CHAPTER XXVIII. MR. MANSON IS SURPRISED.

 Emanuel Manson felt too late that he had made a mistake. He had intended to humiliate¹ Paul by making him his own errand boy, but our hero's firm refusal to serve him made the humiliation² his own. He did not venture to report the matter to Mr. Bradford, for he knew that he had no right to call upon Paul to do his own errands; yet to let it pass would seem like a confession³ of weakness.

"I can't do anything at present," he decided⁴, "but I will take the first opportunity to prejudice Mr. Bradford against the young rascal⁵ and procure⁶ his dismissal."

In other words, Mr. Manson proposed to bide⁷ his time. He had no idea of foregoing his vengeance⁸, but thought it politic⁹ to defer¹⁰ it. Meanwhile he had plenty of opportunities to make things disagreeable to Paul, and availed himself of them.

At the end of the first week a very disagreeable surprise awaited Mr. Manson.

The time came to pay off the clerks, and among others Paul.

[Pg 207]He drew from the cash-box four dollars and handed it to our hero, with the remark:

"There's your pay, though it is more than you have earned."

Paul glanced at the two two-dollar bills which lay in his hand, and said, quietly:

"Why do you pay me four dollars?"

"Three would be enough, but I didn't suppose you would be modest enough to admit it."

"I am not. I suppose Mr. Bradford hasn't told you how much my wages are to be."

"How much?" inquired the book-keeper, with a sneer¹¹. "Ten dollars, I presume."

"You are right. I will trouble you to give me six dollars more."

"Are you crazy?" gasped¹² Manson.

"Not that I am aware of," answered Paul, coolly.

"If you are trying to humbug¹³ me, you may as well give up the attempt. I wasn't born last year."

"I am neither crazy nor trying to humbug you," said Paul, with easy self-possession. "Mr. Bradford has kindly¹⁴ agreed to pay me ten dollars a week, and——"

"I never heard a more outrageous¹⁵ falsehood!" ejaculated Manson. "The idea of paying a raw, inexperienced boy ten dollars a week! Why, it is utterly[Pg 208] ridiculous. I shall take care to report your attempted swindle to Mr. Bradford."

"Just as you like, Mr. Manson; but first, will you cast your eyes over this note?"

Paul produced a folded sheet of note-paper, and passed it to the book-keeper.

Manson read to his amazement¹⁶ these words over the signature of Alexander Bradford:

"I have fixed¹⁷ the wages of Paul Palmer at ten dollars per week, and you are authorized¹⁸ to pay him that sum."

"Where did you get this paper?" asked Manson.

"From Mr. Bradford."

"When?"

"Yesterday. He thought you would require his authority for paying so large a sum."

"How do I know but you have forged this note?" asked Manson.

"Probably you know Mr. Bradford's handwriting and signature. Besides, it would be foolish in me to attempt a forgery¹⁹ which would immediately be found out."

In fact, Manson knew that the note was genuine. He could not be mistaken in Mr. Bradford's handwriting, but he wanted to find some excuse for delaying or refusing payment. On the whole, he did not venture to do either, as he knew his employer would be offended.

[Pg 209]"There's your money," he said, throwing the balance on the desk. "I can't say I understand it at all. I shall feel it necessary to speak to Mr. Bradford on the subject."

"I wish you would, sir, so as to remove any doubts you may have."

"It is about three times as much as you have earned."

"I won't dispute you, sir. I am quite aware that it is more than I can earn."

"Then why did Mr. Bradford pay you so much?"

"Probably he will tell you when you speak to him on the subject."

Manson was baffled, but he felt all the more annoyed that his nephew Julius had lost a situation which carried so much pay with it.

He dispatched Paul on an errand, and during his absence Julius came in.

"Well, Julius," said his uncle, "I have just been paying that boy who has got your place."

"I wish you had been paying me. I haven't got a cent to my name. Four dollars would have come mighty²⁰ convenient."

"Four dollars!"

"Yes; isn't that what he gets? Three dollars would be too mean."

"The boy gets ten dollars a week!"

[Pg 210]"Ten dollars!" gasped Julius. "Oh, come now, you're fooling."

"Not at all. Do you see that?"

He showed Julius the note of Mr. Bradford previously²¹ referred to.

"Good gracious! I can't believe it!" exclaimed Julius. "Why, it's tremendous pay. Can't you turn him off and get me in his place? What a swell²² I'd cut on ten dollars a week!"

"I wish you had the place," said Manson, thoughtfully; "but I don't know how to manage it."

"Try to think of some way, Uncle Emanuel," pleaded Julius. "I should have liked it at four, for ma only gives me a dollar a week allowance, and that is hardly enough to buy my cigarettes."

"You'd be a good deal better off if you gave up cigarettes. They are doing you no good."

And here Mr. Manson gave his nephew good advice.

"Put me in the place, and I'll do whatever you want me to," said Julius.

"I'll do my part," said the book-keeper.

1 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

2 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。

3 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

4 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。

5 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

6 procure   

vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条

参考例句：

• Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
• I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。

7 bide   

v.忍耐；等候；住

参考例句：

• We'll have to bide our time until the rain stops.我们必须等到雨停。
• Bide here for a while. 请在这儿等一会儿。

8 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

9 politic   

adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政

参考例句：

• He was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage.他很聪明，不会与这么重要的人争吵。
• The politic man tried not to offend people.那个精明的人尽量不得罪人。

10 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。

11 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

12 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 humbug   

n.花招，谎话，欺骗

参考例句：

• I know my words can seem to him nothing but utter humbug.我知道，我说的话在他看来不过是彻头彻尾的慌言。
• All their fine words are nothing but humbug.他们的一切花言巧语都是骗人的。

14 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

15 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

16 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。

17 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

18 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

19 forgery   

n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为）

参考例句：

• The painting was a forgery.这张画是赝品。
• He was sent to prison for forgery.他因伪造罪而被关进监狱。

20 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。

21 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

22 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。