“Forty-two cents!” she said, at last, in a tone of satisfaction. “I don’t generally get more’n twenty. I wish that man would come round and call me names every day.”
Tom knew that she was expected to go home and carry the result of her morning’s work to her granny; but the unusual amount suggested to her another idea. Her mid-day meal was usually of the plainest and scantiest,—a crust of dry bread, or a cold sausage on days of plenty,—and Tom sometimes 19did long for something better. But generally it would have been dangerous to appropriate a sufficient sum from her receipts, as the deficit3 would have been discovered, and quick retribution would have followed from her incensed4 granny, who was a vicious old woman with a pretty vigorous arm. Now, however, she could appropriate twenty cents without danger of discovery.
“I can get a square meal for twenty cents,” Tom reflected, “and I’ll do it.”
But she must go home first, as delay would be dangerous, and have disagreeable consequences.
She prepared for the visit by dividing her morning’s receipts into two parcels. The two ten-cent scrips she hid away in the lining5 of her tattered6 jacket. The pennies, including one five-cent scrip, she put in the pocket of her dress. This last was intended for her granny. She then started homewards, dragging her broom after her.
She walked to Centre Street, turned after a while into Leonard, and went on, turning once or twice, until she came to one of the most wretched tenement7 houses to be found in that not very choice locality. 20She passed through an archway leading into an inner court, on which fronted a rear house more shabby, if possible, than the front dwelling8. The court was redolent of odors far from savory9; children pallid10, dirty, and unhealthy-looking, were playing about, filling the air with shrill11 cries, mingled12 with profanity; clothes were hanging from some of the windows; miserable13 and besotted faces were seen at others.
Tom looked up to a window in the fourth story. She could descry14 a woman, with a pipe in her mouth.
“Granny’s home,” she said to herself.
She went up three flights, and, turning at the top, went to the door and opened it.
It was a wretched room, containing two chairs and a table, nothing more. On one of the chairs was seated a large woman, of about sixty, with a clay pipe in her mouth. The room was redolent of the vilest15 tobacco-smoke.
This was granny.
If granny had ever been beautiful, there were no traces of that dangerous gift in the mottled and 21wrinkled face, with bleared eyes, which turned towards the door as Tom entered.
“Why didn’t you come afore, Tom?” she demanded.
“I’m on time,” said Tom. “Clock aint but just struck.”
“How much have you got?”
Tom pulled out her stock of pennies and placed them in the woman’s outstretched palm.
“There’s twenty-two,” she said.
“Umph!” said granny. “Where’s the rest?”
“That’s all.”
“Come here.”
Tom advanced, not reluctantly, for she felt sure that granny would not think of searching her jacket, especially as she had brought home as much as usual.
The old woman thrust her hand into the child’s pocket, and turned it inside-out with her claw-like fingers, but not another penny was to be found.
“Didn’t I tell you so?” said Tom.
Granny rose from her chair, and going to a shelf 22took down a piece of bread, which had become dry and hard.
“There’s your dinner,” said she.
“Gi’ me a penny to buy an apple,” said Tom,—rather by way of keeping up appearances than because she wanted one. Visions of a more satisfactory repast filled her imagination.
“You don’t want no apple. Bread’s enough,” said granny.
Tom was not much disappointed. She knew pretty well beforehand how her application would fare. Frequently she made sure of success by buying the apple and eating it before handing the proceeds of her morning’s work to the old woman. To-day she had other views, which she was in a hurry to carry out.
She took the bread, and ate a mouthful. Then she slipped it into her pocket, and said, “I’ll eat it as I go along, granny.”
To this the old woman made no objection, and Tom went out.
In the court-yard below she took out her crust, and handed it to a hungry-looking boy of ten, the 23unlucky offspring of drunken parents, who oftentimes was unable to command even such fare as Tom obtained.
“Here, Tim,” she said, “eat that; I aint hungry.”
It was one of Tim’s frequent fast days, and even the hard crust was acceptable to him. He took it readily, and began to eat it ravenously19. Tom looked on with benevolent20 interest, feeling the satisfaction of having done a charitable act. The satisfaction might have been heightened by the thought that she was going to get something better herself.
“So you’re hungry, Tim,” she said.
