CHAPTER IX — LUKE LOSES HIS POSITION

 "Luke Larkin!"

 

Luke turned, on hearing his name called, and was rather surprised to see Randolph hastening toward him.

 

"How are you, Randolph?" he said politely.

 

"Where are you going?" asked Randolph, not heeding¹ the inquiry².

 

"To the schoolhouse, to sweep out."

 

"How long have you been janitor³?" asked Randolph, abruptly⁴.

 

"About a year," Luke answered, in surprise.

 

"That's a good while."

 

Luke was puzzled. Why should Randolph feel such an interest, all at once, in his humble⁵ office?

 

"I suppose you know that my father is now on the school committee?" Randolph continued.

 

"Yes; I heard so."

 

"He thinks of appointing Tim Flanagan janitor in your place."

 

Luke's face showed his surprise and concern. The loss of his modest income would, as he knew, be severely⁶ felt by his mother and himself. The worst of it was, there seemed no chance in Groveton of making it up in any other way.

 

"Did your father tell you this?" he asked, after a pause.

 

"Yes; he just told me," answered Randolph, complacently⁷.

 

"Why does he think of removing me? Are there any complaints of the way I perform my duties?"

 

"Really, my good fellow," said Randolph, languidly, "I can't enlighten you on that point. You've held the office a good while, you know."

 

"You are very kind to tell me—this bad news," said Luke, pointedly⁸.

 

"Oh, don't mention it. Good morning. Were you fatigued⁹ after your violent exercise at Florence Grant's party?"

 

"No. Were you?"

 

"I didn't take any," said Randolph, haughtily¹⁰. "I danced—I didn't jump round."

 

"Thank you for the compliment. Is there anything more you wish to say to me?"

 

"No."

 

"Then good morning."

 

When Luke was left alone he felt serious. How was he going to make up the dollar a week of which he was to be deprived? The more he considered the matter the further he was from thinking anything. He was not quite sure whether the news was reliable, or merely invented by Randolph to tease and annoy him. Upon this point, however, he was soon made certain. The next day, as he was attending to his duties in the schoolhouse, Tim Flanagan entered.

 

"Here's a note for you, Luke," he said.

 

Luke opened the note and found it brief but significant. It ran thus:

 

"LUKE LARKIN: I have appointed the bearer, Timothy Flanagan, janitor in your place. You will give him the key of the schoolhouse, and he will at once assume your duties.

 

"PRINCE DUNCAN."

 

"Well, Tim," said Luke, calmly, "it appears that you are going to take my place."

 

"Yes, Luke, but I don't care much about it. My mother went to the squire¹¹ and got me the job. The pay's a dollar a week, isn't it?"

 

"Yes."

 

"That isn't enough."

 

"It isn't very much, but there are not many ways of earning money here in Groveton."

 

"What do you have to do?"

 

"Make the fire every morning and sweep out twice a week. Then there's dusting, splitting up kindlings, and so on."

 

"I don't think I'll like it. I ain't good at makin' fires."

 

"Squire Duncan writes you are to begin at once."

 

"Shure, I'm afraid I won't succeed."

 

"I'll tell you what, Tim. I'll help you along till you've got used to the duties. After a while they'll get easy for you."

 

"Will you now? You're a good feller, Luke. I thought you would be mad at losin' the job."

 

"I am not mad, but I am sorry. I needed the money, but no doubt you do, also. I have no grudge¹² against you."

 

Luke had just started in his work. He explained to Tim how to do it, and remained with him till it was done.

 

"I'll come again to-morrow, Tim," he said. "I will get you well started, for I want to make it easy for you."

 

Tim was by no means a model boy, but he was warm-hearted, and he was touched by Luke's generous treatment.

 

"I say, Luke," he exclaimed, "I don't want to take your job. Say the word, and I'll tell mother and the squire I don't want it."

 

"No, Tim, it's your duty to help your mother. Take it and do your best."

