CHAPTER IV. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.

 Mrs. Palmer herself went to the door and opened it. There entered a thickset young man, of very dark complexion¹, with an unhealthy color on his bloated cheeks. His dress was disarranged, his hat sat on his head with a rakish slant² downward, revealing coarse, unkempt black hair.

"Good-evening, mother," said the new-comer, staggering forward and sinking into the rocking-chair usually occupied by the widow herself.

"Good-evening, Stephen," said Mrs. Palmer, gravely.

"Evenin', sister Grace," said the intruder, looking about for a glimpse of the little girl, who was staring at him uneasily.

The little girl responded reluctantly.

"Where's Paul?" he asked next.

"He's gone out for a short walk."

"No matter. I don't like Paul; he puts on airs. He doesn't treat me with the respect due to a—hic—older brother."

[Pg 34]

"Paul's a good boy," said Grace, rather indignantly; for, though timid, she was always ready to rush to the defense³ of her favorite brother.

"Hey! what's that? No impudence⁴, little chicken. Don't you know I'm your brother, and more than twice as old as you?"

Grace was about to reply, but her mother gave her a warning glance.

 

"You don't seem very glad to see me," said Stephen, scowling⁵.

"You don't seem very glad to see me," said Stephen, scowling.

"I should be more glad to see you if your habits were good, Stephen," said Mrs. Palmer, gravely.

"Who says—hic—that my habits ain't good? Show me the man; that's all I want. Show him to me, I say. If it's Paul, I'll let him know who I am," said Stephen, belligerently⁶.

"I don't need any one to tell me, Stephen. Your appearance is sufficient to show that you have been drinking."

"All gentlemen drink, mother. It's good for the health. I ain't one of your sneaking⁷ 'Sons of Temperance.' I know how to behave, I want you to understand. I'm a gentleman, I am."

"Gentlemen don't stagger when they walk, and talk thick as you do, Stephen."

"You needn't lecture me any more, Mrs. Palmer—don't you hear?" said Stephen, becoming irritated.

[Pg 35]"When I come in of an evenin' to make a neighborly call, you might treat me different. Have you had supper?"

"Yes."

"I haven't. I haven't eaten a blessed thing since mornin'."

"If you would like, I will get you something, Stephen."

"That's the way to talk, old lady. I 'cept—hic—your kind invitation."

"My mother isn't an old lady," said Grace, who was as ready to stand up for her mother as for her brother.

"My mother isn't an old lady!" repeated Stephen, with drunken gravity. "What is she, then? She isn't an old gentleman. Of course not."

"Hush⁸, Grace!" said Mrs. Palmer. "It's of no consequence whether I am called an old lady or not. Would you like some tea, Stephen?" she inquired.

"You haven't got any whisky in the house, have you, mother?"

"No; we don't keep it. Tea will be much better for you."

In a few minutes a cup of tea, some cold meat, and bread and butter were placed before Stephen, who ate and drank with eager relish⁹. It was true, as he had[Pg 36] said, that he had not broken his fast since morning, though he had drank since then more than was good for him.

His meal seemed somewhat to sober him.

"I say, mother," he began, pushing back his chair from the table, "you're livin' in luxury, while I'm a poor, miserable¹⁰ fellow without a home."

"I am sorry to hear it, Stephen. It is your own fault. You are surely able to earn a comfortable living for yourself."

"My health ain't good, and I can't get work half the time."

It seemed very ridiculous to one who observed his strong frame to think of him as being in poor health.

"Your health would be better if you would abstain¹¹ from drink, Stephen," said Mrs. Palmer.

"Oh, hush up! I've had enough of that talk. I'm a gen'leman, and I'll do as I please. Mother, will you do me a favor?"

"What is it, Stephen?"

"Lend me five dollars. I'll pay it back 'morrow or next day—honor of a gen'leman."

Mrs. Palmer surveyed her visitor with some indignation, and answered, sharply:

"Are you not ashamed, Stephen Palmer, to ask such a thing of me?"

[Pg 37]"Why should I be 'shamed?"

"You, a strong young man, with only yourself to support, ask me, a weak woman, dependent upon a boy for support, to lend you money?"

"I'll pay it back 'morrow or next day."

"You know very well you would do no such thing. You would spend it in a drunken carouse¹² with your disorderly companions. No, Stephen Palmer, I have no money for you, or such as you."

"Is that the way you treat a son of yourn?"

"You are no son of mine. You are my step-son, but your bad conduct troubled your father for years before his death. You have no claim upon me or mine."

Stephen eyed her with dull anger. Even in his drunken condition he felt the severity of her words.

