CHAPTER XVIII. MR. BICKFORD'S MORTIFYING DISCOVERY.

 Mr. Bickford was in excellent spirits. He had enjoyed the evening, and although he had been compelled to disburse¹ a dollar for two circus tickets, a sum which to him seemed large, he was disposed to acknowledge that he had received his money's worth. Besides, and this seemed to him the greatest triumph of all, he had recovered his runaway² apprentice³, or thought he had. He inwardly resolved that Kit⁴ should smart for his past insubordination, though he had not yet decided⁵ in what way he would get[Pg 90] even with him. The unexpected submissiveness shown by Kit elated him, and confirmed him in the idea he had long entertained that he could manage boys a good deal better than the average of men.

 

"Talk about hard cases," he said one day to his wife. "I'd like to see the boy that can get the start of Aaron Bickford. He'll have to get up unusually airly in the mornin'."

 

Mr. Bickford felt a little like crowing over his captive, and turned his head partly round to survey the boy on the back seat. Fortunately for William the darkness was so great that there was small chance of his detecting the imposture⁶.

 

"I reckon you didn't expect to be ridin' back to Oakford along of me this evenin'," he observed.

 

"No, sir," muttered William in a voice scarcely audible.

 

"Ho, ho, you feel kind of grouty, eh?" said the blacksmith. "Well, I ain't much surprised. You thought you could have your own way with Aaron Bickford, but you're beginnin' to see your mistake, I reckon?"

 

"Yes, sir," replied the supposed Kit, in a meek⁷ voice.

 

"Ho, ho! That's the way boys ginerally come out when they try to buck⁸ agin' their elders. Not but you might have succeeded with some men, but you didn't know the man you had to deal with this time."

 

There was a sort of gurgle, for William was trying hard not to laugh, as he was picturing to himself the rage and mortification⁹ of Mr. Bickford when he discovered the deceit that had been practiced upon him. But the blacksmith misunderstood the sound, and thought Kit was sobbing¹⁰.[Pg 91]

 

"You needn't take on!" he said, magnanimously. "It ain't so bad as it might be. You'll be a good deal better off learnin' a good trade than trampin' round the country with the circus. I hope this'll be a lesson to you. You'd better not try to run away ag'in, for it won't be no use. You won't always have that long-legged giant to help you. If I'd done right, I should have had him took up for 'sault and battery. He needn't think because he's eight feet high, more or less, that he can defy the laws of the land. I reckon he got a little skeered of what he done, or he wouldn't have acted so different this evening."

 

William did not reply to this. He was rather in hopes Mr. Bickford would stop addressing him, for he did not like to run the risk of answering, as it might open the eyes of the blacksmith to the fact that he had the wrong boy in the wagon¹¹.

 

The distance to Oakford steadily¹² diminished, though Mr. Bickford's horse was a slow one. At length it had dwindled¹³ to half a mile.

 

"Now I don't care if he does find out who I am," thought William. "It ain't but a little way home now, and I shouldn't mind walking." Still his own house was rather beyond Mr. Bickford's, and it was just as well to ride the whole way, if he could escape detection so long.

 

"Where did you learn them circus performances, Christopher?" suddenly asked the blacksmith, turning once more in his seat.

 

By this time they were within a few rods of the blacksmith's yard, and William became bold, now that he had nothing to lose by it.

 

"My name isn't Christopher," he answered in his usual tone.

 

"Your name isn't Christopher? That's what your uncle told me."[Pg 92]

 

"I think you are mistaken," said William quietly.

 

"What's got into the boy? Is he goin' to deny his own name? What is your name, then?"

 

"My name is William Morris," was the distinct response.

 

"What!" exclaimed the blacksmith in amazement¹⁴.

 

"I think you ought to know me, Mr. Bickford. I worked for you some time, you know."

 

"Take off your hat, and let me look at your face!" said Aaron Bickford, sternly.

 

William laughed as he complied with the request. It was now rather lighter¹⁵, and the blacksmith, peering into his face, saw that it was indeed true—that the boy on the back seat was not Kit Watson at all, but his ex-apprentice, William Morris.

 

"It's Bill Morris, by the living jingo!" he exclaimed. "What do you say to that, Sarah?"

 

"You're a master hand at managing boys, Aaron," said his wife sarcastically¹⁶.

 

"How came you in the wagon, Bill Morris?" demanded Bickford, not caring to answer his wife.

 

"The giant put me in," answered William.

 

"Where is that boy, Christopher Watson?"

 

"I expect he is travelin' with the show, Mr. Bickford."

 

"Who put you up to this mean trick?" demanded the blacksmith, wrathfully.

 

"Kit Watson."

 

"I've got an account to settle with you, William Morris. I s'pose you think you've done something pretty smart."

 

"I think he has, Aaron," said Mrs. Bickford, who seemed to take a malicious¹⁷ pleasure in opening her husband's wounds afresh.

 

"Mrs. Bickford, it isn't very creditable in you to[Pg 93] triumph over your husband, just after he's been spendin' fifty cents for your amusement."

 

"Goodness knows, Mr. Bickford, you don't often take me to shows. I guess what you spend that way won't ruin you."

 

While the married pair were indulging in their little recriminations, William had managed to slip out of the wagon in the rear, and he was now a rod away.

 

"Good night, Mr. Bickford!" he shouted. "I'm much obliged to you for bringing me home. It's saved me a long walk."

 

The blacksmith's reply was one that I do not care to record. He was thoroughly¹⁸ angry and disgusted. If it hadn't been so late he would have got out and tried to inflict¹⁹ punishment on William with his whip, but the boy was too far away by this time to make this possible.

1 disburse   

v.支出，拨款

参考例句：

• Cashiers receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions.除了金融机构，出纳员也会在一些社会机构里收款付款。
• On approval,we will disburse the fund to your designated bank account directly.一经批核，贷款将于扣除手续费后直接存入您指定的银行账户。

2 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 imposture   

n.冒名顶替，欺骗

参考例句：

• Soiled by her imposture she remains silent.她背着冒名顶替者的黑锅却一直沉默。
• If they knew,they would see through his imposture straight away.要是他们知道，他们会立即识破他的招摇撞骗行为。

7 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。

8 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

9 mortification   

n.耻辱，屈辱

参考例句：

• To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是：我的稿件被退了回来。
• The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。

10 sobbing   

<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的

参考例句：

• I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
• Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

11 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

12 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

13 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

16 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

17 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

18 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

19 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。