CHAPTER XXI. MISS FRAMLEY'S MORTIFICATION.

 "Paul," said Mrs. Palmer, "are you at leisure this evening?"

"Yes, mother, if you have anything for me to do."

Paul had another plan for the evening, but he felt that duty required him to defer¹ that, and place himself at the service of his mother. In this he showed a good feeling and sense of duty which may well be copied by such of my readers as are young and dependent upon their parents for more than they fully² understand.

"I don't like to take up your time when you have been all day at work for us."

"Never mind that, mother. Why, I enjoy my work. I should feel lost without it."

"I have got Miss Dearborn's work done, Paul, and if you can spare time, I should like to have you take it to her."

"I am perfectly³ ready to do that, mother," said Paul, promptly⁴, "I shall be glad to see her on my own account."

[Pg 159]"I don't know how much I ought to charge her for the work," said Mrs. Palmer, reflecting.

"I don't believe she will object to your price, mother, whatever it is. She is quite a different young lady from Miss Framley."

"Then you may say two dollars, if she asks the price," said his mother.

The work was neatly⁵ done up, and Paul took charge of it.

At about eight o'clock he ascended⁶ the steps of Mrs. Sheldon's handsome house, and rang the bell.

"Is Miss Dearborn at home?" he asked of the servant who answered his summons.

"Yes," answered Grace, smiling, for she chanced to hear the question as she passed through the hall. "Good-evening, Paul. How is your little sister?"

"Very well, Miss Dearborn. If she had known I was coming here, she would have wanted to come, too."

"You must bring her soon."

"Won't she trouble you, Miss Dearborn?"

"Children never trouble me. I like them. Come in and sit down," for Paul was still standing⁷ in the vestibule. "I suppose you have brought my work."

"Yes; mother has finished it."

"Sarah, you may take the bundle."

[Pg 160]"Won't you look at it, Miss Dearborn? Perhaps it may not suit you."

"I am not afraid of that, Paul. Still I will examine it."

The examination was followed by cordial praise, which was deserved, for Mrs. Palmer was an admirable needlewoman.

"Did your mother mention the price, Paul?" asked the young lady.

"She named two dollars."

Grace drew out a pearl porte-monnaie, and drew therefrom a bill, which she handed to Paul.

"Give your mother that, with my compliments on her good work," she said.

Paul saw that it was a five-dollar bill.

"I am afraid I can't change this," he said.

"It is not necessary," returned Grace, with a smile.

"But it is a five. I said two dollars."

"Tell your mother that if she thinks this too much, she may regard the balance as a gift."

"You are very generous, Miss Dearborn," said Paul, his eyes brightening with the thought of his mother's pleasure when she received such liberal payment.

"If I am, I can take small credit for it, since I am blessed with a fortune."

[Pg 161]"I wish all rich people were like you," said Paul, impulsively⁸.

"Don't flatter me, Paul. I am probably vain enough already."

"I may thank you at any rate, Miss Dearborn."

Paul rose to go, not wishing to intrude⁹ further upon the young lady.

"If you are going home directly, will you object to taking some more work to your mother?"

"I shall be very glad to do it."

"Then wait here five minutes and I will send Sarah to you with a bundle. Say to your mother that I shall be able to give her almost constant employment, as I am interested in a number of poor families for whom I have garments made up as the most useful gifts I can bestow¹⁰ upon them."

"This will be good news to mother."

"Then I shall be the better pleased if I can oblige her while securing excellent work."

Paul went home directly, with the more alacrity¹¹ because he had such good news to communicate. His mother, as he anticipated, was very much elated by her good fortune.

"It is so different from Miss Framley's way of dealing," she said.

"There are not many young ladies like Miss Dearborn," said Paul.

[Pg 162]"You are right there, Paul. If there were more, the world would be better off."

Just then the postman called with a postal¹² for Mrs. Palmer.

It ran thus:

"Miss Framley will be obliged if Mrs. Palmer will call or send to her house to-morrow evening for some work. She hopes that Mrs. Palmer will not be unreasonable¹³ in her charges."

"That's cool!" ejaculated Paul.

"I thought Miss Framley did not intend to give me any more work," said his mother.

"So she said, but it seems she has changed her mind."

"I didn't think she would."

"Oh, she probably finds it difficult to get her work done as well elsewhere, and finds it for her interest to employ you again."

"She will think any fair price unreasonable."

"Of course she will. If you will be guided by my advice, mother, you will decline to take her work again."

"It is certainly unpleasant working for one who is unwilling¹⁴ to pay fairly."

"Then don't do it. Miss Dearborn said she would give you enough work to occupy your time, and you know she will pay you handsomely."

[Pg 163]"Then if you think best, Paul," said Mrs. Palmer, doubtfully, for it seemed a rash thing, in the light of her former struggles, to decline work.

"I do think it best, mother, and I shall be glad to call there myself and give her your answer."

The next evening, therefore, Paul repaired to the Framley mansion¹⁵, and found the young lady at home. He was not invited in, but Miss Framley came to the door to speak to him.

"You sent a postal to my mother, Miss Framley," he commenced.

"Oh, you are the Palmer boy," said Miss Framley, condescendingly.

"My name is Paul Palmer."

"I have decided¹⁶ to let your mother have my work again, though she charged an extortionate price for the last."

The fact was, as Paul surmised¹⁷, that Miss Framley had found it impossible to find any other seamstress whose work pleased her as much as his mother's, but of course she did not choose to admit that. She preferred to have it understood that she was conferring a favor.

"My mother never charges extortionate prices," said Paul, gravely.

"As a boy, you are not a suitable judge," said the young lady, sharply. "You may say to your mother[Pg 164] that there are plenty who would like to do my work, but as she is a widow, and poor, I have taken pity on her, and——"

"There is no occasion for that, Miss Framley," said Paul. "My mother can get along very well without your work."

"It seems to me you are taking a great deal on yourself, young man," said Miss Framley, sharply. "I have a great mind to give out my work elsewhere."

"You will have to do that, Miss Framley," said Paul, with evident satisfaction, "for my mother requests me to say that she cannot do any more work for you."

"Did she tell you to say this?" demanded Miss Framley, astonished.

"Yes."

"I never heard of such a thing!" ejaculated the mortified¹⁸ young lady. "Are you sure this is not a message of your own?"

"Quite so. Miss Dearborn has promised her as much work as she can do, at about three times the rate you are willing to pay. Good-evening!"

"I believe I hate Miss Dearborn?" inwardly commented the vexed¹⁹ Miss Framley. "Somehow she interferes²⁰ with me in everything I undertake. If she chooses to throw away her money, I sha'n't. And[Pg 165] now where am I to find another seamstress like Mrs. Palmer? I wish I hadn't offended her."

But it was too late. Miss Framley must pay the penalty of her meanness.

Paul walked home, feeling that the day had been an unusually satisfactory one. Yet how little can we foresee the future? Within the next twenty-four hours a great danger menaced him.

1 defer   

vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从

参考例句：

• We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
• We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 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。

4 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

5 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

6 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 impulsively   

adv.冲动地

参考例句：

• She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前，感情冲动地吻了他。
• Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。

9 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

10 bestow   

v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费

参考例句：

• He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。
• What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我？

11 alacrity   

n.敏捷，轻快，乐意

参考例句：

• Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。
• He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

12 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

13 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

14 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

15 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 surmised   

v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想

参考例句：

• From the looks on their faces, I surmised that they had had an argument. 看他们的脸色，我猜想他们之间发生了争执。
• From his letter I surmised that he was unhappy. 我从他的信中推测他并不快乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 vexed   

adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
• He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。