夹在晒衣绳上晾干。 来自辞典例句

2 subscription   

n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）

参考例句：

• We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
• Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。

3 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

4 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

5 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。

6 considerably   

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。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 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。

10 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

11 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

12 knavish   

adj.无赖（似）的，不正的；刁诈

参考例句：

• There was something quite knavish in the man's attitude. 这个人的态度真有点无赖的味道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• That shrewd and knavish sprite call'd Robin Goodfellow (Shakespeare) 那个叫作罗宾好伙计的精明而又顽皮的小妖精。 来自互联网

13 predecessor   

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 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

15 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。

16 disinterestedly   

参考例句：

• Few people behave disinterestedly in life. 生活中很少有人能表现得廉洁无私。 来自辞典例句
• He decided the case disinterestedly. 他公正地判决了那个案件。 来自互联网

17 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

18 auditor   

n.审计员，旁听着

参考例句：

• The auditor was required to produce his working papers.那个审计员被要求提供其工作底稿。
• The auditor examines the accounts of all county officers and departments.审计员查对所有县官员及各部门的帐目。

19 extolled   

v.赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school. 他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Tessenow decried the metropolis and extolled the peasant virtues. 特森诺夫痛诋大都市，颂扬农民的美德。 来自辞典例句

20 tavern   

n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店

参考例句：

• There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。
• Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。