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CHAPTER XVII TOM ARRIVES IN NEW YORK.
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 OM REACHED New York about noon. It was a bright, pleasant day, and he was in excellent spirits, although he had just lost a fortune. This was partly due, no doubt, to the pleasure which he anticipated from his visit to the great city.
 
It was not his first visit, but he had not been in it for six years, and then he only stayed a day. To all intents and purposes it was new to him, for he remembered very little about it.
 
As Tom left the cars with a small carpet-bag in his hand, he was accosted1 by the hackmen.
 
“Have a carriage, sir?”
 
“How much do you charge?” asked our hero.
 
“Two dollars.”
 
If Tom had still been rich, he would probably have said yes, and got into the cab, but he felt the need of economy, and he declined.
 
A thin, sallow man of thirty-five heard the colloquy2 between Tom and the hack-driver.
 
“You are right, my young friend,” said he, stepping to Tom’s side, “not to take a carriage. These hackmen are extortionate.”
 
“Two dollars seems rather a steep price,” said Tom.
 
“It is. Very likely they’d have charged you five at the end of the route. The city is full of sharpers.”
 
“Is it?” asked Tom, with interest.
 
“I regret to say it is. Are you a stranger in New York?”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
“If I can be of any service to you—I am a merchant from Buffalo3, to be here a few days on business—I will with pleasure. I have a nephew of your age.”
 
“Thank you,” said Tom. “Can you recommend a good hotel—not too dear?”
 
“Up town or down?”
 
“Down.”
 
“Suppose you go to French’s. It’s on the European system. You pay for your room so much a day, and extra for meals.”
 
“I’ll try it,” said Tom.
 
“Then come with me, I’m going there myself. It isn’t far. We can walk.”
 
“I should like that. It will give me a chance to see something of the city.”
 
So the two walked together till they reached French’s Hotel, at the corner of Frankfort Street, facing City Hall Park.
 
“I suppose we could get a better room if we took one together,” said the stranger.
 
Tom hesitated. He didn’t altogether like the arrangement, but it seemed ungracious to refuse.
 
“Very well,” he said.
 
“Then put down your name in the books.”
 
Tom with some pride, for he had never before stayed at a hotel, wrote in the hotel register, “Thomas Temple, Centerville,” in a bold, round hand.
 
Underneath4 his companion scrawled5 the name, “Samuel Livingston, Buffalo.”
 
“Give us a good double-room,” he said to the clerk.
 
“No. 157,” said the clerk, calling a servant. “Show these gentlemen up to No. 157.”
 
They were shown into a room of good size, comfortably furnished. Tom, who was dusty, refreshed himself by washing his face and hands.
 
“Are you hungry?” asked Mr. Livingston.
 
“I’ve got rather a healthy appetite,” said Tom.
 
“After you’ve washed we’ll go down into the refectory and have some dinner. It will be more social dining together.”
 
“Just as you like.”
 
“You must be my guest at dinner.”
 
“Thank you,” said Tom, “but I would rather pay for my own dinner.”
 
“Oh, don’t be squeamish.”
 
“I don’t like to accept favors from a stranger.”
 
“Then to ease your scruples6, I will take supper with you.”
 
Tom would prefer to have paid his own way independently of Mr. Livingston, but as the latter said, it would amount to very much the same thing, so he made no further objections.
 
They adjourned7 to the refectory, and although it was not yet one o’clock, both exhibited a hearty8 appetite. But prices were reasonable, and the united tickets only came to one dollar and a half.
 
“Give me the checks,” said Livingston to the waiter.
 
He opened his pocket-book and examined its contents.
 
“On second thought,” he said, “my young friend, I will suggest a change in our arrangements. You may pay for the dinner and I will pay for the supper.”
 
Tom looked surprised, and he explained:
 
“You see,” he continued, in an off-hand tone, “I’ve got a check here for six hundred dollars, which I am going to get cashed. Besides this, I have only a little change.”
 
“Will you show me the check?” asked Tom, who had become rather suspicious.
 
“To be sure,” said his companion.
 
He exhibited a check on the Park Bank, which looked all right. It was payable9 to bearer, and was in the sum of six hundred dollars, as he alleged10.
 
Tom’s suspicions were allayed11. He concluded that his new friend was all right, and settled the bill.
 
“Where are you going this afternoon?” asked Livingston.
 
“I shall walk around the city a little,” said Tom.
 
“I’m sorry I can’t go with you. I have some goods to buy and some other business to attend to, but I’ll meet you in the reading-room at six o’clock and we’ll go down to supper.”
 