“I’m always hungry,” said Tim.
“Did you have any breakfast?”
“Only an apple I picked up in the street.”
“He’s worse off than me,” thought Tom; but she had no time to reflect on the superior privileges of her own position, for she was beginning to feel hungry herself.
There was a cheap restaurant near by, only a few blocks away.
Tom knew it well, for she had often paused before the door and inhaled21 enviously22 the appetizing odor 24of the dishes which were there vended23 to patrons not over-fastidious, at prices accommodated to scantily24 lined pocket-books. Tom had never entered, but had been compelled to remain outside, wishing that a more propitious25 fortune had placed it in her power to dine there every day. Now, however, first thrusting her fingers into the lining of her jacket to make sure that the money was there, she boldly entered the restaurant and took a seat at one of the tables.
The room was not large, there being only eight tables, each of which might accommodate four persons. The floor was sanded, the tables were some of them bare, others covered with old newspapers, which had become greasy26, and were rather worse than no table-cloth at all. The guests, of whom perhaps a dozen were seated at the table, were undoubtedly27 plebeian28. Men in shirt-sleeves, rough-bearded sailors and ’long-shore men, composed the company, with one ragged29 boot-black, who had his blacking-box on the seat beside him.
It was an acquaintance of Tom, and she went and sat beside him.
25“Do you get dinner here, Jim?” she asked.
“Yes, Tom; what brings you here?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Don’t you live along of your granny?”
“Yes; but I thought I’d come here to-day. What have you got?”
“Roast beef.”
“Is it good?”
“Bully!”
“I’ll have some, then. How much is it?”
“Ten cents.”
Ten cents was the standard price in this economical restaurant for a plate of meat of whatever kind. Perhaps, considering the quality and amount given, it could not be regarded as very cheap; still the sum was small, and came within Tom’s means.
A plate of beef was brought and placed before Tom. Her eyes dilated30 with pleasure as they rested on the delicious morsel31. There was a potato besides; and a triangular32 slice of bread, with an infinitesimal dab33 of butter,—all for ten cents. But Tom’s ambition soared higher.
“Bring me a cup o’ coffee,” she said to the waiter.
26It was brought,—a very dark, muddy, suspicious-looking beverage,—a base libel upon the fragrant34 berry whose name it took; but such a thought did not disturb Tom. She never doubted that it was what it purported35 to be. She stirred it vigorously with the spoon, and sipped36 it as if it had been nectar.
Then ensued a vigorous onslaught upon the roast beef. It was the first meat Tom had tasted for weeks, with the exception of occasional cold sausage; and she was in the seventh heaven of delight as she hurriedly ate it. When she had finished, the plate was literally38 and entirely39 empty. Tom did not believe in leaving anything behind. She was almost tempted40 to “lick the platter clean,” but observed that none of the other guests did so, and refrained.
“Bring me a piece of apple pie,” said Tom, determined41 for once to have what she denominated a “good square meal.” The price of the pie being five cents, this would just exhaust her funds. Payment was demanded when the pie was brought, the 27prudent waiter having some fears that his customer was eating beyond her means.
Tom paid the money, and, vigorously attacking the pie, had almost finished it, when, chancing to lift her eyes to the window, she saw a sight that made her blood curdle42.
Looking through the pane43 with a stony44 glare that meant mischief45 was her granny, whom she had supposed safe at home.
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收听单词发音
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1
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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deficit
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| n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差 | |
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incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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7
tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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9
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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12
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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13
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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14
descry
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| v.远远看到；发现；责备 | |
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15
vilest
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| adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的 | |
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16
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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17
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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18
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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19
ravenously
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| adv.大嚼地，饥饿地 | |
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20
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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21
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
enviously
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| adv.满怀嫉妒地 | |
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23
vended
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| v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明 | |
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24
scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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25
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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26
greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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27
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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28
plebeian
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| adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民 | |
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29
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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30
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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32
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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33
dab
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| v.轻触，轻拍，轻涂；n.(颜料等的)轻涂 | |
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34
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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35
purported
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| adj.传说的，谣传的v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
smacking
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| 活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的 | |
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38
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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39
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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40
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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41
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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42
curdle
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| v.使凝结，变稠 | |
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43
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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44
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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45
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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