CHAPTER II. INTRODUCES THREE CURIOSITIES.

 Stephen Watson, uncle of Kit¹ and father of Ralph, was a man of middle age. It was difficult to trace any resemblance between him and his nephew. The latter had an open face, with a bright, attractive expression. Mr. Watson was dark and sallow, of spare habit, and there was a cunning look in his eyes, beneath which a Roman nose jutted² out like a promontory³. He looked like the incarnation of cold selfishness, and his real character did not belie⁴ his looks.

 

Five years before Kit Watson's father had died. He resembled Kit in appearance, and was very popular in Smyrna. His brother wound up the estate, and had since been living in luxury, but whether the property was his or his nephew's Kit was unable to tell. He had asked the question occasionally, but his uncle showed a distaste for the subject, and gave evasive replies.

 

What Kit had just heard made him anxious, and he resolved to attack his uncle once more. After dinner, therefore, he began:

 

"Uncle Stephen, Ralph tells me I am not going back to school on Monday."[Pg 9]

 

"Ralph speaks correctly," Mr. Watson replied in a measured voice.

 

"But why am I not to go?"

 

"I will explain before the time comes."

 

"Can you not tell me now? I am anxious to know."

 

"You must curb⁵ your curiosity. You will know in good time."

 

Kit regarded his uncle in silence. He wished to know what had caused this remarkable⁶ change, but it seemed useless to ask any more questions.

 

The next morning he and Dan Clark, according to agreement, met in front of Stoddard's store.

 

"I had hard work to get away," said Dan. "Let us go right over to the circus grounds."

 

These were located about a third of a mile from the hotel, in a large twenty-acre pasture. The lot, as it was called, was a scene of activity. A band of canvas men were busily engaged in putting up the big tent. Several elephants were standing⁷ round, and the cages of animals had already been put in place inside the rising tent.

 

On a bench outside sat a curious group, comprising Achilles Henderson, the great Scotch⁸ giant, who was set down on the bills as eight feet three inches in height, and was really about seven feet and a half; Major Conrad, the dwarf⁹, who was about the size of an average child of three years, and Madame Celestina Morella, the queen of fat women, who was credited on the bills with a weight of five hundred and eighty seven pounds. She was certainly massive, but probably fell short a hundred and fifty pounds of these elephantine proportions.

 

Kit and Dan paused to look at this singular trio.

 

"I wonder how much pay they get?" said Dan, turning to Kit.[Pg 10]

 

"I saw in some paper that the fat woman gets fifty dollars a week."

 

"That's pretty good pay for being fat, Kit."

 

"Would you be willing to be as fat for that money?"

 

"I think not," said Dan, "though it's a good deal more than I get now."

 

They were standing near the bench on which the three were seated. Achilles, who looked good-natured, as most big men are, addressed the boys.

 

"Well, boys, are you coming to see the show?"

 

"Yes," answered both.

 

"I used to like to myself when I was a boy. I didn't expect then I should ever travel with one."

 

"Were you very large as a boy?" asked Dan, with curiosity.

 

"When I was twelve years old I was six feet high, and people generally thought then that I was eighteen. I thought perhaps I shouldn't grow any more, but I kept on. When I was sixteen I was seven feet tall, and by twenty I had reached my present height."

 

"Are you eight feet three inches tall, Mr. Henderson?"

 

"Is that what the bills say?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then it must be so," he said with a smile.

 

"How long have you been traveling with the circus?"

 

"Five years."

 

"How do you like it?"

 

"It's a good deal easier than working on a farm, especially in Vermont, where I was born and bred."

 

"But they call you the Scotch giant."

 

"It sounds well, doesn't it? My father was born[Pg 11] in Scotland, but my mother was a Vermont Yankee. You know Americans are more willing to pay for a foreign curiosity than for one home born. That's why my great friend here"—emphasizing the word great—"calls herself Madame Celestina Morella."

 

The fat lady smiled.

 

"People think I am French or Italian," she said, "but I never was out of the United States in my life."

 

"Where were you born, Madame Morella?"

 

"In the western part of New York State. I know what you are going to ask me. Was I always fat? No, when I was sixteen I only weighed one hundred and twenty. Then I had a fit of sickness and nearly died. After recovering, I began to gain flesh, till I became a monster, as you see."

 

As she said this, she laughed, and her fat sides shook with merriment. Evidently she did not let her size weigh upon her mind.

 

"I suppose your real name isn't Celestina Morella?" said Kit.

 

"My real name is Betsey Hatch. That is what they called me in my girlhood, but I should hardly know who was meant if I was called so now."

 

"Have you been long in the show business?"

 

"About seven years."

 

"Do you like it?"

 

"I didn't at first, but now I've got used to moving about. Now when the spring opens I have the regular circus fever. But I have my troubles."

 

"What are they?" asked Kit, seeing that the fat woman liked to talk.

 

"Well, I find it very difficult to secure at the hotels a bed large enough and strong enough to hold me. I suppose you won't be surprised to hear that."[Pg 12]

 

"Not much."

 

"At Akron, Ohio, where the hotel was full, I was put in a cot bed, though I protested against it. As soon as I got in, the whole thing collapsed¹⁰, and I was landed on the floor."

 

She laughed heartily¹¹ at the remembrance.

 

"I remember that very well," said the giant, "for I slept in the room below. Half an hour after getting into bed, I heard a fearful noise in the room above, and thought at first the hotel had been struck by lightning, and a piercing shriek¹² that echoed through the house led me to fear that my esteemed¹³ Italian friend was a victim. But my mind was soon relieved when I learned the truth."

 

"I suppose, major, you never broke down a bed," said the giant, turning to the dwarf.

 

"No," answered the major, in a shrill¹⁴ piping voice, "I never lie awake thinking of that."

 

"I believe you served in the civil war, major?"

 

"Yes, I was in the infantry¹⁵."

 

It was a stale joke, but all four laughed at it.

 

"How much do you weigh, major?" Kit ventured to ask.

 

"Twenty-one pounds and a half," answered the dwarf. "I have with me some of my photographs, if you would like to buy," and the little man produced half a dozen cards from his tiny pocket.

 

"How much are they?"

 

"Ten cents."

 

"I'll take one," said Kit, and he produced the necessary coin.

 

"If you go into the tent you can see some of the performers rehearsing," suggested Achilles.

 

"Let us go in, Dan."

 

The two boys reached the portals and went into the big tent.

1 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

2 jutted   

v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出

参考例句：

• A row of small windows jutted out from the roof. 有一排小窗户从房顶上突出来。
• His jaw jutted stubbornly forward; he would not be denied. 他固执地扬起下巴，一副不肯罢休的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 promontory   

n.海角；岬

参考例句：

• Genius is a promontory jutting out of the infinite.天才是茫茫大地突出的岬角。
• On the map that promontory looks like a nose,naughtily turned up.从地图上面，那个海角就像一只调皮地翘起来的鼻子。

4 belie   

v.掩饰，证明为假

参考例句：

• The gentle lower slopes belie the true nature of the mountain.低缓的山坡掩盖了这座山的真实特点。
• His clothes belie his station.他的衣服掩饰了他的身分。

5 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

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 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

9 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。

10 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

11 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

12 shriek   

v./n.尖叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.突然他开始大声尖叫起来。
• People sometimes shriek because of terror,anger,or pain.人们有时会因为恐惧，气愤或疼痛而尖叫。

13 esteemed   

adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为

参考例句：

• The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

15 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。