CHAPTER VI THE POOR RELATION.

 WO HOURS later a note was received from Mrs. Davenport, inviting¹ Tom to pass the day at her house. It was brought by an errand-boy, and arrived just as Tom, having arranged his wardrobe, was about to start on a journey of exploration.

 

“I’ll come with pleasure,” said Tom. “Say I’ll be round in fifteen minutes.”

 

“You see, my dear,” said Mr. Middleton, “Tom has been taken up by the Davenports; we must take care to gratify him in all his wishes. It will do us credit to have him at our house.”

 

“I wonder they have invited him. I am sure he was very impudent² to Squire³ Davenport.”

 

“Boys will be boys, my dear, and our young friend is rich.”

 

“Well, I’m glad of one thing, he’ll be away for two meals.”

 

“True, my dear, that will be a saving. He certainly has a great appetite.”

 

Meanwhile Tom, having brushed his hair and put on a clean collar, walked round to Lawyer Davenport’s. He found the two boys in front of the house.

 

“Good-morning,” said Tom.

 

“Good-morning,” said James, rather sheepishly.

 

“Will you let me play with you this morning?” said Tom smiling.

 

“We didn’t know who you were yesterday,” said James, “but as you’re a gentleman, we are glad to see you.”

 

“Thank you. Did you find the ball?”

 

“Yes. Mike, the errand-boy, found it. Shall we have a toss?”

 

“I should like it.”

 

They went into the field before referred to, and spent a couple of hours very pleasantly. James and Edwin, looking upon their companion as a young man of fortune, were very courteous⁴ and polite. Indeed it was hard to think of them as the same boys who had treated Tom so rudely the day before. Our hero was clear-sighted and understood very well the meaning of the change in their manners, but he took the world as he found it, and didn’t choose to quarrel with the respect which his wealth procured⁵ him.

 

At dinner he made acquaintance with Mrs. Davenport. This lady was very much like her husband and son. When she had heard of Tom’s difficulty with James, she was very indignant, supposing our hero to be a poor boy. Now that she had ascertained⁶ his circumstances, she was prepared to receive him cordially.

 

“I am glad that my son and nephew have found a suitable companion,” she said affably. “I don’t want to say anything against the village boys, who are very well in their way, but of course they are not the social equals of my boys. They are lacking in culture and refinement⁷.”

 

“They’re low,” said James.

 

“I was low yesterday,” thought Tom, “but it’s different to-day.”

 

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, “you are very obliging.”

 

“I am told you are to reside with the Middletons, Mr. Temple,” the lady proceeded.

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

“They are very worthy⁸ people—not stylish⁹, but respectable. Was your father connected with them?”

 

“He was a school-mate of Mr. Middleton, I believe.”

 

“I say, Tom,” said James, “you must look out or you will get the gout there.”

 

“I’ll take care of that,” said Tom.

 

“Mrs. Middleton will, if you don’t.”

 

“James, you should not make such remarks,” said his mother. “It is true, I believe, that the Middletons are rather economical in their table expenses, but doubtless out of regard to Mr. Temple they will adopt a different policy.”

 

Tom smiled, but said nothing. He did not consider it honorable to refer to Mr. Middleton’s domestic arrangements.

 

At this moment two girls entered the room. One was evidently Mrs. Davenport’s daughter, as she bore a striking resemblance to that dignified¹⁰ lady. She was by no means pretty, but evidently thought considerable of herself, and was not troubled with bashfulness. She made a low courtesy, in the most approved dancing-school style, to Tom, who was sufficiently¹¹ well-bred to acquit¹² himself creditably.

 

“My daughter, Imogene, Mr. Temple,” said Mr. Davenport.

 

The other girl was probably a year younger, and as pretty as Imogene was unattractive. But she was plainly dressed, and had a timid, retiring look. In fact she was a poor cousin, a dependent upon the lawyer’s bounty¹³, and made to feel her position by all the family.

 

“Mary Somers, Mr. Temple,” said Mrs. Davenport slightingly.

 

Mary blushed, and offered her hand timidly to our hero.

 

“What a pretty girl!” thought Tom. “She’s ever so much prettier than the other, but I guess from the old lady’s manner that she hasn’t got the stamps.”

 

They sat down to the dinner-table, which Tom saw with satisfaction presented a very different appearance from the frugal¹⁴ board of Mr. Middleton. It was a capital dinner, and Tom enjoyed it.

 

“I shouldn’t mind boarding here,” he thought.

 

There was only one drawback. He was seated next to Imogene, when he would have very much preferred a seat next to Mary Somers, the poor cousin.

1 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

2 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

3 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。

4 courteous   

adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的

参考例句：

• Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
• He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。

5 procured   

v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条

参考例句：

• These cars are to be procured through open tender. 这些汽车要用公开招标的办法购买。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A friend procured a position in the bank for my big brother. 一位朋友为我哥哥谋得了一个银行的职位。 来自《用法词典》

6 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》

7 refinement   

n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼

参考例句：

• Sally is a woman of great refinement and beauty. 莎莉是个温文尔雅又很漂亮的女士。
• Good manners and correct speech are marks of refinement.彬彬有礼和谈吐得体是文雅的标志。

8 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

9 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

10 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

11 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

12 acquit   

vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出

参考例句：

• That fact decided the judge to acquit him.那个事实使法官判他无罪。
• They always acquit themselves of their duty very well.他们总是很好地履行自己的职责。

13 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

14 frugal   

adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的

参考例句：

• He was a VIP,but he had a frugal life.他是位要人，但生活俭朴。
• The old woman is frugal to the extreme.那老妇人节约到了极点。