CHAPTER XXXVII. HIS OWN MASTER.

 

“Ahem, Philip,” said the squire¹. “I should like a little conversation with you.”

“Good evening, Squire Pope,” said our hero, not pretending to be cordial, but with suitable politeness.

“I didn't expect to see you here,” pursued the squire.

“Nor I you, sir.”

“I am visiting my sister, Mrs. Cunningham, who lives in Knoxville. Will you come around with me, and make a call?”

Now, considering the treatment which Philip had received from the squire before he left Norton, the reader can hardly feel surprised that our hero didn't care to trust himself with his unscrupulous fellow townsman.

“Thank you, Squire Pope,” said Philip, “but it is rather late for me to call at a private house. I am staying at the hotel, and if you will take the trouble to go around there with me, we will have a chance to converse².”

“Very well,” said the squire, hesitating. Just then up came his niece, Carrie, who was determined³ to get acquainted with Philip.

“Uncle,” she said, “introduce me to Mr. Gray.”

“This is my niece, Caroline Cunningham,” said the squire stiffly.

“I am glad to meet Miss Cunningham,” said Philip, extending his hand, with a smile.

“What a lovely player you are, Mr. Gray!” she said impulsively⁴.

“I am afraid you are flattering me, Miss Cunningham.”

“Don't call me Miss Cunningham. My name is Carrie.”

“Miss Carrie, then.”

“I was ever so much surprised to hear that uncle was your guardian⁵.”

Philip looked quickly at the squire, but did not contradict it. He only said:

“We used to live in the same town.”

During this conversation Squire Pope looked embarrassed and impatient.

“It's getting late, Carrie,” he said. “You had better go home.”

“Aren't you coming, too, uncle?”

“I am going to the hotel to settle some business with Philip.”

“What business, I wonder?” thought our hero.

Arrived at the hotel, they went up-stairs to Philip's chamber⁶. “You left Norton very abruptly⁷, Philip,” commenced the squire.

“There was good reason for it,” answered Philip significantly.

“It appears to me you are acting⁸ as if you were your own master,” observed the squire.

“I am my own master,” replied Philip firmly.

“You seem to forget that I am your guardian.”

“I don't forget it, for I never knew it,” said our hero.

“It is generally understood that such is the case.”

“I can't help it. I don't need a guardian, and shall get along without one.”

“Ahem! Perhaps that isn't to be decided⁹ by you.”

“If I am to have a guardian, Squire Pope,” said Philip bluntly, “I sha'n't select you. I shall select Mr. Dunbar.”

“I have much more knowledge of business than Mr. Dunbar,” said the squire, shifting his ground.

“That may be, but there is one important objection.”

“What is that?”

“You are not my friend, and Mr. Dunbar is.”

“Really this is very extraordinary!” ejaculated the squire. “I am not your friend? How do you know that?”

“You tried to make a pauper¹⁰ out of me, when, as you must perceive, I am entirely¹¹ able to earn my own living.”

“Is it true that you were paid ten dollars for playing this evening?” asked the squire curiously¹².

“Yes, sir.”

“It beats all!” said the squire, in amazement¹³.

“Yet you wanted to sell my violin for a good deal less than I have earned in one evening,” said Philip, enjoying his enemy's surprise.

“You gave an entertainment at Wilkesville also, I hear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you make as much there?”

“I made between sixty and seventy dollars over and above expenses.”

“You don't expect me to believe that!” said the squire.

“I don't care whether you believe it or not; it's true.”

“Have you got the money with you?”

“Yes.”

“Then you'd better give it to me to keep for you.”

“Thank you; I feel capable of taking care of it myself.”

“But it's improper¹⁴ for a boy of your age to carry round so much money,” said the squire sharply.

“If I need help to take care of it, I will ask Mr. Dunbar.”

“Come, Philip,” said the squire, condescending¹⁵ to assume a persuasive¹⁶ manner, “you must remember that I am your guardian.”

“I dispute that,” said Philip.

“I won't insist upon your going back with me to Norton, as long as you are able to support yourself.”

“Then you wouldn't advise me to go back to the poorhouse,” said Philip, with some sarcasm¹⁷ in his voice.

“I didn't mean to have you stay there long,” said the squire, rather confused. “You'd better give me most of your money, and I'll take care of it for you, and when you're twenty-one you'll have quite a little sum.”

“I am much obliged to you, sir, but I won't put you to the trouble of taking care of my money,” answered Philip coldly.

Squire Pope continued to argue with Philip, but made no impression. At length he was obliged to say good night.

“I will call round in the morning,” he said, at parting. “Perhaps you'll listen to reason then.”

When he called round in the morning he learned to his disappointment that Philip was gone.

1 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

2 converse   

vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反

参考例句：

• He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
• I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 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。

5 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 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。

10 pauper   

n.贫民，被救济者，穷人

参考例句：

• You lived like a pauper when you had plenty of money.你有大把钱的时候，也活得像个乞丐。
• If you work conscientiously you'll only die a pauper.你按部就班地干，做到老也是穷死。

11 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。

12 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

13 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。

14 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

15 condescending   

adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的

参考例句：

• He has a condescending attitude towards women. 他对女性总是居高临下。
• He tends to adopt a condescending manner when talking to young women. 和年轻女子说话时，他喜欢摆出一副高高在上的姿态。

16 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

17 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。