CHAPTER V. THE LAST INTERVIEW.

 Two weeks passed away. Tom went about his business, as usual; but every day he made it a point to call at the hospital to inquire how Jacob was getting on. At first the answers were moderately encouraging, but a turn came, and the doctor spoke¹ less hopefully. Finally Tom was told that the old man could not live.

 

"How soon will he die?" he asked.

 

"He may live forty-eight hours, but it is possible that the end may come sooner."

 

"Then I must see him and tell him. I promised him I would."

 

"It may be well to do so. If he has anything to tell you before he dies, no time should be lost."

 

When Tom approached Jacob's bedside he saw, from his changed appearance, that the doctors had told him truly. He was not used to the sight of those who were very sick, but soon, to an inexperienced observer, the signs of approaching death were plain. Tom, in the full vigor² of perfect health, regarded his old companion with awe³ and pity.

 

"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" he asked.

 

"I am very weak," said the old man, faintly.

 

"Are you in much pain?"

 

"No; the pain has gone away. If I can get stronger I shall soon be out again."

 

He did not realize that this relief from pain was only a sign that Nature had succumbed⁴ at last, and that Death had gained the victory. Tom hated to dispel⁵ the illusion, but it must be done.

 

"Jacob," he said, slowly and sadly, "I have got something to tell you."

 

"What is it?" said the old man, in alarm.

 

"It is something that the doctor told me just now."

 

"He—he didn't say I was going to die?" asked Jacob, agitated⁶.

 

"Yes; he said you could not live."

 

A low and feeble wail⁷ burst from the old man's lips.

 

"I can't die," he said. "I'm not ready. I'm only sixty-five. He—he may be mistaken. Don't you think I look better this morning?"

 

"You look very sick."

 

"I don't want to die," wailed⁸ the old man. "It's only a little while since I was a boy. Did—did he say how long I could live?"

 

"He said you might live forty-eight hours."

 

"Forty-eight hours—only two days—are you sure he said that?"

 

"Yes, Jacob. I wish I could do anything to make you live longer."

 

"You're a good boy, Tom. I—I'm afraid I haven't been a good friend to you."

 

"Yes, you have, Jacob. We have always been good friends."

 

"But I helped do you a great wrong. I hope you will forgive me."

 

"I don't know what it is, but I will forgive you, Jacob."

 

"Then, perhaps, Heaven will forgive me, too. I'll do all I can. I'll leave you all my money."

 

Tom did not pay much regard to this promise, for he did not know that Jacob had any money beyond a few shillings, or possibly a few dollars.

 

"Thank you, Jacob," he said, "but I can earn enough to pay my expenses very well. Don't trouble yourself about me."

 

"There's no one else to leave it to," said the old man. "It isn't much, but you shall have it."

 

Here he drew out, with trembling fingers, the key suspended to a piece of twine⁹ which, through all his sickness, he had carried around his neck. He held it in his hand a moment, and a spasm¹⁰ convulsed his pale features. To give it up seemed like parting with life itself. It was a final parting with his treasure, to which, small though it was, his heart clung even in this solemn moment. He held it, reluctant to give it up, though he knew now that he must.

 

"Take this key, Tom," he said. "It is the key to my box of gold."

 

"I didn't know you had a box of gold," said Tom, rather surprised.

 

"It is not much—a hundred dollars. If I had lived longer, I might have got more."

 

"A hundred dollars, Jacob? I did not think you were so rich."

 

"It will never do me any good," said the old man, bitterly. "I was a fool to go out in the street that day. I might have lived to be as old as my father. He was seventy-five when he died."

 

Tom would like to have comforted him, but he would give him no hope of life, and that was what the old man longed for.

 

"Where is the box of money?" he asked, seeking to divert Jacob's mind, as well as to gain a necessary piece of information.

 

"It is under the floor of the room. You lift up a board just before you get to the pantry, and you will see a tin box underneath¹¹. You will find something else in it, Tom. It is a paper in which I wrote down all I know about you. You said you would forgive me for wronging you."

 

"Yes, Jacob."

 

"Perhaps you can get back your rights; but I am afraid not."

 

"My rights!" repeated Tom, bewildered.

 

"Yes; I can't tell you about it; I am too weak; the paper will tell you."

 

The old man began to show signs of exhaustion¹². The excitement of learning his hopeless condition, and the conversation which he had already held with Tom, had overtasked his feeble strength, and he showed it by his appearance.

 

"I am afraid I have staid too long, Jacob," said Tom, considerately. "I will go, now, but I will come back to-morrow morning."

 

"You won't look for the box till I am gone, Tom?" said the old man, anxiously. "I—the doctors might be wrong; and, if I get well, I would want it back again."

 

"No, Jacob, I will not look for it while you are alive."

 

"Promise me," said Jacob, suspicious to the last, where money was concerned.

 

"I promise, Jacob. Don't be troubled. I would rather have you live than take all the money."

 

"Good boy!" said Jacob, faintly, as his head sank back on the pillow.

 

Tom left the hospital ward¹³ with one last glance of compassion¹⁴ at the miserable¹⁵ old man, who clung to life, which had so little that is ordinarily counted agreeable, with despairing hope. It was the last time he was to see Jacob alive. The next day, when he called to inquire after the old man, he was told that he was dead. He sank steadily¹⁶ after his last interview with our hero, and, having parted with the key to his treasure, it seemed as if there was nothing left to live for.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

3 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

4 succumbed   

不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死

参考例句：

• The town succumbed after a short siege. 该城被围困不久即告失守。
• After an artillery bombardment lasting several days the town finally succumbed. 在持续炮轰数日后，该城终于屈服了。

5 dispel   

vt.驱走，驱散，消除

参考例句：

• I tried in vain to dispel her misgivings.我试图消除她的疑虑，但没有成功。
• We hope the programme will dispel certain misconceptions about the disease.我们希望这个节目能消除对这种疾病的一些误解。

6 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

7 wail   

vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸

参考例句：

• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。
• One of the small children began to wail with terror.小孩中的一个吓得大哭起来。

8 wailed   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句

9 twine   

v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕

参考例句：

• He tied the parcel with twine.他用细绳捆包裹。
• Their cardboard boxes were wrapped and tied neatly with waxed twine.他们的纸板盒用蜡线扎得整整齐齐。

10 spasm   

n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作

参考例句：

• When the spasm passed,it left him weak and sweating.一阵痉挛之后，他虚弱无力，一直冒汗。
• He kicked the chair in a spasm of impatience.他突然变得不耐烦，一脚踢向椅子。

11 underneath   

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。

12 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

13 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

14 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

15 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

16 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。