CHAPTER XVIII. TOM GETS OUT OF HIS DIFFICULTY.

 Tom had not been long in the station-house when Alderman Morris, accompanied by Mr. Waterbury, entered. The latter looked at Tom with a humorous smile.

 

"You don't appear to get along very well without my guardianship¹, Tom," he said.

 

"No, sir," answered Tom. "The trouble is, some of my other friends can't let me alone."

 

"Was it in a fit of emotional insanity² that you relieved the lady of her pocketbook?" asked Mr. Waterbury, bent³ on keeping up the joke.

 

"If I ever do such a thing, you may be sure it is because I am insane," answered Tom positively⁴.

 

"I shall," said Mr. Waterbury seriously.[141] "Now, where is this precious acquaintance of ours who got you into this scrape?"

 

"He has escaped."

 

"Escaped!" exclaimed the alderman hastily. "How is that?"

 

Here the policeman took up the story, and explained that Vincent had taken advantage of his double charge to effect his escape.

 

"I suppose, officer," said Mr. Waterbury, "that you were unwilling⁵ to leave Tom in order to pursue him."

 

"I did leave him, sir, and didn't expect to find him when I got back. But there he was, waiting for me as quietly as—anything."

 

"Didn't you feel tempted⁶ to escape, too, my boy?"

 

"Why should I, sir? I had done nothing; I had nothing to fear."

 

"Innocence⁷ is not always a protection, for justice is sometimes far from clear-sighted. In the present case, however, I think you will not suffer for your confidence."

 

Tom was not brought to trial. Mr. Waterbury's statement of what had passed on the voyage of the River Belle⁸ was held to be sufficient to establish Tom's innocence, and he[142] was allowed to walk out with Mr. Waterbury.

 

"Have you anything to do this morning, Tom?" asked his friend.

 

"No, sir."

 

"Then come around and dine with me at the Burnet House. Afterward⁹ we will call upon your friends, the Watsons."

 

Mrs. Watson and Jennie had altered their plans and gone to a boarding-house, preferring that to a hotel.

 

"That will be agreeable to me, sir."

 

The dinner was excellent, and Tom did full justice to it.

 

"At one time this morning, Tom, it looked as if you would dine at quite a different place," said Mr. Waterbury, when they were eating the dessert.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"You won't think much of Cincinnati's hospitality, eh, Tom?"

 

"Any place would be the same, where Vincent was," returned Tom.

 

"Very true; he and Graham will bring discredit¹⁰ on any city which they adopt as a home. How long shall you remain here?"

 

"I should like to stay long enough to see[143] something of the city, but I cannot afford it. I must reach California as soon as possible."

 

"No doubt you are right, in your circumstances. I have been inquiring for you, and find that St. Joseph, in Missouri, is the usual starting-point for travelers across the plains. I find an acquaintance here in the hotel, who will start to-morrow for that place. I have mentioned you to him, and he says he shall be glad to have your company so far. Whether you keep together afterward will depend upon yourselves."

 

"I shall be glad to have company, sir," said Tom. Though manly¹¹ and self-reliant, he realized that it was quite a serious undertaking¹² for a boy of his age to make the trip alone. He was not sure of meeting with another friend like Mr. Waterbury, and there might be danger of falling in with another brace¹³ of worthies¹⁴ like Graham and Vincent.

 

"My friend's name is Ferguson—a Scotchman, rather sedate¹⁵, but entirely¹⁶ trustworthy. I will introduce you this evening."

 

"Thank you, sir."

 

After dinner they walked to Mrs. Watson's boarding-house. Somewhere on Vine Street,[144] Mr. Waterbury paused in front of a jewelry¹⁷ store.

 

"I want to step in here a minute, Tom," he said.

 

"Certainly, sir."

 

Tom remained near the door, while Mr. Waterbury went into the back part of the store, where he was occupied for a few minutes with one of the proprietors¹⁸. When he came back he held a small box in his hand.

 

"Please carry this for me, Tom," he said.

 

"With pleasure, sir."

 

They went out into the street together.

 

"Do you know what is in the box, Tom?" asked Mr. Waterbury.

 

"No, sir," answered our hero, a little surprised at the question.

 

"You didn't see what I was buying, then?" continued Mr. Waterbury.

 

"No, sir; I was watching the crowds on the sidewalk."

 

"If you have any curiosity, you may open the box."

 

Previously¹⁹ Tom had felt no curiosity. Now he did feel a little.[145]

 

Opening the box, his eye rested on a neat silver watch, with a chain attached. The case was a pretty one, and Tom glanced at it with approval.

 

"It is very pretty, sir," he said; "but I thought you had a watch already."

 

"I didn't buy it for myself."

 

"For your son?" asked Tom innocently.

 

Mr. Waterbury smiled.

 

"I thought of asking your acceptance of it," he said.

 

"You don't mean that you are going to give it to me, sir?" said Tom eagerly.

 

"If you will accept it."

 

"How kind you are, Mr. Waterbury!" exclaimed Tom gratefully. "There is nothing in the world that I should like so much. How can I thank you?"

