CHAPTER VI. KIT'S POOR PROSPECTS.

 There was one of the spectators who did not admire Kit¹'s heroic conduct, nor join in the applause which was so liberally showered upon him. This was Ralph Watson, who sat on the opposite side of the[Pg 29] tent, with his chum, James Schuyler, a boy who had recently come to Smyrna from the city of New York. Ralph had been very pale when the lion first made his appearance in the arena², and trembled with fear, and no one had felt greater relief when the danger was past. But, being naturally of a jealous disposition³, he was very much annoyed by the sudden popularity won by Kit.

 

"Isn't that your cousin?" asked James Schuyler.

 

"Yes," answered Ralph shortly.

 

"What a brave boy he is!"

 

Ralph shrugged⁴ his shoulders.

 

"I don't see much bravery about it," he said. "It isn't as if the lion was a wild one in his native forest. This one was tame."

 

"He didn't look very tame to me," rejoined James, who, though rather snobbish⁵, was willing to admit the danger they had all incurred⁶. "The people didn't think so either. Hear them cheer your cousin."

 

"It will make him terribly conceited⁷. He will actually think he's a hero."

 

"I wouldn't have given much for any of our lives if he hadn't jumped into the ring, and blinded the lion."

 

Meanwhile Kit was enjoying the performance, and thinking very little of how his action would be regarded by Ralph, for whom he had no very cordial feeling, though they had been, from the necessity of the case, close companions for many years.

 

On their return home, Kit and Ralph reached the gate together.

 

"It seems you're a great hero all at once," said Ralph, with a sneer⁸.

 

Kit understood the sneer, but did not choose to notice it.[Pg 30]

 

"Thank you for the compliment," he responded quietly.

 

"O, I didn't mean to flatter you! You are puffed⁹ up enough."

 

"Are you sorry I jumped into the ring, Ralph?" asked Kit good-naturedly.

 

"I don't believe there was any real danger."

 

"Then I must congratulate you upon your courage. All the rest of us were frightened, and even Mr. Barlow admitted that there was danger."

 

"The lion was half tame. It isn't as if he were wild."

 

"He looked wild enough to me when I faced him in the ring. I confess that my knees began to tremble, and I wished myself at home."

 

"You'd better set up as a lion tamer," said Ralph.

 

"Thank you; I think I should prefer some other business, where my life would be safer."

 

"You are likely to have your wish, then."

 

"What do you mean?" asked Kit quickly, detecting a significance in Ralph's tone.

 

"I mean that father intends to have you learn a trade."

 

"Has he told you so?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Doesn't he propose to consult me?"

 

"Why should he? You are only a boy, and can't judge what is best for yourself."

 

"Still I am likely to be more interested than any one else in the way I am to earn my living. What trade are you going to learn?"

 

"What trade am I going to learn?" repeated Ralph, with the assumption of insulted dignity. "None at all. I shall be a merchant or a professional man."[Pg 31]

 

"And why should not I be the same?" asked Kit.

 

"Because you're a poor boy. Didn't my father tell you this afternoon that you had no money coming to you?"

 

"Yes; but that needn't prevent me from becoming a merchant, or studying a profession."

 

"So you think. You can't expect my father to pay for sending you to college, or support you while you are qualifying yourself to be a merchant."

 

"I don't know yet what I am entitled to expect."

 

"You will soon know."

 

"How soon?"

 

"To-morrow. There's a blacksmith in the next town, Aaron Bickford, who has agreed to take you as an apprentice¹⁰."

 

"So it's all settled, is it?" Kit asked, full of indignation.

 

"Yes, if Mr. Bickford likes your appearance. He's coming to Smyrna on business to-morrow, and will call here. You're to live at his house."

 

"Indeed! I am very much obliged for the information."

 

"Oh, you needn't get grouty about it. I've no doubt you'll have enough to eat."

 

"So I am to be a blacksmith, and you a merchant or——"

 

"Lawyer. I think I shall decide to be a lawyer," said Ralph, complacently¹¹.

 

"That will make quite a difference in our social positions."

 

"Of course; but I will help you all I can. If you have a shop of your own, I will have my horses shod at your place."

 

"Does your father think I am particularly well fitted to be a blacksmith?"[Pg 32]

 

"He thinks you will get along very well in the business, if you are industrious¹². A poor boy can't choose. He must take the best he can get."