"I say, Mrs. Palmer, what did you do with my father's money—the money that ought to have come to me? You cheated me out of it, and you are livin' in luxury, while I have no home."

"You know very well," said Mrs. Palmer, disdainfully, "that your poor father left no property, except the little furniture you see in these poor rooms. He might have been in good circumstances had you not involved him in losses, and reduced him to poverty by your bad courses."

[Pg 38]"You've got all the money between you—you, and Paul, and Grace," persisted Stephen, angrily.

"You know it's a wicked falsehood, Stephen!" said Grace, firing up like a kitten at her step-brother's insulting words. "You're a bad man!"

"Hoity-toity! I'm a bad man, am I, little vixen?" said Stephen, glowering¹³ at her.

"Yes, you are!"

"Hush, Grace! Little girls should not talk too much!" said her mother, fearing that Stephen might become dangerously incensed¹⁴ and proceed to violence.

Though he was affected¹⁵ by drink, she felt that she could not offer any adequate resistance in such a case.

"If Paul would only come home!" she said to herself. He was only a boy; still with him in the house she would feel comparatively safe.

"Come, old lady," said Stephen, "I see you want to get rid of me. Give me some money, and I will begone."

"I have no money for you, Stephen."

"Didn't Paul bring home some money to-night?"

Paul often handed his mother the money he had earned during the day, and would probably do so before he went to bed, but fortunately, as she considered, he had not yet done so.

[Pg 39]"He brought home money, but he has it in his own pocket," she answered.

"Are you sure he didn't give it to you?" asked Stephen, suspiciously.

"No, he did not."

"Then he ought to. He's a selfish boy, to—hic—keep it all himself."

"He doesn't keep it himself. He will probably hand it to me before he goes to bed."

"Then I'll come round to-morrow mornin', and you can give me some."

"It will be of no use, Stephen. Paul's money goes to support the family, and you have no claim upon it."

"Haven't you any money in the house, Mrs. Palmer?"

"I decline to answer the question, Stephen Palmer. All I can say is, that I have no money for you."

"Come, old lady, you're puttin' on airs. I won't have it. Do you hear me? I say I won't have it!" and the wretched fellow pounded on the table fiercely with his fist.

Just then, most unluckily, Grace started, and let the gold piece, which she had been holding firmly in her hand, fall on the floor.

Her brother espied¹⁶ it, and his eyes gleamed with drunken joy.

[Pg 40]"Ho, ho!" he said. "Gold pieces rollin' 'round! You're mighty¹⁷ poor, ain't you? That's just what I need."

He got up from the chair, and approaching Grace, who by this time had picked up the gold, seized her roughly by the arm, and exclaimed:

"Give me that gold piece, young one, or I'll wring¹⁸ your neck!"

Grace shrank and cowered¹⁹ under his brutal²⁰ grasp, but still clutched the money, though pale with terror.

"It's mine!" she said. "You sha'n't have it."

"We'll see!" said the ruffian, tightening²¹ his grasp and shaking her roughly.

1 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

2 slant   

v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向

参考例句：

• The lines are drawn on a slant.这些线条被画成斜线。
• The editorial had an antiunion slant.这篇社论有一种反工会的倾向。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 impudence   

n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼

参考例句：

• His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。
• What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

5 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

6 belligerently   

参考例句：

• Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Harass, threaten, insult, or behave belligerently towards others. 向其它交战地折磨，威胁，侮辱，或表现。 来自互联网

7 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

8 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

9 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

10 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

11 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

12 carouse   

v.狂欢；痛饮；n.狂饮的宴会

参考例句：

• I am just enjoying carouse.我正在尽情地享受狂欢呢。
• His followers did not carouse,like the troops of many warlord armies.他的部下也不象许多军阀的军队那样大吃大喝。

13 glowering   

v.怒视( glower的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The boy would not go, but stood at the door glowering at his father. 那男孩不肯走，他站在门口对他父亲怒目而视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then he withdrew to a corner and sat glowering at his wife. 然后他溜到一个角落外，坐在那怒视着他的妻子。 来自辞典例句

14 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

15 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

16 espied   

v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

17 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

18 wring   

n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭

参考例句：

• My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿，我不得不拧干它们。
• I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩，我就拧断你的脖子。

19 cowered   

v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 )

参考例句：

• A gun went off and people cowered behind walls and under tables. 一声枪响，人们缩到墙后或桌子底下躲起来。
• He cowered in the corner, gibbering with terror. 他蜷缩在角落里，吓得语无伦次。

20 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

21 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。