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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
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收听单词发音
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1
accosted
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| 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 | |
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2
colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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3
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
scruples
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| 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 ) | |
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7
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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9
payable
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| adj.可付的，应付的，有利益的 | |
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10
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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11
allayed
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
reciprocate
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| v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答 | |
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13
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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14
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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15
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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16
second-hand
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| adj.用过的，旧的，二手的 | |
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