“Very well,” said Tom. “That will suit me well enough.”
 
“Hope you’ll have a good time. I am glad I fell in with you. I don’t often take up with strangers, but I took a fancy to you at first sight.”
 
Tom felt that he ought to be grateful for this compliment, though he could not reciprocate12 it. Glancing critically at Mr. Livingston, he acknowledged to himself that he was not a man to whom he would have felt attracted. Of course he answered politely, and they separated.
 
As he stepped outside of the hotel he looked about him a little, and thus attracted the attention of a boot black.
 
“Shine your boots, boss?” asked Johnny.
 
“Go ahead,” said Tom.
 
The job was accomplished13, and Tom thrust his hand into his pocket.
 
“What’s to pay?” he asked.
 
“A quarter.”
 
“What?”
 
“Twenty-five cents.”
 
“Do you think I’ll pay such a price as that?” asked Tom indignantly.
 
“Reg’lar price, mister,” said the unprincipled young rascal14, who knew from Tom’s appearance that he was a stranger. “Reg’lar price, isn’t it, Micky?”
 
“’Course it is,” said the confederate. “You don’t live in the city, mister, or you’d know.”
 
But Tom’s sharp eyes detected a gentleman near him paying ten cents for a similar service, and he quietly tendered the same amount to the boy.
 
“You ain’t so green as you look, mister,” said the latter, with a grin.
 
“Thank you,” said Tom. “You’ll have to try that game on somebody else. Do you often succeed?”
 
“Sometimes,” said the boy.
 
“If a quarter was the regular price, I’d go into the business myself,” said Tom.
 
“Maybe you couldn’t pay the license,” said the knight15 of the blacking-brush.
 
“How much is it?”
 
“Five hundred dollars.”
 
“If that’s all, I’ll buy two,” said Tom.
 
“I’ll sell you mine.”
 
“I don’t want one second-hand16.”
 
“You’ll do,” said the street boy. “You’ve got your eye-teeth cut.”
 
“I think I shall need to learn in this city,” thought Tom, “where even the boys in the street try to swindle me.”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 accosted 4ebfcbae6e0701af7bf7522dbf7f39bb     
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭
参考例句:
  • She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上,一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
  • His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 colloquy 8bRyH     
n.谈话,自由讨论
参考例句:
  • The colloquy between them was brief.他们之间的对话很简洁。
  • They entered into eager colloquy with each other.他们展开热切的相互交谈。
3 buffalo 1Sby4     
n.(北美)野牛;(亚洲)水牛
参考例句:
  • Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
  • The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。
4 underneath VKRz2     
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
参考例句:
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
5 scrawled ace4673c0afd4a6c301d0b51c37c7c86     
乱涂,潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
  • Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字:“请你收下吧,我多得是哩。”
6 scruples 14d2b6347f5953bad0a0c5eebf78068a     
n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 );顾虑,顾忌v.感到于心不安,有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • I overcame my moral scruples. 我抛开了道德方面的顾虑。
  • I'm not ashamed of my scruples about your family. They were natural. 我并未因为对你家人的顾虑而感到羞耻。这种感觉是自然而然的。 来自疯狂英语突破英语语调
7 adjourned 1e5a5e61da11d317191a820abad1664d     
(使)休会, (使)休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
  • The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后,审讯就宣告暂停。
8 hearty Od1zn     
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。
9 payable EmdzUR     
adj.可付的,应付的,有利益的
参考例句:
  • This check is payable on demand.这是一张见票即付的支票。
  • No tax is payable on these earnings.这些收入不须交税。
10 alleged gzaz3i     
a.被指控的,嫌疑的
参考例句:
  • It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
  • alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为
11 allayed a2f1594ab7abf92451e58b3bedb57669     
v.减轻,缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His fever is allayed, but his appetite is still flatted. 他发烧减轻了,但食欲仍然不振。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • His fever was allayed by the medicine. 这药剂使他退烧了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
12 reciprocate ZA5zG     
v.往复运动;互换;回报,酬答
参考例句:
  • Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情,她也没有使他丧失信心。
  • Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。
13 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
14 rascal mAIzd     
n.流氓;不诚实的人
参考例句:
  • If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做,我就认为他是个恶棍。
  • The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。
15 knight W2Hxk     
n.骑士,武士;爵士
参考例句:
  • He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
  • A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。
16 second-hand second-hand     
adj.用过的,旧的,二手的
参考例句:
  • I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
  • They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。


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