 

"By considering it a proof of my interest in you. I was sure you would like it. Before I had reached your age the great object of my ambition was a watch. I received one from my uncle, as a gift, on my seventeenth birthday. I believe I looked at it once in five minutes on an average during the first day."

 

"I dare say it will be so with me, sir," said[146] Tom, who, at the moment, had the watch in his hand, examining it.

 

"As you are to rough it, I thought it best to get you a hunting-case watch, because it will be less liable to injury. When you become a man I hope you will be prosperous enough to buy a gold watch and chain, if you prefer them. While you are a boy silver will be good enough."

 

"Gold wouldn't correspond very well with my circumstances," said Tom. "I didn't dream of even having a silver watch and chain for years to come. I shall write home this evening, and tell mother of my good luck."

 

"Will you mention that you have already been under arrest?" asked Mr. Waterbury, smiling.

 

Tom shook his head.

 

"I am not proud of that," he answered; "and it would only trouble them at home to have an account of it. When I get home, I may mention it sometime."

 

"Better put on your watch and chain, Tom, before we reach Mrs. Watson's."

 

Tom needed no second invitation.

 

"It's lucky mother put a watch-pocket in[147] my vest," he said. "We didn't either of us suppose there would be any occasion for it; but I asked her to do it."

 

In a nice-looking brick boarding-house—for brown-stone houses were not then often to be found—Tom and his friend found Mrs. Watson and Jennie.

 

"I'm so glad to see you, Tom," said Jennie. "I've missed you awfully²⁰."

 

"Thank you," said Tom. "I've come to bid you good-by."

 

"Good-by! You don't mean that?"

 

"I expect to start for St. Joseph to-morrow. I am in a hurry to get to California."

 

"That's real mean. I don't see why you can't stay in Cincinnati a week."

 

"I should like to."

 

"Then why don't you?" persisted the young girl.

 

"Jennie," said her mother, "we must remember that Thomas is not traveling for pleasure. He is going to California to seek his fortune. It won't do for him to linger on his way."

 

"A week won't make much difference; will it, Tom?"[148]

 

"I am afraid it will, Jennie. Besides, a friend of Mr. Waterbury will start to-morrow, and has agreed to take me with him."

 

"I suppose you've got to go, then," said Jennie regretfully. "Oh, where did you get that watch, Tom?"

 

"A kind friend gave it to me."

 

"Who do you mean—Mr. Graham?" she asked archly.

 

"He would be more likely to relieve me of it. No, it is Mr. Waterbury."

 

"I am going to kiss you for that, Mr. Waterbury," said Jennie impulsively²¹; and she suited the action to the word.

 

"What will Mr. Waterbury think, Jennie?" said her mother.

 

"He thinks himself well repaid for his gift," answered that gentleman, smiling; "and half inclined to give Tom another watch."

 

"Isn't it my turn, now?" asked Tom, with a courage at which he afterward rather wondered; but he was fast getting rid of his country bashfulness.

 

"I never kiss boys," said Jennie demurely²².

 

"Then I will grow into a man as fast as I can," said Tom, "and give somebody a watch,[149] and then—— But that will be a good while to wait."

 

"I may kiss you good-by," said Jennie, "if I feel like it."

 

She did feel like it, and Tom received the kiss.

 

"It strikes me, Tom," said Mr. Waterbury, as they were walking home, "that you and Jennie are getting along fast."

 

"She kissed you first," said Tom, blushing.

 

"But the kiss she gave me was wholly on your account."

 

"She seems just like a sister," said Tom. "She's a tip-top girl."

1 guardianship   

n. 监护, 保护, 守护

参考例句：

• They had to employ the English language in face of the jealous guardianship of Britain. 他们不得不在英国疑忌重重的监护下使用英文。
• You want Marion to set aside her legal guardianship and give you Honoria. 你要马丽恩放弃她的法定监护人资格，把霍诺丽娅交给你。

2 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

3 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

4 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

5 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

6 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

8 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。

9 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

10 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

11 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

12 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

13 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

14 worthies   

应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征

参考例句：

• The world is peopled with worthies, and workers, useful and clever. 世界上住着高尚的人，劳动的人，有用又聪明。
• The former worthies have left us a rich cultural heritage. 前贤给我们留下了丰富的文化遗产。

15 sedate   

adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的

参考例句：

• After the accident,the doctor gave her some pills to sedate her.事故发生后，医生让她服了些药片使她镇静下来。
• We spent a sedate evening at home.我们在家里过了一个恬静的夜晚。

16 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

17 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

18 proprietors   

n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These little proprietors of businesses are lords indeed on their own ground. 这些小业主们，在他们自己的行当中，就是真正的至高无上的统治者。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Many proprietors try to furnish their hotels with antiques. 许多经营者都想用古董装饰他们的酒店。 来自辞典例句

19 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。

20 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

21 impulsively   

adv.冲动地

参考例句：

• She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前，感情冲动地吻了他。
• Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。

22 demurely   

adv.装成端庄地，认真地

参考例句：

• "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额，像个好哥哥那样，"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘（部分）
• Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛，低声细语，或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分