CHAPTER VII. THE PITTSBURG HOUSE.

 Tom and his companion entered the hotel. At the left was the clerk's desk. Milton Graham naturally took the lead. He took a pen[52] from the clerk, and entered his name with a flourish. Then he handed the pen to Tom, who followed his example, omitting the flourish, however.

 

"This young gentleman will room with me," said Graham.

 

"All right, sir," said the clerk. "Will you go up to your room now?"

 

"Yes."

 

The porter was summoned, and handed the key of No. 16. He took the two carpetbags, and led the way up-stairs, for the Pittsburg House had no elevator. Even in the best hotels at that time this modern convenience was not to be found.

 

The door of No. 16 was opened, revealing a plain room, about twelve feet square, provided, as Tom was glad to see, with two narrow beds.

 

"Have you got a quarter, Tom?" asked Graham.

 

Tom drew one from his pocket.

 

Graham took it and handed it to the porter, who expressed his thanks.

 

"It's always customary to fee the porter," he said carelessly, in answer to Tom's look of surprise.[53]

 

"What for?"

 

"For bringing up the baggage."

 

"Twenty-five cents for bringing up two small carpetbags! That's pretty high. I'd have brought them up myself, if I had known," said Tom, dissatisfied, for he felt that this fee was hardly in accordance with his resolutions of economy.

 

"Oh, he expects it. It's his regular perquisite¹. When you've traveled more you'll understand."

 

"How much are we to pay for our accommodations?" asked Tom anxiously.

 

"About two dollars apiece, I reckon."

 

"That's more than I can afford," said Tom, alarmed.

 

"Perhaps it is less, as we room together."

 

"I hope so, for I can't afford to be extravagant²."

 

"Do you call two dollars a day extravagant?" asked Graham, smiling.

 

"It is for me. My father is poor."

 

"Oh, it'll be all right. I'll fix it with the clerk. If you are ready, suppose we go down and have some supper."

 

To this Tom had no objection. He washed[54] his hands and face, and brushed his hair; then he declared himself ready.

 

Tom was hungry, and did justice to the supper, which he found very good. As they left the table, and reentered the office of the hotel, Milton Graham said, "I am going to make a call on some friends. Sorry to leave you, but we shall meet later in the evening."

 

"All right," said Tom.

 

On the whole he did not regret being alone. He began to doubt whether Graham would make a desirable traveling companion. Tom felt the need of economy, and he saw that his companion would make it difficult. If a fee must be paid, it was fair to divide it; but the porter's fee had come out of Tom's pocket.

 

"Didn't he have a quarter, I wonder?" thought our hero.

 

It was a small matter, but economy must begin in small matters, or it is not likely to be practised at all.

 

He took the opportunity to go to the desk and ascertain³ the sum likely to be charged for his accommodations.

 

"How long do you stay?" asked the clerk pleasantly.[55]

 

"Till to-morrow morning. I am going to sail in the River Belle⁴."

 

"Then we shall charge you a dollar and a half."

 

This seemed large to Tom, but he made no objection.

 

"How much would it have been if I had roomed alone?" he asked.

 

"The same. We make no change in our terms on that account."

 

"Mr. Graham told me it would be cheaper to room together."

 

"He is your roommate, isn't he?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"He is mistaken, so far as our house is concerned. I suppose you have known him for some time."

 

"No, sir. I met him on the cars yesterday afternoon for the first time."

 

"Then you don't know anything about him?"

 

"Oh, yes," answered Tom. "He is the son of a rich merchant in New York."

 

"Who told you that?"

 

"He did."

 

The clerk was a man of middle age. At[56] home he had a son of Tom's age, and this led him to feel a friendly interest in our hero.

 

"I suppose you have never traveled much," he said.

 

"No, sir. This is my first journey."

 

"Are you going far?"

 

"To California."

 

"That is a long journey for a boy of your age," said the clerk, looking surprised.

 

"Yes, sir; but I can't get anything to do at home, and I am going to California to seek my fortune."

 

"I hope you will be successful," said the clerk, with hearty⁵ sympathy. "Will you let me give you a piece of advice?"

 

"I shall be very glad of it, sir," responded Tom. "I find I am quite inexperienced."

 

"Then don't trust strangers too readily. It is dangerous."

 

"Do you refer to Mr. Graham?" asked Tom, startled.

 

"Yes, I refer to him, or any other chance acquaintance."

 

"Don't you think he is all right?" asked our hero anxiously.

 

"I don't think he is the son of a rich merchant in New York."[57]

 

"Then why should he tell me so?"

 

Tom was green, and I have no intention of concealing⁶ it.

 

"I can't tell what his designs may be. Did you tell him that you were going to California?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Then he will, of course, conclude that you have money. Did you tell him where you keep it?"

 

"No, sir. I keep it in a belt around my waist."

 

"You are too ready to tell that, though with me the information is safe. You are to room together. What will be easier, then, for your companion to rob you during the night?"

 

"I'd better take a room alone," said Tom, now thoroughly⁷ alarmed.

 

"I should advise you to, in most cases, but at present it may be as well to let things remain as they are, as it will save an awkward explanation."

 

"But I don't want to be robbed."

 

"We have a safe in the office—there it is—in which we deposit articles of value intrusted to us by our guests. Then we become[58] responsible for them. I advise you to leave your money with us overnight."

 

"I will," said Tom, relieved. "I shall have to go to my room to remove it."

 

"Very well. If you have a watch, or any other valuable, it will be well to put those in our charge also."

 

"No, sir, I have nothing of consequence but the money."

 

The belt of money was deposited in the safe, and Tom felt relieved. He began to realize for the first time the need of prudence⁸ and caution. It had never occurred to him that a nice, gentlemanly-looking man, like Milton Graham, was likely to rob him of his scanty⁹ means. Even now he thought there must be some mistake. Still he felt that he had done the right thing in depositing the money with the clerk. The mere¹⁰ thought of losing it, and finding himself high and dry—stranded, so to speak—hundreds of miles from home, made him shudder¹¹. On the whole, Tom had learned a valuable, though an unpleasant, lesson. The young are by nature trustful. They are disposed to put confidence in those whom they meet, even for the first time. Unhappily, in a world where there is so much evil as there[59] is in ours, such confidence is not justified¹². There are too many who make it a business to prey¹³ on their fellows, and select in preference the young and inexperienced.

 

It was only seven o'clock. Tom had a curiosity to see the city of Pittsburg, with whose name he had been familiar. So, after parting with his treasure, he went out for a walk. He did not much care where he went, since all was alike new to him. He ascertained¹⁴, on inquiry¹⁵, that Smithfield Street was the principal business thoroughfare. He inquired his way thither¹⁶, and walked slowly through it, his attention fully¹⁷ occupied by what he saw.

1 perquisite   

n.固定津贴，福利

参考例句：

• Perquisites include the use of the company car.福利包括可以使用公司的汽车。
• Politics in Britain used to be the perquisite of the property-owning classes.英国的政治以往是有产阶级的特权。

2 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

3 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

4 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

5 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

6 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

7 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。

8 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

9 scanty   

adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的

参考例句：

• There is scanty evidence to support their accusations.他们的指控证据不足。
• The rainfall was rather scanty this month.这个月的雨量不足。

10 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

11 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

12 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

13 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

14 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

16 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

17 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。