CHAPTER XVI. AN UNWELCOME APPEARANCE.

 "Good-evening, mamma!" said Stephen, airily, as he stepped over the threshold, and entered the room.

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

Stephen glanced hastily in all directions in search of Paul, and was glad to find no trace of him.

"Where's sister Grace?" he inquired.

"She has gone to bed, Stephen. She always goes to bed at eight o'clock."

"Has she spent that gold piece yet, that she was too selfish to lend to her poor brother?"

"That is a matter you can have no interest in, Stephen."

"None of my business, eh?"

"I didn't say that."

"You meant it, all the same. Where's Paul?"

"Do you know where he is? Have you come to tell me, Stephen?"

This question was asked with some appearance of anxiety, and Stephen at once jumped to the conclusion that all things had gone as he desired, and Paul[Pg 126] had fallen into the trap which had been prepared for him.

"Why, you don't mean to say the kid isn't at home?" said Stephen, an irrepressible smile lighting¹ up his face. "Well, that's a good one. Most likely he's in the station-house. Ho, ho!"

"And you laugh at the thought!" said Mrs. Palmer, indignantly.

"Oh, he ain't any better than other boys. You think he can't do anything wrong, but I'll bet you half a dollar he's been caught stealing or something."

"Wherever Paul is, I am sure he is not in the station-house," said Mrs. Palmer, positively².

"Don't be too sure of that," chuckled³ Stephen. "He's a sly one, Paul is. You wouldn't think butter'd melt in his mouth, but I know him better'n you do."

"Paul is a good son and brother, and always has been."

"And I suppose I am not," sneered⁴ Stephen.

"You must question your own conscience on that subject," said Mrs. Palmer.

"You are only my step-mother. You don't expect me to support you and the kids, do you?" asked Stephen, coarsely.

"No; I only desire that you will let us alone. We[Pg 127] can get on without your help," returned the widow, with dignity.

"That is, if Paul remains⁵ all right; but you can't be sure of that. He may slip up any time, and become a boarder at the expense of the State."

"If you have come here to slander⁶ Paul, you can hardly expect that you will be welcome."

"Oh, well, I know that Paul is your idol⁷. He can't do anything wrong. I shouldn't wonder if he was in a scrape now."

"What kind of a scrape? Don't leave me in suspense⁸, Stephen."

Stephen Palmer was not over supplied with brains, and he was foolish enough to fall into the trap, and speak of what he could not be supposed to know.

"I heard a report," he said, "that Paul had been arrested for stealing in the Milwaukee train to-day."

"Where did you get your information?" asked Mrs. Palmer.

"She doesn't believe it," said Stephen to himself. "Never mind; she may have to before long."

"I don't care to mention where I heard it," he answered.

"It is not true."

"Perhaps it isn't; but if that's the case, why doesn't he come home?"

"He may have been detained by business."

[Pg 128]"Oh, yes; very important business!" chuckled Stephen. "I guess he'll find it very important and pressing."

"Is that what you have come to tell me, Stephen Palmer?"

"No, not exactly. The fact is, Mrs. Palmer, I am hard up."

"I believe you always are."

"Right you are. The fact is, I am very unlucky. Nothing seems to go right with me. I have a hard struggle to get along."

"There's one remedy you might find, Stephen," said the widow, sternly.

"What is that?"

"Work."

"Work!" repeated Stephen, angrily. "And where am I to find work? Haven't I tried to get something to do everywhere?"

"I don't know; but from what I know of you, I presume not. A man who really wants to work won't go so long without it as you have."

"Much you know about it. I tell you everything is crowded. How much money do you think I have got left?"

"How should I know?"

"That's all," said Stephen, drawing a quarter from[Pg 129] his vest-pocket and flipping⁹ it up in the air. "Mrs. Palmer, you must help me."

"If you are hungry Stephen, though it is a late hour, I will give you something to eat."

"Thank you! I don't want any of your cold victuals," sneered the vagabond.

"Then I can do nothing for you."

"Yes, you can. Give me the little girl's gold piece. You needn't pretend that she has spent it, for I know better."

"Whether that is the case or not, I decline to let you have it."

"Look here, widow," said Stephen, his brow darkening, "I ain't going to be trifled with or bluffed¹⁰ off; not this time. When down here before I wasn't quite myself, and that young puppy, Paul, thought it safe to bully¹¹ me. Things are different now. I am perfectly¹² sober, and I know what I'm about. So I tell you once more I want that money, and I advise you to get it for me, or else give me as much out of your own pocket."

"Surely you are not in earnest, Stephen Palmer. You won't persist in this unmanly demand?"

"Then you don't know me. Paul is not here to defend you now, and I advise you not to make me angry."

Stephen rose from his seat, and advanced toward[Pg 130] his step-mother with an ugly look on his mean, evil-looking face.

Mrs. Palmer started back, and uttered just one word: "Paul!"

At the call, Paul, who had found it difficult to restrain himself from rushing into the room sooner, sprang through the door, and, his young face flaming with just indignation, confronted his step-brother.

1 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

2 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

3 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

4 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 slander   

n./v.诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。
• He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。

7 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

8 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

9 flipping   

讨厌之极的

参考例句：

• I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆！
• Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。

10 bluffed   

以假象欺骗，吹牛( bluff的过去式和过去分词 )； 以虚张声势找出或达成

参考例句：

• Hung-chien bluffed, "You know perfectly well yourself without my telling you." 鸿渐摆空城计道：“你心里明白，不用我说。”
• In each case the hijackers bluffed the crew using fake grenades. 每一个案例中，劫机者都用了假手榴弹吓唬机组人员。

11 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

12 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。