 

Kit did not sleep very much that night. He was full of anger and indignation with his uncle. Why should his future be so different from his cousin's? At school he had distinguished¹³ himself more in his studies, and he did not see why he was not as well fitted to become a merchant or a lawyer as Ralph.

 

"They can't make me a blacksmith without my consent," was his final thought, as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

 

Kit was up early the next morning. As breakfast was not ready, he strolled over to the hotel, which was only five minutes' walk from his uncle's house.

 

The circus tent had vanished. Late at night, after the evening performance was over, the canvas men had busied themselves in taking them down, and packing them for transportation to a town ten miles distant on the railroad, where they were to give two exhibitions the next day. The showy chariots, the lions, tigers, elephants and camels, with all the performers, were gone. But Mr. Barlow, the owner of the circus, had remained at the Smyrna Hotel all night, preferring to journey comfortably the next morning.

 

He was sitting on the piazza¹⁴ when Kit passed. Though he had never seen Kit but once, his business made him observant of faces, and he recognized him immediately.

 

"Aha!" he said, "this is the young hero of last evening, is it not?"

 

Kit smiled.

 

"I am the boy who jumped into the ring," he said.

 

"So I thought. I hope you slept well after the excitement."[Pg 33]

 

A sudden thought came to Kit. Mr. Barlow looked like a kind hearted man, and he had already shown that he was well disposed toward him.

 

"I slept very poorly," he said.

 

"Was it the thought of the danger you had been in?"

 

"No, sir; I learned that my uncle, without consulting me, had arranged to apprentice me to a blacksmith."

 

Mr. Barlow looked surprised.

 

"But you look like a boy of independent means," he said, puzzled.

 

"I have always supposed that this was the case," said Kit, "but my uncle told me yesterday, to my surprise, that I was dependent upon him, and had no expectations."

 

"You don't want to be a blacksmith?"

 

"No, sir; I consider any kind of work honorable, but that would not suit me."

 

"You would succeed well in my business," said the showman, "but I am very careful how I recommend it to boys. It isn't a good school for them. They are exposed to many temptations in it. But if a boy has a strong will, and good principles, he may avoid all the evils connected with it."

 

Kit had not thought of it before, but now the question suggested itself: "Why should I not join the circus. I should like it better than being a blacksmith."

 

"How much do you pay acrobats¹⁶?" he asked.

 

"Are you an acrobat¹⁵?" asked Mr. Barlow.

 

Kit told the story of his practicing with the Vincenti Brothers.

 

"Good!" said Mr. Barlow. "If they indorse you, it is sufficient. If you decide to join my company, I[Pg 34] will give you, to begin with, ten dollars a week and your expenses."

 

"Thank you, sir," said Kit, dazzled by the offer, "Where will you be on Saturday?"

 

"At Grafton on Saturday, and Milltown on Monday."

 

"If I decide to join you, I will do so at one or the other of those places."

 

Here the railroad omnibus came up, and Mr. Barlow entered it, for he was to leave by the next train.

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 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

3 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

4 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 snobbish   

adj.势利的，谄上欺下的

参考例句：

• She's much too snobbish to stay at that plain hotel.她很势利，不愿住在那个普通旅馆。
• I'd expected her to be snobbish but she was warm and friendly.我原以为她会非常势利，但她却非常热情和友好。

6 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

7 conceited   

adj.自负的，骄傲自满的

参考例句：

• He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
• I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

8 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。

9 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 apprentice   

n.学徒，徒弟

参考例句：

• My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。
• The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

11 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 industrious   

adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的

参考例句：

• If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
• She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

13 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

14 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

15 acrobat   

n.特技演员，杂技演员

参考例句：

• The acrobat balanced a long pole on his left shoulder.杂技演员让一根长杆在他的左肩上保持平衡。
• The acrobat could bend himself into a hoop.这个杂技演员可以把身体蜷曲成圆形。

16 acrobats   

n.杂技演员( acrobat的名词复数 )；立场观点善变的人，主张、政见等变化无常的人

参考例句：

• I was always fascinated by the acrobats at the circus. 我总是着迷于马戏团里的杂技演员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The acrobats' performance drew forth applause from the audience. 杂技演员的表演博得了观众的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》