 

On his way home Luke chanced to meet the squire, walking in his usual dignified¹³ manner toward the bank, of which he was president.

 

"Squire Duncan," he said, walking up to him in a manly¹⁴ way, "I would like to speak a word to you."

 

"Say on, young man."

 

"Tim Flanagan handed me a note from you this morning ordering me to turn over my duties as janitor to him."

 

"Very well?"

 

"I have done so, but I wish to ask you if I have been removed on account of any complaints that my work was not well done?"

 

"I have heard no complaints," answered the squire. "I appointed Timothy in your place because I approved of rotation¹⁵ in office. It won't do any good for you to make a fuss about it."

 

"I don't intend to make a fuss, Squire Duncan," said Luke, proudly. "I merely wished to know if there were any charges against me."

 

"There are none."

 

"Then I am satisfied. Good morning, sir."

 

"Stay, young man. Is Timothy at the schoolhouse?"

 

"Yes, sir. I gave him some instruction about the work, and promised to go over to-morrow to help him."

 

"Very well."

 

Squire Duncan was rather relieved to find that Luke did not propose to make any fuss. His motive¹⁶, as has already been stated, was a political one. He wished to ingratiate himself with Irish voters and obtain an election as representative; not that he cared so much for this office, except as a stepping-stone to something higher.

 

Luke turned his steps homeward. He dreaded¹⁷ communicating the news to his mother, for he knew that it would depress her, as it had him. However, it must be known sooner or later, and he must not shrink from telling her.

 

"Mother," he said, as he entered the room where she was sewing, "I have lost my job as janitor."

 

"I expected you would, Luke," said his mother, soberly.

 

"Who told you?" asked Luke, in surprise.

 

"Melinda Sprague was here yesterday and told me Tim Flanagan was to have it."

 

"Miss Sprague seems to know everything that is going on."

 

"Yes, she usually hears everything. Have you lost the place already?"

 

"Tim brought me a note this morning from Squire Duncan informing me that I was removed and he was put in my place."

 

"It is going to be a serious loss to us, Luke," said Mrs. Larkin, gravely.

 

"Yes, mother, but I am sure something will turn up in its place."

 

Luke spoke¹⁸ confidently, but it was a confidence he by no means felt.

 

"It is a sad thing to be so poor as we are," said Mrs. Larkin, with a sigh.

 

"It is very inconvenient¹⁹, mother, but we ought to be glad that we have perfect health. I am young and strong, and I am sure I can find some other way of earning a dollar a week."

 

"At any rate, we will hope so, Luke."

 

Luke went to bed early that night. The next morning, as they were sitting at breakfast, Melinda Sprague rushed into the house and sank into a chair, out of breath.

 

"Have you heard the news?"

 

"No. What is it?"

 

"The bank has been robbed! A box of United States bonds has been taken, amounting to thirty or forty thousand dollars!"

 

Luke and his mother listened in amazement²⁰.

1 heeding   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This come of heeding people who say one thing and mean another! 有些人嘴里一回事，心里又是一回事，今天这个下场都是听信了这种人的话的结果。 来自辞典例句
• Her dwarfish spouse still smoked his cigar and drank his rum without heeding her. 她那矮老公还在吸他的雪茄，喝他的蔗酒，睬也不睬她。 来自辞典例句

2 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

3 janitor   

n.看门人，管门人

参考例句：

• The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
• The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

4 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

5 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

6 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

7 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

8 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fatigued   

adj. 疲乏的

参考例句：

• The exercises fatigued her. 操练使她感到很疲乏。
• The President smiled, with fatigued tolerance for a minor person's naivety. 总统笑了笑，疲惫地表现出对一个下级人员的天真想法的宽容。

10 haughtily   

adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地

参考例句：

• She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
• Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯，走到二楼，我刚好站在那儿。

11 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。

12 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

13 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

14 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

15 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

16 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

17 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

18 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。

19 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

20 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。